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  • From: "Healing Hawk" <healinghawk@earthlink.net>
  • To: "'permaculture'" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Similarities between the Jesus Movement...
  • Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2007 14:04:38 -0600

As a recovering Southern Baptist, I know the high of righteousness. John
Bradshaw, a former priest, says that the high of righteousness is similar to
the high of cocaine. I also know that religion addiction diminishes, rather
than enhances, life.

To grow, humans need to work through whatever keeps us from embracing that
which enhances our lives and grows us to full maturity. To settle into
profoundly diminished life is not healthy. I graduated from Alcohol
Counselor Training and worked with families in the mental health field for
three years before burning out advocating for patients who had become profit
centers in "Managed Care."

My mom was addicted to religion and the righteousness high. She turned me
on to it at an early age, in a covertly incestuous cross-generational
alliance necessitated because my dad would not go to church with her. I
don't have words to say how damaging that was for me. The first time I had
consensual sex was with a prostitute in Vietnam. After years of processing,
12-Step meetings, and therapy, I forgave my mom and we had as good a
relationship as she was capable of when she died and I'm grateful for that.
When my dad died, I was twenty days sober and had not a single grief skill.
I was five years getting over it because our relationship was so conflicted.
I was glad that my mom was no longer miserable when she died.

My grandfather was drunk when he fell dead in his bathroom. My mom couldn't
do the work of getting past that, even when I was doing it. So we, my
siblings and I, lived around her family rules that fit only addicted
families protecting an offender.

If you think religion can't be addictive, read "When Religion is an
Addiction," by Robert N. Minor, PhD, or "When God Becomes a Drug," by Leo
Booth, an Anglican bishop in recovery. Healing, consciousness change,
resistance, alternatives, community building. We have to do them all to
attain a just, sacred, and sustainable world.

Tommy Tolson
Austin, TX

-----Original Message-----
From: permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Gregory Konger
Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2007 12:38 PM
To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [permaculture] Similarities between the Jesus Movement...

Good. Abstinence is even better. You don't have near jealousy or
covetousness with abstinence. For example, if someone is unable to have sex
because of a birth defect or because no one wants them, won't they feel left
out when the ones who do have it brag about how wonderful it is. I am sure
the indigenous people had their quibbles or violent fights over love affairs
if they enjoyed sex like you say they did. You see animals fighting in the
wild all of the time over the right to have sex. I came to the conclusion
it is not worth it. I feel like less of a threat when I don't have it.
Peace.

Greg Konger





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