Religious teachings about sex may be the most common type of sexual abuse in our world. Many of us were taught that our basic sexual impulses are sinful, even punishable by hell. This is a rejection of our most basic humanity. Years of sexual repression from religious indoctrination often result in performance anxiety, sexual dysfunction, self-hatred, sexual abuse, shame, addiction, and broken relationships. Religion formed the narrative about sexual morality in American culture, so the non-religious are also deeply impacted by the sex negative views we’ve inherited. Even today, our culture is only beginning to heal from the persecution of homosexuals by religious legislation. Rejection of sexuality can also impact us in areas of life not directly related to sex, stifling our creativity and ability to relate to ourselves and other people. By addressing our experience of religious teachings and practices around sexuality, we can begin the process of healing and reclaiming sexuality as something truly divine.
About Andrew Jasko: Before I transitioned out of religion, I was a Pentecostal Christian minister preparing to become a missionary to India. I studied Bible at the Evangelical Christian Wheaton College and obtained my Master of Divinity from Princeton Seminary. Religion was my life’s passion, but I suffered greatly from anxiety, depression, and guilt about my sexuality. I began to realize that the Bible’s teachings were the cause of my psychological distress. After a slow, painful process of awakening and denial, I quit my ministry job, left religion, and moved to California to start my life over. I began to study religion from the perspective of trauma and started working with people healing from religious trauma by coaching and facilitating workshops. In my own healing journey, I awakened to an authentic and powerful experience of spirituality through meditation, plant medicine, and sacred sexuality. My dream is to help people heal from religion and dogmatic ideologies by experiencing spirituality. I am studying for my doctorate in clinical psychology at California Institute for Integral Studies. I offer private coaching, speak at events, and facilitate workshops. My writings about exposing the trauma of religion and awakening spirituality can be found at http://www.lifeafterdogma.org/.
Format: Seminar, Workshop, Q&A: I will share my own story and address how religious teaches and practices result in sexual trauma. We will work on coming to terms with our own personal experiences and share our reflections on healing and integration as a group.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reclaiming-sexuality-from-religion-tickets-47578289946
If finances are too tight, please fill out the Low Income Ticket Application: https://goo.gl/z3Vj36