Disability and morality

[Xeno.of.athens]

Pause to think about how you treat a person with deformity, cerebral palsy, or a number of other conditions that can leave a person with communication difficulties or mobility difficulties and see if you feel any guilt. It's an interesting exercise. It makes me wonder how Christianity shapes our conduct in the world with regard to the disabled. I am told that "disabled" is a slightly offensive word when applied to such persons. How do you feel about this sort of thing?

 

[Mark Quayle]

As much as maybe 40 years ago —certainly as much as 30 years ago— there was an attempt to get even 'disabled' rebranded as 'differently abled'. The fact is, that regardless of the word attached to it, it is the same problem. Just as rebranding homosexuality and other perversions only makes for confused speech.

But I understand (and agree with) the wish to make the disabled feel included and not ostracized nor looked down upon. One of my dearest friends has a huge disability, and her desire for social interaction drives her. But I think the reason she loves me is because she knows what to expect from me —that I respect her the same as I did before her stroke (but that I don't deal with her disability with kid gloves, or distance myself from it, nor avoid it or ignore it, since she cannot avoid it), that I don't respect her sin just as I did not before her stroke, that I love her regardless and always will.

She loves me in particular, because I am 'with her' in her disability.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

As much as maybe 40 years ago —certainly as much as 30 years ago— there was an attempt to get even 'disabled' rebranded as 'differently abled'. The fact is, that regardless of the word attached to it, it is the same problem. Just as rebranding homosexuality and other perversions only makes for confused speech.

But I understand (and agree with) the wish to make the disabled feel included and not ostracized nor looked down upon. One of my dearest friends has a huge disability, and her desire for social interaction drives her. But I think the reason she loves me is because she knows what to expect from me —that I respect her the same as I did before her stroke (but that I don't deal with her disability with kid gloves, or distance myself from it, nor avoid it or ignore it, since she cannot avoid it), that I don't respect her sin just as I did not before her stroke, that I love her regardless and always will.

She loves me in particular, because I am 'with her' in her disability.

Your reply is interesting, it is an anecdote drawn from your experience and it does touch on the issues I am raising in the original post yet it doesn't really get the the heart of what I asked. Thanks for the example you gave.

 

[bling]

I had a ten-month-old granddaughter, I spent day and night for a month praying over her in intensive care, with little blood left, her internal organs dying and with the finally diagnosed being an incurable hereditary decease (HLH), but God just decided to cure her and no one can find any thing wrong with her today. I later had a grandson born with severe cerebral palsy, which I prayed over and still pray for and He has not gotten better, he cannot walk, talk, feed himself or do anything for himself. I cried over this many nights and saw it as a huge tragedy for my son, his wife and his older brother and two sisters. At 12, he is ninety pounds and hard to handle, but I went to stay with him for a week while my son and wife took a second honeymoon to Hawaii. I was not their first choice to help care for my grandson, but the person who was to take care of him went in for back surgery and they could not change their time for this vacation. I was utterly amazed by how these two teenage granddaughters and teenage son could care for their younger brother. They were up a 5 AM to get themselves ready, then got their brother changes, showered, medicated through a tube, dressed, fixed breakfast, (I just fed him), loaded in the van and off to school. The brother was home from Texas AM on weekends to give his sisters a break. They did all this while Loving on their young brother. My son and his wife had told me, my grandson was the greatest blessing they could have asked for, but I did not believe it until I saw it with my own eyes.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

I had a ten-month-old granddaughter, I spent day and night for a month praying over her in intensive care, with little blood left, her internal organs dying and with the finally diagnosed being an incurable hereditary decease (HLH), but God just decided to cure her and no one can find any thing wrong with her today. I later had a grandson born with severe cerebral palsy, which I prayed over and still pray for and He has not gotten better, he cannot walk, talk, feed himself or do anything for himself. I cried over this many nights and saw it as a huge tragedy for my son, his wife and his older brother and two sisters. At 12, he is ninety pounds and hard to handle, but I went to stay with him for a week while my son and wife took a second honeymoon to Hawaii. I was not their first choice to help care for my grandson, but the person who was to take care of him went in for back surgery and they could not change their time for this vacation. I was utterly amazed by how these two teenage granddaughters and teenage son could care for their younger brother. They were up a 5 AM to get themselves ready, then got their brother changes, showered, medicated through a tube, dressed, fixed breakfast, (I just fed him), loaded in the van and off to school. The brother was home from Texas AM on weekends to give his sisters a break. They did all this while Loving on their young brother. My son and his wife had told me, my grandson was the greatest blessing they could have asked for, but I did not believe it until I saw it with my own eyes.

A moving account; thank you for telling us. May God bless and keep your family ands help you to serve them and Him with joy.

 

[Mark Quayle]

Your reply is interesting, it is an anecdote drawn from your experience and it does touch on the issues I am raising in the original post yet it doesn't really get the the heart of what I asked. Thanks for the example you gave.

Maybe this gets more to the heart of what you asked. Such people are difficult to have small interactions with, like one does with a stranger that needs little, or like one does with a friend who is only a person like everyone else. To deal with them as a Christian's conscience demands, means more than hello-goodbye. Some people I know tell me I owe it to myself to set boundaries on their needs and demands, but while I know sometimes it is necessary, I disagree that I owe it to myself.

In Spanish, we have a term that I don't know how to translate to English: Me toca a mí. Transliterated, it is: "It touches me", but the meaning is more like, "It's my turn". But there is no implication that there is a sharing of duty with others who will take my place, in these situations. If someone takes my place, ok, but if not, it is left "up to me" to do what needs done: Me toca a mí. Maybe, "It falls to me to do it", is the best meaning.

Anyhow, you seem to have some particular notion in mind, that so far nobody has mentioned. Perhaps you could enlighten us.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Pause to think about how you treat a person with deformity, cerebral palsy, or a number of other conditions that can leave a person with communication difficulties or mobility difficulties and see if you feel any guilt. It's an interesting exercise. It makes me wonder how Christianity shapes our conduct in the world with regard to the disabled. I am told that "disabled" is a slightly offensive word when applied to such persons. How do you feel about this sort of thing?

Anyhow, you seem to have some particular notion in mind, that so far nobody has mentioned. Perhaps you could enlighten us.

Paring away the personal reflection that is the occasion for the original post, what I am aiming to discuss is how Christians ought to treat treat people with mental, physical, emotional, or other disabilities. My own view is that kindness and goodness are the key themes in any Christian response.

 

[bling]

Paring away the personal reflection that is the occasion for the original post, what I am aiming to discuss is how Christians ought to treat treat people with mental, physical, emotional, or other disabilities. My own view is that kindness and goodness are the key themes in any Christian response.

It is a privilege and honor to serve out of Love.

 

[Jamdoc]

Pause to think about how you treat a person with deformity, cerebral palsy, or a number of other conditions that can leave a person with communication difficulties or mobility difficulties and see if you feel any guilt. It's an interesting exercise. It makes me wonder how Christianity shapes our conduct in the world with regard to the disabled. I am told that "disabled" is a slightly offensive word when applied to such persons. How do you feel about this sort of thing?

I refer to myself as crippled or I may use the biblical term "lame", attempting to sugarcoat terms doesn't do much for me.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Disabilities come in all shapes and sizes. I, myself, suffer from a chronic, incurable disease. Outwardly, one would never know that there is the slightest thing wrong with me. I have learned not to broadcast my disability to a largely disbelieving and uncaring audience. It is my personal "thorn in the flesh". God has used it to develop compassion and patience for others who suffer from different disabilities.