| There is a kind of abuse running rampant in America that the average person knows nothing about. It's the sort of thing we might believe happens in some foreign country but not here in America. However, it is going on here, and the church needs to know about it because the victims of this abuse (we call them survivors) are in our churches and desperately need our help. |
Many people have never heard of satanic ritual abuse (SRA). Some of those who have heard of it doubt that it actually exists. There have been articles in secular and Christian periodicals and books claiming this kind of abuse is the figment of an overactive imagination...that persons who believe this kind of abuse occurs are excessively afraid of the devil and see demons behind every bush.
There have been accusations made that false memories of abuse have been planted in a client's mind by the therapist-perhaps planted there while the client was under hypnosis. The fact that this has undoubtedly happened does not invalidate the truth that legitimate memories of severe abuse do sometimes surface many years after the occurrence of the abuse.
Amidst all the controversy are the severely satanically ritually abused persons who desperately need help. Unfortunately there are relatively few counselors who recognize this abuse or know how to deal with it once it is revealed. However, this picture is changing gradually. This is not to criticize the mental health profession. The fact is no university education can possibly prepare anyone to deal with satanic ritual abuse because satanic ritual abuse is a spiritual issue. The damage is done in the name of Satan and can only be undone by the power, love and wisdom of Jesus Christ.
I am concerned that counselors and pastors frequently are not trained to recognize satanic ritual abuse because Bible colleges, seminaries, and universities don't offer courses on this subject. It is an amazing fact that many persons who have experienced satanic ritual abuse have absolutely no memory of it and therefore have no knowledge of the root issue underlying their problems. Pastors seeing these symptoms in someone will often send them to a professional counselor. The professional counselor is trained to counsel according to counseling techniques rather than prayer and total reliance on the Holy Spirit. Few know how common satanic ritual abuse is or recognize its identifying characteristics. It is my prayer that this book will inform persons so that those suffering from this abuse will be identified and helped.
I am convinced that the ministry to these abused persons belongs to the church...not just to pastors but to certain laypersons called by God to come alongside and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, minister wholeness to these people. I don't want to call them counselors... counselors are people with psychology degrees, counseling techniques and malpractice insurance. I prefer to call these laypersons by some other term such as spiritual director, spiritual helper, spiritual friend, or minister. It is my belief that the spiritual nature of satanic ritual abuse requires spiritual ministry and anyone called by God who relies on the Holy Spirit can minister successfully to even the most severely abused. When it comes to satanic ritual abuse, the call of God is more important than counseling credentials.
This book exposes the purpose behind satanic ritual abuse, the psychological techniques used in this abuse, and how to undo, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the results of such abuse. Even though this sounds very dark and ugly, the glory and beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ are also revealed in the pages of this book. It is impossible to face triumphantly the heartbreak of satanic ritual abuse without the glorious presence of Jesus. It is also impossible to minister successfully in this arena without growing spiritually and coming to know Jesus Christ in a whole new dimension.
It is my hope that this book will help to dispel the belief held by many that satanic ritual abuse does not exist because dissociated memories are not reliable. Any spiritual director who relies totally on the Holy Spirit will find that dissociated memories are only a part of the satanic ritual abuse ministry. There are elaborate programming schemes found in many satanically ritually abused persons that reveal definite evil genius and design. Demons manifest and say and do things that validate memories. Also we find analogous structures and programs in people who don't even know each other, that greatly validate the case for legitimacy of memories.
I vacillated between using the term MPD (multiple personality disorders) and DID (dissociative identity disorders) knowing that the counseling community uses DID but that church laypersons may be more familiar with MPD. However, more and more church people are becoming familiar with the term DID so I decided to stay with that designation.
Pronouns used will be in the feminine gender for the most part to avoid the clumsiness of writing hisher or himher each time a pronoun is required. Even though men have been abused also, the majority of those seeking counsel for abuse issues are overwhelmingly women.
A few details have been changed to protect the identity and privacy of some persons whose experiences are mentioned in the book. The changes are slight and in no way change the veracity of the experience or the concept being explained.
This book would not have been possible without the help of several persons. I want to thank, first, my husband for his willingness to allow me to spend so much time in this ministry. He has had to do some things alone that we were used to doing together, and he has been willing to share our home with others so they could receive more concentrated ministry. It has been an adjustment for both of us. I thank him, too, for being a strong spiritual covering for me, for his help in editing the book and for his computer expertise.
I also want to thank Roger D. Osborn for his encouragement to begin writing the book. As the book progressed, there were times when I felt I couldn't do it, but he was a constant encourager. Roger, having 35 years experience in mental health administration and clinical practice with a Ph.D. in Health Services Administration, was able to read the book through the eyes of a medical and mental health professional thereby providing a balance to my totally biblical perspective.
And lastly I thank all the satanically ritually abused persons who sat under my ministry; without them, there would be no book. In the beginning I made many mistakes for which I apologize. I felt as though I were in a flimsy rowboat in uncharted waters with sharks swimming all around me who had bitten off the oars. There was, however, a golden cord tied to the front of that little boat pulling me across the uncharted waters...the Holy Spirit was there guiding me. Hopefully, because of this book, others won't feel as lost as they minister to the survivors of satanic ritual abuse.