Off the Hook

Escaping Toxic Ideology

The author uses his own personal storyof being born into a Christian fundamentalist family with extreme beliefsto paint a vivid picture of what life is like in toxic ideologies such as fundamentalist religion. The book has three parts. The first describes the spiritual abuse of his childhood due to stifling rules and restrictions inflicted by his parents, caught up in their churchs teachings, on his thought processes and behavior. The remarkably poignant stories show in painful detail how his self-esteem was crushed, how he was never intended to think for himself, and how he was made to feel different and totally out of place in the worldall by loving but misguided parents. During his school days, his social life was severely stunted because he felt like an outsider everywhere but in church. The second part discusses his lifelong struggle with spiritual healing and his transition from a spoon-fed belief system to a personally chosen worldview. He thoughtfully muses about all the significant elements of religious/spiritual belief systemsGod, Jesus, the Bible, sin, morality, science, life after death, marriage, divorce, and othersand contrasts his evolving beliefs with those of organized religion. This is presented to give the reader a comprehensive illustration of how one particular seeker has constructed a personalized belief system through continual rethinking and updated understanding. The third part calls on the authors advanced education and professional experience in business and government in analyzing and developing systems and procedures. It describeswith a wealth of tips and checkliststhe process by which he escaped a toxic ideology and came to feel intellectually free and off the hook. It ends with heartfelt encouragement for anyone similarly affected by repression to accept all available helpful resources and muster the determination to claim their personal power.