Some of you may have heard Malcolm Bowdens 4thought.tv slot this last week, where he claims that depression, and other mental illnesses, are the choice of the individual who suffers from them.
He says that a "true" Christian can never be depressed, because it is incompatible with their faith.
He says, on his website, that he has been involved in counseling many people, with what he calls "True Biblical Counseling".
There is so much I could say about him, but I would pick up a few for now. Firstly, he seems to have a real thing about "True" Christians, as opposed, I guess, to "False" ones. This always sounds alarms for me, because, in the end, what he means is Christians who agree with him. It means that people who don't agree, or - more significantly - people who are not helped by his "counseling" are not "True" Christians.
That will really help someone if they are already suffering from depression or self-esteem problems, to be then told that they are not really a Christian either.
The other problem I have though is far wider than this. My problem is that he given Christianity a bad name. Now most people I know will happily acknowledge that his opinions are not representative, but people I don't know may assume that this is a representation of evangelical Christianity.
And what bugs me most is this quick-fix approach to mental illness. Actually, I see it in other places, although this is a particularly bad form of it, where the assumption is that some short term counseling, or a few prayers sessions, can cure everything. The real challenge for the church communities, for evangelical Christians as a whole, is can they live with, work with, and support people who have mental illness over years. Can we provide the long-term care and concern that people need? Can we get away from the quick-fix mentality that is so common in society, and pray with people, spend time with people, support people over the years they may need it?
I hope so. And I hope that Malcolm Bowden and his like are seen as a dangerous and minority extreme, and not the genuine, real, caring side of Christianity.
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I agree wholeheartedly.
ReplyDeleteI genuinely hope that Malcolm Bowden is afflicted by depression himself before long - not through vengeance (tempting though that may be), but because I think that this is one time when that particular form of suffering may just lead to the wisdom that he is so sorely lacking.
My cousin is bi-polar and has always suffered from manic depression. She has in the past attended evangelical churches where untold damage was done to her because some people thought the same as this foolish, foolish man. I recently had the misfortune to hear a well ragarded Christian speaker address an ecumenical gathering where he confidently announced that he can tell within minutes of speaking to a person where they are on their Christian journey. I ask myself, can anyone really imagine Jesus addressing people with this lack of humility and breathtaking self-belief and self-righteousness in the way these men do? I will pray for Malcolm Bowden that he may be blessed with a modicum of humility and some common sense.
ReplyDeleteI don't wish depression on him. I don't wish it on anyone.
ReplyDeleteI do wish humility on many of our church leaders. because it is something that many - not all - are missing. And a lack of humility is very damaging to those they are trying to lead.