Thank you for your post Seeler .....
If I may try and clarify a bit please....
When a person lives under mental abuse or in this case spiritual abuse their depression grows to the point of desperation.
This is the walk to the creek bank ..... they are being pushed there....
Whether or not the pushing is direct or intentional is not the point.
The point is is that the pushing is occurring.
There is a responsibility that the pushers must bear for their contribution and they need to take ownership of their part.
If a person or church is participating in the pushing then they also own part of the fault.
For the young ones I feel that they own quite a bit of the fault.
What I am trying to show with this thread is that the pushing takes place within the church and with this awareness there is opportunity to do something about it.
Pushing goes on by some (and those who push are accountable for that), but it's up to the one being pushed to resist said pushing or not. Now, it may be that some may lack needed skills and/or knowledge in resisting.