When someone ‘fakes’ sharing your faith, it can shake your own beliefs, it can tarnish something that you perceive as ‘holy’ and special. It can attack the inner core of you. It can feel the equivalent of ‘emotional rape’

Mirroring your religious beliefs to abuse, is a common manipulation tool for the sociopath

Why do sociopath’s attach themselves to religion?

There are many different ways that a sociopath can attach themselves to religion. The first is through dating. If you recall, I wrote earlier how the first thing that the sociopath does is to:

Assess you

If you meet a sociopath and you are either a) strong in your religious faith or b) grieving, the sociopath will quickly learn this about you.  The sociopath will then use all that they have learned about you in assessment stage, to target you, and ….

seduce you. 

The sociopath might have no connection at all with religious beliefs. But they are intelligent, and smart, and the sociopath will become exactly what you are looking for, and what you need. The sociopath will ‘groom’ you to believe that they are someone who:

• Shares the same religious values
• If the person is grieving, they see someone who will share and support them through grief, someone who understands, who can be trusted

This is an easy target for the sociopath, and it is also very effective. To abuse you by mirroring your needs for your faith, the sociopath finds someone who will immediately allow him into their ‘inner core’, this establishes a much deeper attachment and connection, than could ever be achieved simply by mirroring.

The victim will receive the following messages

• This person is just like me
• This person has ‘good’ values
• This is a person who is dictated by God
• This person wouldn’t do something to hurt me, because it would be against their religious beliefs
• This is a GOOD person

This will lure you into a false sense of security, not only will it move the relationship forward quicker than than you otherwise would, it will lead you to believe that this relationship is special, there is a special connection, a spiritual connection, and this would lead you open up more than your heart, soul, and truly believe that this is magical. You would be left with the impression that this is a soul mate connection that you have waited for all of your life.

Once the sociopath has established this ‘special‘ connection with you. He now has something which he can continue to manipulate you with, easily and he knows that this will be effective.

Later in the relationship, when they wish to discard you, they can easily move to the next stage:

Gaming

• The sociopath will use your religion against you
• Will tell you that you are against your own faith
• Will use your beliefs to direct you, to control you
• The sociopath will behaves like he ‘is god‘ or sent by God, or Angels, or Allah to help you, to be with you (how dare you say that God’s judgement is wrong?)

Why this type of abuse is particularly damaging

Abuse of this type, is particularly damaging as it will create an attachment with the sociopath on a much deeper level than could otherwise be achieved. It attaches to your inner core, your values, your beliefs, and most importantly it attaches to what you feel is truly ‘right’. You will see the person as attached to your faith, this can create a particularly strong bond (or so you think)

If the person has came into your life when you are grieving, it will create a bonding triangle between your loved one who died, yourself and the sociopath. Making it very difficult to leave the relationship (and the sociopath will play on this).

Even after devalue and discard, the victim can be left feeling as if not only their heart and mind has been attacked, but also that their soul. The pain that is felt, is not only pain in the heart, and mind,  but also in the soul.

You are left confused, and as an attachment is made with your soul and your faith, you do not know where to turn for help, support and guidance.

It is also likely that the sociopath will continue to use your faith to abuse you, even after the relationship has ended. The sociopath will tell you that you are a  bad person, and that you are against your own faith. For many, when they are left isolated, the one thing that they do have left, is their faith, and without this, it  can feel an assault on all of your senses.  Worse, is it can make you question who you are, and everything that you believe in.

IMPORTANT: If you are in this position,  It is important to remember that what the sociopath has told you, is likely LIES. You are being abused, deceived. Focus on the truth, and what you know to be right. Realise and understand this type of abuse, and separate your connection with the sociopath, and your faith.

If you are grieving, the attachment the sociopath claimed to have with your loved one, helping you through grief was also false. It is likely that this is a LIE. Let go of the sociopath and hold onto what you believe. Give yourself time to grief, and rely on those you trust to support you. Do not question your own beliefs, these beliefs are a big part of your personal identity. Seperate what you have felt for the sociopath with your faith, and grief for your loved one.

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