When a narcissist becomes a church leader "his continued proximity to God confers on him authority." Priests, leaders of the congregation, preachers, evangelists, " when they are narcissists, derive authority from their allegedly privileged relationship with God.

Religious authority allows the narcissist to indulge his sadistic urges and to exercise his misogynism freely and openly.

Such a narcissist is likely to taunt and torment his followers, hector and chastise them, humiliate and berate them, abuse them spiritually, or even sexually.

The narcissist whose source of authority is religious is looking for obedient and unquestioning slaves upon whom to exercise his capricious and wicked mastery.

The narcissist transforms even the most innocuous and pure religious sentiments into a cultish ritual and a virulent hierarchy. He preys on the gullible. His flock become his hostages. Religious authority also secures the narcissist's Narcissistic Supply.

His coreligionists, members of his congregation, his parish, his constituency, his audience - are transformed into loyal and stable Sources of Narcissistic Supply.

They obey his commands, heed his admonitions, follow his creed, admire his personality, applaud his personal traits, satisfy his needs (sometimes even his carnal desires), revere and idolize him. Moreover, being a part of a "bigger thing" is very gratifying narcissistically.

Being a particle of God, being immersed in His grandeur, experiencing His power and blessings first hand, communing with him - are all Sources of unending Narcissistic Supply.

The narcissist becomes God by observing His commandments, following His instructions, loving Him, obeying Him, succumbing to Him, merging with Him, communicating with Him - or even by defying him (the bigger the narcissist's enemy - the more grandiosely important the narcissist feels).

Like everything else in the narcissist's life, he mutates God into a kind of inverted narcissist. God becomes his dominant Source of Supply. He forms a personal relationship with this overwhelming and overpowering entity - in order to overwhelm and overpower others. He becomes God vicariously, by the proxy of his relationship with Him.

He idealizes God, then devalues Him, then abuses Him. This is the classic narcissistic pattern and even God himself cannot escape it." ( Dr. SAM VAKNIN: http://samvak.tripod.com/index.html)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsIYveXbzF4


"But know this, says saint Paul that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jan'nes and Jam'bres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was". Dr. SAM VAKNIN

When Narcissists Use Religion to Control You: Narcissists and Religious Abuse (AKA Spiritual Abuse) -

Religious Narcissists (And Narcissistic Christians) Are you dealing with religious abuse or spiritual abuse from a narcissist? If so, you're not alone. Narcissists are infamous for using religion to manipulate, control and absolutely dominate you through fear of what will happen to you if you don't do what they want.

In this video, Narcissists and Religious Abuse (AKA Spiritual Abuse): When Narcissists Use Religion to Control You, I'll define religious abuse and outline how narcissists use it against you.

The official definition of religious/spiritual abuse:
Religious abuse is abuse administered under the guise of religion, including harassment or humiliation, which may result in psychological trauma. Religious abuse may also include misuse of religion for selfish, secular, or ideological ends such as the abuse of a clerical position.

I will also talk about how depression can be a side-effect of the CPTSD you get after experiencing a toxic relationship with a narcissist and dealing with the gaslighting, repeating discards, narcissistic rage and other manipulation tactics used by religious narcissists.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlxPkSADkIM

Flare up
Are these not the average pastors

They rule and reign supreme in most Nigerian churches without any let or hindrances.

narcs

narc

Lovely insights. I have always want to learn more about narcissmm in religion. If you don't mind any material book you suggest to complete this?

cocolacec:
narc

one of my friends is a somatic and covert Narcissts. Very charming body. Truth we need to study psychology to understand truths about life. The attributes of covert and somatic fits him perfectly.

Geeman23:
Lovely insights. I have always want to learn more about narcissmm in religion. If you don't mind any material book you suggest to complete this?

Narcissistic Differences in Christian and Nonreligious Individuals
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1942/639463cf5d615b6faca67ffd25b1d4169076.pdf

https://pro.psychcentral.com/exhausted-woman/2015/05/15-narcissistic-religious-abuse-tactics/#:~:text=A%20narcissist%20uses%20their%20religious,doesn%27t%20matter%20the%20religion.&text=Even%20those%20who%20do%20not,or%20Satanism%20can%20be%20included.