Date
Deborah Rosenbloom, JD/MPA, Jewish Women International
Sharon O’Brien, Ph.D. Catholics For Family Peace/National Catholic
School of Social Service
The Catholic University of America
Salma Elkadi Abugideiri, LPC, Peaceful Families Project
Faith MattersSupporting Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Families
Experiencing Domestic Violence
This webinar was supported by Grant #90EV0440-01-00 awarded by the
Department of Health and Human Services. The viewpoints contained in this
document are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not represent the
official views or policies of the department and do not in any way constitute an
endorsement by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Disclaimer
• Understand how faith can be a resource or a barrier to hope, help & healing
• Learn best practices for supporting DV survivors for whom faith is critical to
identity and/or decision-making
• Consider how to work with perpetrators for whom faith is critical to identity
• Learn best practices for engaging faith leaders as allies
Objectives
• It’s a lens through which people interpret what happens in their lives
• It’s a lens through which people make meaning of their lives
• It’s a source of identity
• It’s a source of community
Why Does Faith Matter?
List Stereotypes of Jews
List Stereotypes of Christians
List Stereotypes of Muslims
Demographics
•Between 5.4 million - 7.1 million
•98% urban or suburban
(largest communities in NY, LA, DC, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami)
•25% household income $150,000+, 5% below national poverty line, 19% age 65+
•1/10 born in Russia or Russian parent, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Israel, Argentina
Jewish Community in America
Community structures
•3,000 synagogues
•Community based federations and Jewish Family Services
•Schools, summer camps, national youth movements
Denominational Preference
•Orthodox: 10%
•Conservative: 26%
•Reform: 35%
•Just Jewish: 25%
Sources: National Jewish Data 2000-01 - www.jewishdatabank.org;
https://www.pewforum.org/2013/10/01/jewish-american-beliefs-attitudes-culture-survey/
Jewish Community in America
• Religious laws guide daily living - food, prayer, marital relations, & Sabbath
and holiday observance.
• The synagogue is the house of worship.
• Rabbis are the spiritual leaders. Traditionally, only men were rabbis.
• The Torah (5 books of Moses, Old Testament) is the book of Divine Law.
• The Talmud contains the legal discussions interpreting the Torah.
Jewish Community in America
70.9% of the U.S. population identifies as Christian.
Christian denominations
•Evangelical Protestant 25.4%
•Catholic 20.8%
•Mainline Protestant 14.7%
Christianity in America
Importance of Religion in the lives of Christians:
•Very 68%
•Somewhat 25%
Marital Status among Christians
•Married 52%
•Divorced/Separated 14%
•Never Married 21%
Source: Pew Research Center, Religion in Public Life, 2019,
https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/
Christianity in America
Christians are united in these Basic Beliefs:
• We believe One God in Three Divine Persons: God the Father, Jesus Christ as
the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit.
• God became a human being in Jesus of Nazareth, who preached a message
of mercy and love, was executed, rose from death, and ascended into heaven
• God's Word is found in the Bible, made up of the Hebrew Scriptures, Gospels,
and letters of the early Apostles.
• Christians vary in their organizational structures and understanding of church
authority. Catholics have the Pope as leader of world-wide Church.
Christian Community in America
• About 1-2% of total US population
• Most diverse faith group in US (Gallup, Muslim West Facts Project)
• Largest groups are South Asian & Arab immigrants & African Americans (Pew,
2017)
• 75% are immigrant or children of immigrants
• 82% are American citizens
• Growing number of White, Latino & Caribbean converts. Fastest growing
religious group in the world (Pew, 2017)
Muslim Community in America
• Muslims (literally “one who submits” [to God]) are followers of Islam
• Muslims believe in One God (Arabic name is Allah), & their prophet is
Muhammad
• Muslims believe in all prophets of Judaism & Christianity (Abrahamic tradition)
• The Qur’an (divine book) describes women & men as “partners” (9:72) and
“garments for one another” (2:187), and identifies mutual love & mercy as the
foundations of marriage with the goal of tranquility (30:21).
Islam in America
What are unique ways that domestic violence presents for
survivors in faith communities?
• Controlling or interfering with survivor’s religious practices or access to
knowledge/education
• Misusing religious values like patience and forgiveness to pressure a survivor
to stay in the relationship
• Manipulation using religious texts out of contexts
• Misusing marriage or divorce laws as a control tactic (Jewish get; Catholics
“don’t divorce”; Muslim talaaq)
Ways DV presents for survivors in faith communities
What are some common & unique barriers
that prevent DV survivors
of faith from seeking services?
• Concern that they won’t be understood or welcome
• Reconciling that partner who is “religious” is also abusive
• Misuse/misunderstanding of religious texts
• Stigma of seeking services
• Faith leaders’ lack of awareness of value of services
• Lack of collaborative relationships between faith leaders & service providers
• Lack of awareness of resources
• Lack of faith-sensitive services
Barriers Preventing Survivors of Faith
from Seeking Services
• Work within survivor’s worldview rather than imposing external values
• Use language & values that are familiar to survivor
• Allow survivor to determine goals
• Identify allies among faith & community leaders
• Recognize that partnering with faith leaders adds credibility and increases
access
Recommendations for Supporting
Survivors of Faith
Acknowledge that abusive behavior is unacceptable to God.
Repentance is necessary to change behavior.
Hope, help, and healing is possible.
Faith leader’s role is to speak about healthy/ unhealthy relationships.
Recommendations for Working with People Who Engage in
Abusive Behaviors
Have you ever worked with a faith leader to
support a DV survivor?
• Know which faiths are represented in your community as a way to learn of
existing services and identify allies
• Identify a local champion to make introduction in a specific faith community
• Visit the faith leader & share your experiences with survivors of faith
• Offer a class or workshop on healthy relationships
• Invite faith leaders to your office to meet staff & learn about your services
• Arrange a screening of a DV faith-specific video having clergy on hand to
answer religious questions
Outreach to Faith Leaders
• How can we work together to improve family relationships?
• How can we work together to raise awareness about unhealthy or abusive
relationships?
• What skills does your community need to have stronger families?
• What are the best options for achieving safety for any abused member of
your community?
• What help do you need from us?
• What can we expect from you?
Suggested Questions
Presenter Contact Information
Deborah Rosenbloom: [email protected]
Sharon A. O’Brien: [email protected]
Salma Abugideiri: [email protected]
Q & A
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