Labeling

Toxic Characteristic #10

The technique of labeling is used to discount a person who opposes the beliefs of the religious addict. Labeling attempts to dehumanize critics so that dismissing them or their opinions becomes much easier. The religious addict chooses not to address a critic individually but places a negative label on all who would disagree with his or her personal habits. Rather than say that John Smith has asked some questions, the addict proclaims that there are “detractors,” “traitors,” or “malcontents” who would destroy the ministry or organization. The labels become rallying points used to squelch a revolt. Once the label is in place, it becomes more difficult to see that person as a human with real needs and the potential for good judgment.

John had been with the church since the beginning, and all ran smoothly until he began to disagree with the pastor about certain interpretations and applications of Scripture. Suddenly, although John had faithfully taught Sunday School for years, he was labeled a troublemaker.

The pastor determined that John had gone too far and was trying to undermine the ministry. The pastor immediately called John at his place of work and informed him that he was no longer going to be allowed to teach. Neither was he welcome at church anymore. He was a traitor and needed to repent of his rebellious spirit.

From the pulpit the pastor preached on how a little leaven spoils the lump and how the congregation needed to expel those who would corrupt them. In an instant, John and his family were no longer friends of those with whom they had fellow shipped for years. They were “traitors” who had “betrayed” the pastor and therefore needed to be expelled. Yet what John had done was to simply disagree with authority.

This nasty turn of events devastated John and his family. Their lives had revolved around the church for so long that they had cultivated very few friends outside the church. Rejected and abandoned by those they had trusted and cared for, John’s family felt broken and in pain because the system could not tolerate difference. This toxic faith enabled the delusion that each person has a right to his or her own relationship to God – as long as it lines up with the system. By labeling John and persuading other church members to believe that label, the insecure pastor was able to avoid dealing with disagreement.

The military uses labeling to enhance the “killability” of the enemy. The last thing a military leader wants a soldier to think about is that the person in his rifle’s sights may be a father of five little girls who will starve without a daddy. The enemy is given an ethnic label in an effort to dehumanize him. The soldier is better able to kill one hundred of them than one father or husband.

Religious addicts use the technique well, and when they use rumour and innuendo to kill the reputation of a sincere critic other followers are more apt to go along if a label can dehumanize the dissenter.

The purpose of labeling is to separate and divide. In our society, someone who has conservative beliefs is labeled a fundamentalist. The label no longer describes the approach by which that person evaluates life; it now describes the person. Someone who considers fundamentalist views to be narrow focuses on the holder of those views and labels him narrow-minded. The approach is transferred to the person’s individuality. The person is shamed and demeaned for beliefs that have little to do with the person’s value or unique gifts from God. Disqualification by labeling hurts the victims and allows persecutors to continue in their toxic faith. It is sheer poison.

Because it is difficult to rally against rational-thinking people who have distinctly different views, labels must be used to polarize the opponents and energize the followers to fight those opponents. The enemy is disqualified so the difficult issue underlying the enemy can be avoided. The potential to find truth in the opposition’s argument is destroyed when labels are used. Who wants to listen to a narrow-minded bigot? Since a narrow-minded person challenging your position is of no consequence, that person is eliminated as a competent opponent.

Labeling discounts and dismisses the opposition and establishes the superiority of religious addicts. It does not invite the exploration of the beliefs of others; it reduces them to objects of scorn. Labeling becomes the perfect weapon to attack the enemy or defend the toxic-faith system, its beliefs, and addictive practices. Labeling allows religious addicts to define truth, uphold that truth as defined, and destroy anyone who would dare to question that truth.

Hope for Change

Knowing the characteristics of a toxic-faith system enables individuals to evaluate the characteristics of their church or organization. When members of toxic faith systems identify them as such there is hope that multiple generations of abuse will discontinue.

At last, followers can see and feel manipulation by religious addicts. The persecution will stop when they refuse to be victimized. When many victims move away from the system, the toxic leader may be forced to become accountable while other addicts may recognize the reality of their compulsions. This may force religious addicts back into a real relationship with God, free of ego, manipulation, and the victimizing of those outside the system.

(From Chapter Six of Toxic Faith)