With both Brad and Brother Maynard taking a look at the nature of toxic religious systems, I have been chewing on what contributes to systemic toxicity. These are just a few of the thoughts rattling around in my brain at the moment.
I would love your input and insight about these ideas.
Definition: Politics - maneuvering within a group to gain control or power
Is the following logic faulty?
- A. Politics are endemic to institutions.
- B. Power is endemic to politics.
- C. Power is endemic to institutions.
Wherever one person has more power and particularly where they take steps of any kind to maintain this power, abuse is not only possible, but in some capacity, likely. (Brother Maynard)
Is toxicity inherent to church organizations? We might assume that it wouldn’t/couldn’t happen to us or our group. Having experienced the negative dynamics of groupthink, I have to wonder if abuse is an inevitable outcome of the politics that are inherent to organizations.
