MSI Press Blog

  Children don’t run because they are dramatic. They run because something in their world has become unbearable. When a child flees — physically, emotionally, or inwardly — it is never a mystery. It is a message. And like most messages from children, it arrives without punctuation, without explanation, without a tidy narrative arc. It arrives as behavior. Running is one of the clearest. 1. Running is the body’s first language Long before a child can articulate fear, their nervous system speaks for them. Abuse — whether physical, emotional, verbal, or neglectful — activates the body’s survival circuitry. The child doesn’t think I should escape . The child becomes escape . Running is biology, not rebellion. A child’s brain is still wiring itself. Safety is the foundation of that wiring. When safety collapses, the body takes over. Fight, flight, freeze, fawn — these aren’t choices. They’re reflexes. And “flight” is the one that looks like a child sprinting down a hallway, hiding in a ...

Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood words in the language of healing. When the wound comes from a parent — the person who was supposed to protect, nurture, and love — forgiveness becomes not a single act but a lifelong process. It is not about excusing harm or pretending it didn’t happen. It is about reclaiming one’s own peace. The Myth of Instant Forgiveness Many survivors of abuse feel pressured to “forgive and move on.” Religious and cultural narratives often equate forgiveness with moral virtue. But when the abuser is a parent, the betrayal cuts through identity itself. The child learns fear where love should have been. Forgiveness, in this context, cannot be rushed. It begins only when safety and boundaries are established — when the adult child no longer feels trapped in the old dynamic. Understanding What Forgiveness Is — and Isn’t Forgiveness does not mean reconciliation. It does not mean inviting the abuser back into your life or denying the damage done. It means rel...

  This week editor's choice:   Blest Atheist by Elizabeth Mahlou Book Description: As a young child, outraged by the hypocrisy she finds in a church that does nothing to alleviate the physical and sexual abuse she experiences on a regular basis, Beth delivers an accusatory youth sermon and gets her family expelled from the church. Having locked the door on God, Beth goes on to raise a family of seven children, learn 17 languages, and enjoy a career that takes her to NASA, Washington, and 24 countries. All the time, however, God keeps knocking at the door, protecting and blessing her, which she realizes only decades later. Ultimately, Beth finds God in a very simple yet most unusual way. A very human story, Blest Atheist encompasses the greatest literary themes of all time – alienation, redemption, and even the miraculous. The author’s life experiences, both tragic and tremendous, result in a spiritual journey containing significant ups and downs that ultimately yield gr...

  Why Might Sexual Abuse in a Christian Home Push a Child Toward Atheism? Sexual abuse by a caregiver in a religious context introduces profound contradictions between proclaimed values and lived experience. The resulting trauma can fracture a child’s ability to trust, make meaning, and feel spiritually safe. 1. Violation of Sacred Trust Sexual abuse is a betrayal of the deepest kind. When the abuser is a parent who claims Christian values, the child may feel that everything sacred has been corrupted . The caregiver is supposed to reflect divine love and protection. When that figure becomes a source of harm, the child may reject the entire spiritual framework associated with them. This is especially potent when the abuse is hidden behind religious language or moral authority. 2. Shame and Silence in Religious Culture Many Christian communities emphasize purity, obedience, and forgiveness. These values can unintentionally: silence victims discourage disclosure spiritua...