I am going to be changing the topic of research to list some Bible verses pertaining to "spiritual abuse" or egotism in church leaders and how we are commanded in the Bible to be discerning and follow God and not people. No one in authority in a church should be worshiped. Even the best of pastors can make mistakes, and no Christian should feel that he or she does not have the freedom to point out error or ask questions in love to a pastor or elder.
To wrap up the Jungian spirituality blog posts, I spoke with my counselor today. She is a doctor, and she has helped me tremendously in my life. She explained that Carl Jung got carried away in error and poor character after gaining some success, because his ego got the best of him. She said it has happened to many famous psychiatrists. She pointed out that good science is based on science, not New Age spirituality. Before Jung got involved in all of the demonic spirituality, she explained, he studied the brain and the difference between men and women. This has been very helpful to me, as I have learned through her counsel the different needs of men and women and different roles in a relationship. She pointed out that there have been many very sincere Jungian therapists who have been a great help to a lot of people, such as Alice Miller. She explained that not all therapists are good and honest. Many do take advantage of vulnerable people and have poor character (like Jung), but it is like being a pastor or teacher--there are good counselors and bad ones.
I know after years of working with my counselor that she truly cares about me, and her counsel has helped me be strong in areas I used to be weak and has always encouraged me to live the life of an authentic Christian. For this reason, I am a big advocate for counseling which does not contradict the Bible. It is impossible to lead a healthy life without leading an honest one. Sometimes we need accountability, and there should be no shame in humbling ourselves to get the help we need. God has even used the life of Carl Jung to make me wiser, as I have spent some days this week observing the fruit of his spirituality, the legacy of his poor character and how people are often not who they appear to be on the outside.
