Religious addicts lack objective accountability. Lack of objective accountability is a central theme for all areas of toxic faith. If religious addicts entered into healthy, accountable relationships with others, toxic faith could not flourish. Anyone who claims to be so tied into God that he or she does not need to be tied into people is a religious addict guaranteed to fail in faith and in ministering to the needs of others. God never intended for anyone to be so focused on Him that they had no need to stay connected with people. No one’s faith can be free of accountability to others. Lack of accountability is a clear sign of lack of faith in God and the presence of a faith in self.
When toxic-faith practices come under scrutiny, the religious addict reacts predictably: “I am accountable only to God.” No-one is accountable only to God. We are all accountable to the government, a married person is accountable to a spouse, anyone asserting accountability to God alone either is not thinking clearly or has a terrible sin to hide. When a religious addict makes such an assertion, followers should clear out of that ministry if change is not immediately implemented. A person accountable only to God is a person out of control.
Under the reign of a toxic-faith leader operating without accountability, religious addicts also tend to avoid accountability. They become little generals in a toxic army that they claim no one outside the organization can understand. This cuts off all others and arms them with the right to do as they please. These little generals follow orders from their leader, believing they are on a mission from God, and refuse to listen to any input from outside.
Severing accountability eliminates much of the possibility of turning toxic believers away from the organization and back to a true faith in God. They continue as part of the system and at times are driven into total disbelief in God.
(from Toxic Faith, Chapter 6)
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