Help with unhealthy fear of cops

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Benedict_Option

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I have an unhealthy fear and mistrust of the police.
Let me just tell you what happened tonight:

I prayed a Rosary in Church.
I left and called a friend.
While on the phone I see a sketchy black suv driving really slowly.
I ignore it. Next thing I know a cop is outside of it and asks me who I am.
He patrols near this Church. And he doesn’t recognize me.
I tell him who I am. He shakes my hand tells me who he is and that they pay him to patrol. He’s driving in a blacked out SUV instead of a cop car.
He apologizes for interrupting my phone call, then leaves.

I walk off.
Basically what happened next was hysteria, invasive thoughts, anxiety, and paranoia of the worst kind.
I eventually snapped out of it. And I do want to maybe work on this with a priest, but it never seems pressing enough, so I never really have…

Anyways. Idk if that was a good enough explanation.
An example of my unhealthy overreactions to cops include:

“He could be a Satanist”
“How do I know he wouldn’t lock up the Little Sisters of the Poor if the Supreme Court had ruled the other way?”
“He takes his orders from the government”
“You cannot serve two masters. Well he’s serving the state.”

I really don’t trust the government. I really don’t understand why the Church gave up all the many fiefs she had to temporal powers.
I’m living with some monks, and back in the day they were their own municipality. That meant they provided their own power, they put out their own fires, and they sure as hell patrolled their own streets.
(Yes, they literally had their own coal-burning power station, fire department, and security.)
All private, all independent. So, it was all Catholic. Everyone was Catholic, and their boss and employer was the Abbot, not some secular authority.

Anyways that’s all gone now. I digress though.

I’m posting this bc I recognize I need help on this, not to debate or discuss my views… I’m sure many ppl online (yes even practicing Catholics), would love to post very mean things about me. And deride my views about cops. It’s a fear. It’s out of a fear. So, it’s irrational. I just don’t accept the police like most ppl do. I don’t take their institutions for granted. I really question and fear their power. And I have historical knowledge that tells me it doesn’t have to be this way.
 
If all that’s not clear enough, I think of cops as basically enemies of the Church. If the government persecuted the Church, they’d be the stormtroopers shooting down priests and raping nuns.
Yeah. Well… I did say if the first post wasn’t clear enough…
And any cop I see or ever run into, or ever talks to me. I get huge anxiety from ANY encounter with cops. Looking at me. And anything beyond that. So yeah, it’s a problem.
 
I think of cops as basically enemies of the Church.
I think you need to talk to your a priest/spiritual director and/or a counselor about this.

I was a police officer for a long time. I love the Catholic Church and would lay down my life for her. My brother is a police officer and he is the kindest person you could ever meet.

Most (because there are always exceptions) police officers go into this field because they want to help people, not harm them. We (my brother and I) didn’t do it for money or fame. We genuinely care about people and want to protect them from harm.
 
I think you need to talk to your a priest/spiritual director and/or a counselor about this.

I was a police officer for a long time. I love the Catholic Church and would lay down my life for her. My brother is a police officer and he is the kindest person you could ever meet.

Most (because there are always exceptions) police officers go into this field because they want to help people, not harm them. We (my brother and I) didn’t do it for money or fame. We genuinely care about people and want to protect them from harm.
I second this advice.

Mary.
 
“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22.

😉
 
“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22.

~kidding of course. I will pray for you.
 
Your fear seems very irrational, and without any real basis. I too, think that you should seek not only the counsel of a priest, but also psychological help. God does not want you to live your life in fear of anything. Please talk to someone. May you find peace in God.
 
“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22.

~kidding of course.

While some of what you say is true, as the government becomes more hostile towards the Christian faith it is using the legal system to implement their will. David Daleiden, the producer of the Planned Parenthood exposes, had his home raided by governmental guys with guns. And, as it turns out collusion between the Texan Prosecutor and Planned Parenthood.

That said, the shooting Priests and raping Nuns is probably a bit of, shall we say…“imaginative license”. While evil tends to use the force of governmental control, those who join the government tend to have a heart to serve mankind and want to help people. Good people, broken system.

If it is bothering you, as it apparently is, some time speaking to a counselor might be beneficial.

Good luck with your struggles. I will pray for you.
 
Sorry about your difficulties. It would be usual to be uncomfortable with the dramatic nature of your thoughts.

You have mentioned in another post about experiencing depression at times. It might be time to have a session or two with your counselor just to check in.

I’ll pray for your situation. Good luck.
 
If all that’s not clear enough, I think of cops as basically enemies of the Church. If the government persecuted the Church, they’d be the stormtroopers shooting down priests and raping nuns.
Yeah. Well… I did say if the first post wasn’t clear enough…
And any cop I see or ever run into, or ever talks to me. I get huge anxiety from ANY encounter with cops. Looking at me. And anything beyond that. So yeah, it’s a problem.
I can relate to the last part of your post, but regarding the first part, we cannot know how local city and county police will act when christianity/ religion becomes illegal, Id imagine some will refuse to enforce the laws but others will likely stand by the Govts side no matter what kind of laws they make.

I think most people get nervous when cops are around, ever notice how people drive when a cop is behind them or when they see one up ahead on the road? I saw this yesterday on the expressway, cop was sitting in median speed trapping, as soon as he was visible, everyones brake lights went on,(slowing down), I saw people fidgeting to put their seatbelts on, it was kind of comical, but I guess they know people react like this.
 
I think your subconscious is just reacting to the negative news surrounding police actions in the past year; the young males who were killed when there was no reason to be; and the anti-faith initiatives of the civil state in current events.

You are reacting out of anxiety however, as no anti Church persecution exists and it isn’t in the cards. "Sufficient unto each day is the trouble thereof.

Get a priest’s counsel.

ICXC NIKA
 
I can relate to the last part of your post, but regarding the first part, we cannot know how local city and county police will act when christianity/ religion becomes illegal, Id imagine some will refuse to enforce the laws but others will likely stand by the Govts side no matter what kind of laws they make.

I think most people get nervous when cops are around, ever notice how people drive when a cop is behind them or when they see one up ahead on the road? I saw this yesterday on the expressway, cop was sitting in median speed trapping, as soon as he was visible, everyones brake lights went on,(slowing down), I saw people fidgeting to put their seatbelts on, it was kind of comical, but I guess they know people react like this.
I am one of those who is nervous when I see a police officer following behind me. In fact it just happened today and I thought of this post. I don’t have the deep seated fear of them as the OP notes but seriously I feel like I might be pulled over every time even though I have only had two well deserved speeding tickets in my youth.

Prayers for the OP to be able to overcome this fear said.

Mary.
 
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