That's not what I meant.
I forget the chapter and verse, but there's something in Mark (I think) about Jesus driving out demons into a heard of pigs or something. Maybe that was real possession, or maybe it was mental illness. Obviously you don't get phrases like 'bi-polar' etc in the Bible.
The point I was trying to get across was that it seems to me that in old times, mental illness was looked at in terms of demons etc. All I was asking was 'has that changed?'.
You make it clear that it has.
I think you have misunderstood. Or maybe I just didn't explain myself well enough.
I don't really have any ideas about Christians. If I were asking Muslims I would ask the same questions in the same way.
I don't understand people very well. I don't socialise. It's no wonder you thought I had some weird ideas about Christians.
I'm truly sorry I came across that way. It was not my intention.
OK.
Here is the problem.
Most people today get their ideas of Christianity from Hollywood. Elmer Gantry, Piper Laurie's character from the film, "Carrie", for example.
There truly are people out there who believe that we are what they see in the pictures. That we're Luddite, "burn the witch", no nothings, just looking for someone to oppress.
That isn't true. It isn't even remotely true.
What is true is that Christians deal with the same issues as anyone else. We have depression. We get cancer. We get laid off. The rain falls on the just and the unjust.
Are there Christians who an insensitive to people with mental illness? Sure there are.
But I'm proud to say that they're in the minority and I'm happy to report that, if they do have these negative attitudes toward people who have mental illness, it's certainly not because it's what Christianity teaches but because they, like so many people, are ignorant of what mental illness is.
I can't tell you how many non-Christians have told me to "just get over it", when I explain to them how depression affects me. But on the other hand, it's always been the Christians who've put their arms around me and said, "please tell me what I can do to support you through this". Or have then put a boot to my backside when I needed it.
Christianity doesn't teach that sickness is caused by demons or Satan, but that all men are subject to death and disease because that's the world we live in, fallen as a result of mankind's sin.
There is a story in God's word about Jesus and two of His disciples walking through a market place when they came across and crippled man.
One of His disciples said, "Rabbi, I have a question". He probably looked over at the other disciple as if to say, "what this! I'm going to show Jesus how pious I am".
"Rabbi", he continued, "that man, the crippled beggar. Obviously, this is a punishment from God. Who sinned, his mother or his father, that he should be crippled?"
Jesus turns to him and, as if addressing a small, not very bright child, says, "No one sinned. It isn't a punishment from God. God allowed him to go through this trial so that he could be a part of God's plan."
That's somewhat loosely paraphrased, but you get the point. Men are flawed. Physically, certainly spiritually, mentally, emotionally. But God takes what others in their ignorance would cast off as being abnormal or inferior or different and creates a Kingdom for His glory with those things.
I can't in good conscience reccoment Steve Brown's ministry at all, but he does have a saying that I like:
"Christians and non-Christians get cancer for the same reason: so that the world can see the difference".
You see, for a non-Christian with struggles similar to mine, depression is an obstacle to be overcome.
For me, when I am like Paul and learn to be weak so that God may become strong in me, then it becomes not an obstacle to overcome, but an opportunity to grow in Christlikeness.
