Documentary Interview

"Original Sin: Taming the Minotaur”

A chilling look at the relationship between religion and psychiatric health, Daniel Garcia’s recent documentary "Original Sin: Taming the Minotaur” explores the long-term effects of psycho-spiritual abuse in the life of Carla Powers and four other individuals. Caused by the misuse of doctrine(s) and/or authority by a parental or ecclesial figure, the tactics of psycho-spiritual abuse are often coercive and/or overtly forceful. By using fear, overly strict punishments, ridicule, humiliation and perfectionism, these environments create a diminished sense of self, which leads to a variety of psychiatric difficulties, including anxiety, depression and shame.

With varied backgrounds, socio-economic classes, sexual orientations and age, the four individuals profiled for this documentary are diverse, with the exception of their Christian (in a broad sense) upbringing in a home/church environment. All struggling with depressive and/or anxiety disorder(s), their personal accounts are weaved together with expert opinion, sermon excerpts and Church collateral to raise the question of human nature. The Christian anthropological stance is that human beings are by nature evil, stained and corrupted persons in the eyes of God. Central to this anthropology is original sin.

Centuries of theological debate and Church teaching(s) are alive and well in the lives of these people, as well as for the countless others they represent. "Original Sin: Taming the Minotaur explores the relationships between the belief in a sick soul and the concepts of God, self-forgiveness, sexuality, the Immaculate Conception, hell and psychopathology. Is it time to reconsider human nature? To reconsider who/what God is? To consider a world without Adam and Eve? To a world without psycho-spiritual abuse?

Documentary intro photo featuring stained glass on previous page is from publicdomainpictures.net