I came across a piece written by Neil Carter in his Patheos blog Godless in Dixie which was quite thought provoking. Titled The Dark Side Of Grace , it explored first the typical abusive personality, then how the whole of the religious experience compares to that dynamic. Well, at least the Christian experience.
Having been to very religious funerals, the overt nature of Jesus and religion in the whole affair (the celebration of a friend or loved ones LIFE!) has always annoyed me, but I didn’t ever really think of it as abuse. But given this take, it could indeed qualify.
On the other hand, this is not news really. The origins of these beliefs are obvious. Its not Yahweh or Jesus that was/is the abuser, its the people that penned the documents (and the people that edited/mistranslated them throughout the ages).
Either way, check the piece out. Its certainly an interesting take on seemingly benign behavior.
A Raindrop In The Ocean 