Spiritual & Emotional Wellness
“LIGHT IN THE NIGHT.”
“The Lord turns my darkness into light.”2 Samuel 22:29
According to Frank Stirk in an article published at
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/ A recent study by Baylor University in Texas found that out of 293 church members who asked their pastors for help with their own or a family member's diagnosed mental illness, 32.4 percent were told they "did not really have a mental illness, and that the cause of their problem was solely spiritual in nature (eg., personal sin, demonic involvement)." They were also advised to stop taking their medications.
Now, I advocate, “ it is better to meditate than to medicate”, but to advise people to stop taking their medicine in my view is extreme. What do you think?
The study clearly points out just how wide spread the notion is that mental illness is solely connected to a spiritual problem.
The article quotes Warwick Cooper, pastor of counselling and family ministries at The People's Church in Toronto.
“Perhaps the biggest obstacle the mentally ill in the pews face is the persistent and widespread belief that their problem is essentially spiritual. "Most churches just [assume] that if you read your Bible and pray and go to church, that surely is all you need to do," he said "But it's not helping."
I agree with Cooper. I would be interested in hearing your view.
If you would like to respond to this post or any post with a question concerning Spiritual and Emotional Health, I will do my best to give you an answer.
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The sample size used in the study by Baylor University seems too small to me. I'm not suggesting that it doesn't expose a problem in dealing with mental illnesses in the Church, but I would like to know of the 293 people how many were counseled by the same Pastor. But I agree that this study tends to bring awareness of the lack of properly educated pastors who are put in positions to counsel people. Telling someone to give up their medication is a bold and potentially dangerous piece of advice. The sad part is that such advice is likely to be accepted because the person receiving the advice is more likely to follow it since their Spiritual leader is the one giving it. If they don't follow their Pastor's advice you can probably add guilt to their mental state. Make no wonder people don't want to associate with churches when crazy things like these happen. Perhaps it is time that our Bible Colleges and Seminaries start mandating counseling courses to at least educate their students enough to recognize mental illnesses and provide proper channels of counseling.
ReplyDeleteI often find it curious when people entirely dismiss medicine. On what basis do we deem medicine to be wrong? I understand that one ought to be critical of Doctors that are quick to diagnos and medicate. Medication is certainly not always the answer. And, for me personally, medication is the last possible option. Be that as it is, I'm thankful that I have the option. Modernity isn't all that bad! Why would a cancer patient deny chemo or a diabetic deny insulin and say he/she would rather use prayer... exclusively. Why must the two (meditation and medication) be divided as opposites? You can have chemo and pray too! Yes, ethics, morals, beliefs have a huge part to play in the medical world (ie, stem cell research, euthanasia...the list goes on), but to do away with medication completely is, in a way, to deny a blessing... perhaps to even deny an answer to prayer! I think meditation is necessary. I think medication, if properly prescribed, is also necessary. The two have the potential to work hand in hand.
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