What does it mean to be normal?

[GodLovesCats]

Americans are always taught disabled people are not normal. If you are blind, you are not normal because most people can see. If you are deaf, you are not normal because most people can hear. If you are epileptic, you are not normal because most people do not get seizures. You get the picture. But people also tell me because everyone has some kind of problem whether it is diabetes, cerebral palsy, PTSD, you name it - I am normal despite having physical, psychological, and social disabilities. Am I abnormal because doctors say so or is everyone normal, regardless of what genetic and acquired medical conditions some of them are dealing with? What does "normal" really mean if it has nothing to do with the definitions of medical conditions and being within certain ranges in medicine? I am being challenged to consider myself as a normal person knowing medically, I am abnormal in many ways.

 

[Blade]

Its Christ in us.. that is normal everything with out Him is not normal And if we can believe all things are possible.. all things! Just believe

 

[sandman]

Normal is the one thing I have never been accused of....

 

[YeshuaFollower]

Normal is the one thing I have never been accused of....

Not good, if you are normal you are part of this world. You do not want to be part of this world.

Peace,

Jff

 

[Cypress88]

Americans are always taught disabled people are not normal. If you are blind, you are not normal because most people can see. If you are deaf, you are not normal because most people can hear. If you are epileptic, you are not normal because most people do not get seizures. You get the picture. But people also tell me because everyone has some kind of problem whether it is diabetes, cerebral palsy, PTSD, you name it - I am normal despite having physical, psychological, and social disabilities. Am I abnormal because doctors say so or is everyone normal, regardless of what genetic and acquired medical conditions some of them are dealing with? What does "normal" really mean if it has nothing to do with the definitions of medical conditions and being within certain ranges in medicine? I am being challenged to consider myself as a normal person knowing medically, I am abnormal in many ways.

Everything I'm about to say, I say as a person who does not view herself as normal. And also, I'll be "preaching" to myself here because I struggle in this area. Who gets to decide what "normal" is? Doctors? They look at (or should) what is "text book" or average to have a baseline to know when something is wrong. If you deviate from that baseline it merely means you have a medical issue that needs addressing not that your value has decreased. How about society? Does society get to set the standard? Look at the damage that does. Look, for example how media portrays women should look and bodies outside of that are not "normal" or valuable, desired, etc. No. The only standard that should matter is God's and what He has to say about us. There is no normal and abnormal. There is knit together in your mother's womb. Fearfully and Wonderfully made. Comparison is the Thief of Joy!
And again....Im saying all this to myself as much as I'm saying it to you.

 

[Lost Witness]

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2

 

[BeyondET]

Americans are always taught disabled people are not normal. If you are blind, you are not normal because most people can see. If you are deaf, you are not normal because most people can hear. If you are epileptic, you are not normal because most people do not get seizures. You get the picture. But people also tell me because everyone has some kind of problem whether it is diabetes, cerebral palsy, PTSD, you name it - I am normal despite having physical, psychological, and social disabilities. Am I abnormal because doctors say so or is everyone normal, regardless of what genetic and acquired medical conditions some of them are dealing with? What does "normal" really mean if it has nothing to do with the definitions of medical conditions and being within certain ranges in medicine? I am being challenged to consider myself as a normal person knowing medically, I am abnormal in many ways.

Normal possibly means without aliments. Which can include disease defects or alteration of the norm.

 

[d taylor]

-​

Well my dad became disabled after a stroke he had in his 70's. So His life changed and i would say became abnormal. Because he no longer was able to function the same as he was able to do before the stroke.

But if a person is born with a birth defect, blind, no hearing, missing a part of a limb, etc. To them they did not know life without their birth defect so, i would think life to them is normal. Because they have never known sight, etc..

But normal health can be judged by the average of what healthy people are like. Like the medical establishment has established a norm for blood pressure, now should that be the norm for every single person. I am not so sure about that personally, I know they love to put people on blood pressure pills.

 

[seeking.IAM]

Normal is a statistical concept meaning we differ from the "norm" or the average person in some way(s). Most of us are normal in many ways and not normal in some ways. There is nothing good or bad about it, it just is. I am 6'3" tall. The average height for men is 5'9". I am not normal for height. And then there is what is normal for me may not be normal for persons as a whole. My normal body temperature is 97.7. It is what I normally run. It's my normal but it's not the normal 98.6. It's pretty normal not to be normal in everything.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

I think culture has erred and misunderstand the question. It is not "what is normal" and therefore anything outside of that definition is "abnormal."
The question should be "what is perfection," and who gets to define that? We all have differences. Most of us have our oddities. I know I do. But I am happy with myself. I try to live as God would have me live. If someone does not like that, that is too bad. I am not even sorry about it.
Please God. Love your family, brothers and sisters, and neighbors. What else is there?

 

[peaceful-forest]

I think in certain cases normal can be measured by God's original design and what He originally intended for us.

I don't think anyone is normal. Something's wrong with all of us. And we all sin.

 

[Diamond72]

I am abnormal in many ways.

Now we have smart watches so everyone can compare themselves. Do we get the normal amount of sleep. Is our pulse and heart rate normal compared to everyone else? Is our activity, steps, exercise, food, stress and all the rest normal and the same as everyone else. They keep adding new sensors so we can test new areas to see if we are normal.

 

[Diamond72]

"what is perfection,"

Perfection means whole, complete, and mature. When a tree produces fruit. If we are not productive and produce then branches are cut off and thrown into the fire. The Fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness faithfulness and self control.

 

[GodLovesCats]

I think in certain cases normal can be measured by God's original design and what He originally intended for us.

I don't think anyone is normal. Something's wrong with all of us. And we all sin.

Being a sinner is obviously normal because we all sin. My problem is society and doctors saying this or that is normal, so if I don't fit their statistical range of physical traits or behavioral descriptions, I am abnormal. Based on the fact that we all have problems, is it nobody is normal or all of us are normal?

 

[Diamond72]

I think in certain cases normal can be measured by God's original design and what He originally intended for us.

Not intended, what He intends for us. God writes the book of our life at or before conception (psalm139:16) He gives us angels to help us to be who He declares us to be. He declares the end from the beginning. (Isaiah 46:10)He is there every step of the way to encourage us that we can be who He wants us to be. David said: "I try to count your thoughts, but they outnumber the grains of sand on the beach." (139:17)

 

[peaceful-forest]

Here's an example of what I was talking about on my definition:

Heterosexuality is normal because that's how God designed it. Homosexuality is not normal, even though certain people in society are trying to make it normal.

When we get sick or have deformities, that's not normal. That is not God's original design for mankind. I'm not trying to put anyone down over here. I certainly have some illnesses and deformities. I'm not normal.

 

[Strong in Him]

In that case no one has been normal since before the fall.
When Adam sinned, sickness, death and disability came into the world. Everything was affected and messed up - including people's genes and sexuality.
So if someone is born disabled, they are disabled - that is their normal. Ditto if a person is born with a different sexuality. We can't choose our genes, our sexuality, our health - or even to be born at all. We are as we are. But implying that because someone might not have a full set of chromosomes, has a hereditary illness or a belief that their sexuality is different, they are abnormal, is not right. "Abnormal" puts someone into a different group - "we're ok, normal or even good Christians because we are as God intended; you're not."

Is it normal for someone to have pink hair? I have.

 

[GodLovesCats]

Here's an example of what I was talking about on my definition:

Heterosexuality is normal because that's how God designed it. Homosexuality is not normal, even though certain people in society are trying to make it normal.

Homosexuality is a genetic behavior trait. Nobody can just wake up one day and say, "I want to be homosexual." Either you are or you are not homosexual, depending on some of the genes you were born with. That has been accepted in the scientific community and is why American society is embracing people who romanticize with the same sex as being normal, even though God designed all humans to be heterosexual. (Why God created the homosexuality and bisexuality genes, I will never understand, because the Bible is crystal clear all couples should be one husband and one wife.)

When we get sick or have deformities, that's not normal. That is not God's original design for mankind. I'm not trying to put anyone down over here. I certainly have some illnesses and deformities. I'm not normal.

I have deformities, so I definitely am not normal on that basis.

 

[peaceful-forest]

Homosexuality is a genetic behavior trait. Nobody can just wake up one day and say, "I want to be homosexual." Either you are or you are not homosexual, depending on some of the genes you were born with. That has been accepted in the scientific community and is why American society is embracing people who romanticize with the same sex as being normal, even though God designed all humans to be heterosexual. (Why God created the homosexuality and bisexuality genes, I will never understand, because the Bible is crystal clear all couples should be one husband and one wife.)

God did not create homosexuality and bisexuality. God does not create things that he hates and contradicts himself.

Those things have happened because of sin deforming us. A person still has a choice on committing the acts.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Homosexuality is a genetic behavior trait. Nobody can just wake up one day and say, "I want to be homosexual." Either you are or you are not homosexual, depending on some of the genes you were born with. That has been accepted in the scientific community and is why American society is embracing people who romanticize with the same sex as being normal, even though God designed all humans to be heterosexual. (Why God created the homosexuality and bisexuality genes, I will never understand, because the Bible is crystal clear all couples should be one husband and one wife.)



I have deformities, so I definitely am not normal on that basis.

Since homosexuals do not reproduce, or reproduce with each other at such extremely low numbers, the viability of any alleged "genetic trait" would have vanished millions of years ago. The negative aspect of this non-reproducing trait would would spell doom for its continuity. Simple evolution and survival of the species.