When God Becomes a Drug: Understanding Religious Addiction and Religious Abuse

Rating:
Summary: Religious addiction and abuse
Review: Booth defines religious addiction and abuse then goes over a twelve step program of recovery. This book shines a light into the dark recesses of religious abuse. The person who is the most addicted and abusive may very well be the person who is admired by outsiders for their religious conviction. The children and spouses see a very different picture. I think this book would be helpful to someone who was willing to consider the possibility that they have a problem. I think it is more likely to be read by someone affected by another's addiction than by the addict herself. Booth says he has success in his practice of working with religious addicts so perhaps they can be helped. In my experience though it seems that the people who fit his description of a religious addict are the ones who would never consider that they may be wrong or that their religion is causing a problem. For these cases Booth presents ideas for staging an intervention when the addict/abuser will not admit to the problem. Good luck.

One problem I have with the book is his anti-atheist bias. He wants to bring the people to a better spirituality but considers atheism to be a negative outcome. He sees it as a backlash to abuse. He must be aware that people can arrive at atheism in many different ways. He seems pretty open minded otherwise. People who want a healthier relationship to their faith without giving it up should be comforted by the fact that he is in no way trying to talk them out of their faith. He is a man of the cloth himself.

I'd recommend this book for someone who thinks his or her religious involvement may be getting out of hand. For the abused children or spouse of an addict it's a start only. I'd like to see a lot more awareness that religion can be used in such a damaging way and this book is a step in that direction. Abused children are in the worst position since society doesn't really recognize this type of abuse and is not prepared to do anything about it. (I read the hardbound version.)

Rating:
Summary: Religious addiction and abuse
Review: Booth defines religious addiction and abuse then goes over a twelve step program of recovery. This book shines a light into the dark recesses of religious abuse. The person who is the most addicted and abusive may very well be the person who is admired by outsiders for their religious conviction. The children and spouses see a very different picture. I think this book would be helpful to someone who was willing to consider the possibility that they have a problem. I think it is more likely to be read by someone affected by another's addiction than by the addict herself. Booth says he has success in his practice of working with religious addicts so perhaps they can be helped. In my experience though it seems that the people who fit his description of a religious addict are the ones who would never consider that they may be wrong or that their religion is causing a problem. For these cases Booth presents ideas for staging an intervention when the addict/abuser will not admit to the problem. Good luck.

One problem I have with the book is his anti-atheist bias. He wants to bring the people to a better spirituality but considers atheism to be a negative outcome. He sees it as a backlash to abuse. He must be aware that people can arrive at atheism in many different ways. He seems pretty open minded otherwise. People who want a healthier relationship to their faith without giving it up should be comforted by the fact that he is in no way trying to talk them out of their faith. He is a man of the cloth himself.

I'd recommend this book for someone who thinks his or her religious involvement may be getting out of hand. For the abused children or spouse of an addict it's a start only. I'd like to see a lot more awareness that religion can be used in such a damaging way and this book is a step in that direction. Abused children are in the worst position since society doesn't really recognize this type of abuse and is not prepared to do anything about it. (I read the hardbound version.)

Rating:
Summary: Treatment has never been more important
Review: I only wish this book had been more helpful than it is, but that is not the fault of the author. Religious addiction is a stubborn malady, and one that can best be confronted by the addict him/herself. As one who has lost at least one sibling to this painful affliction, I wish it could have given me an easy answer. There are no easy answers to this dilemma.

One of the brightest conclusions Father Leo makes is that one need not give up religion, or God, to develop a healthy spirituality. It would be an incredible challenge indeed, but he assures those who are seeking that giving up God is not the solution to confronting religious addiction. He is very clear about the difference between "religion" and "spirituality," something that is crucial in the healing process.

Father Leo also states that one can be addicted to atheism, and that atheism can be a religion in and of itself. Not necessarily that it is, but that it can become one.

The saddest and most frightening thing he points to is the inevitable outcome of mental breakdown if religious addiction is not treated. He outlines very carefully the possiblity of a loving intervention by those who are concerned for the addict, but when the addiction is religion (translated as "God" by the addict) denial comes way too easy and finding others willing to confront this denial is a very difficult challenge.

I was heartened to find that there is treatment for this addiction, there are places to turn. It is a relatively new field, but it gives me hope. I, too, wish there was acknowledgement of the harm this addiction does to the children of the addict -- but I don't know that I would put any state agency in charge of dealing with it.

One other concern that I have as I continue to study this subject is the subtlety of its intrusion into politics. When it comes to addiction, there IS no separation of church and state. In fact, this separation, if it exists at all, *only* exists for the state -- not for any church, unless it benefits *them*. They don't pay taxes, but they still find it perfectly acceptable to advocate for legislation from the pulpit and to lobby our representatives and to pass out post cards for the congregation to fill out in the middle of a service. It's a despicable practice, and one that becomes even more troublesome within the context of spiritual addiction.

Treatment for this malady has never been more important than it is today.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book on a misunderstood subject
Review: In this book, Fr. Leo outlines the problem of being addicted to religion. He outlines the steps one can go through as the addiction comes to dominate one's life, and outlines the steps necessary to break free from this addiction. Being a religious addict myself, I really enjoyed this book. He described my life to a 't' in this book, and it has helped me break the chains of religious addiction and has helped me attain a more healthy spirituality. If you even suspect you might have a problem with your religiousity, I highly recommend this book.