I recently shared your book with my pastor and I just wanted to share his comments on the book with you. [Here are] my pastor’s comments:

I did read the book, and have been thinking over my answer.. Not sure how to give it.  So I’ll try.

I loved the book, very solid, great biblical teaching, strong focus on Christ and how salvation is the only way towards freedom. I am in complete agreement with this. However, I have a different opinion when it comes to psychology and medication, then the authors do.  I think that they set up a false argument that on the outset looks good.  The argument that is set in the book is this: ‘If scripture is applicable for every area of my life and is sufficient, then we don’t need psychology and medications to help people.’  I’m not sure if I buy that argument. I do believe that the scriptures are authoritative and contain all that we need to know for doctrine, reproof, for correction and for righteousness. However, in my opinion, that doesn’t mean that we can’t seek out professional counseling help.

For a while there, I thought that you could take out the word ‘psychology’ and insert ‘antibiotics’ in its place.  Both are man made, created by sinners, people who were opposed to God, and when you are sick with an infection, why don’t we just pray to God to heal us, he has the power right?  Well we’d be negligent if we kept antibiotics from our kids when they were sick.  Does that make sense? We still put on our seat belts, take out insurance, and get check-ups from the doc…

Sure there were sinners/humanists who helped to found psychology, but there were to in all branches of medicine, in law, in government, etc…and we still are active and participate in those areas…

God is strong enough to use anything and anyone to accomplish his plan. When my wife was sick and in the hospital I didn’t check to see if her doc was a Christian, I wanted the best doc. And prayed that God would use whomever to help out my wife.

Thank you for forwarding your pastor's response to our book.

From his response it sounds like he is confusing medical issues with mental/spiritual ones. In our book we are clearly not advocating a purely natural approach to health, where all drugs should be shunned. Rather, we encourage Christians to deal with medical issues medically and mental/spiritual issues spiritually. See page 115.

Your pastor is equating psychology's medications with antibiotics. This is not a valid comparison. Antibiotics have been proven to safely and effectively treat known medical problems. The same cannot be said for psychology's medications. The problems that psych meds attempt to treat are not medical, but mental--and therein lies the problem. No medical test is given before prescribing psych meds, because it is not a medical problem to begin with (chemical imbalances in the brain have not been proven to cause mental disorders--it is pure conjecture). Word is finally getting out to the public that psychology's medications are not safe and effective, like the drug companies would have us believe.

We pose this challenge: For any psychological condition, if the psychology field can prove with objective testing that 1) a medical (physical) problem exists and is known to cause the condition, and 2) the proposed drug has been shown to be safe and effective to treat it, then by all means, take the drug! A simple but relevant example is a migraine headache. Should we pray and pray for God to take the migraine away, or can we take some aspirin or Motrin to treat it? Since this is a proven medical (physical) problem, and the aspirin has been proven to be safe and effective, then we should take the aspirin. Of course, praying never hurts!

So what should a person do when he or she has a serious mental problem, such as chronic depression? First we would recommend getting medical testing (blood test, etc.) for any potential illnesses. If results are negative, then if the depression doesn't have to do with something practical (diet, exercise, sleep, etc.), then it is not medically-based but mental/spiritual. As such, it falls under the Holy Spirit's jurisdiction and we need to look to the Lord for help. 2 Peter 1:3 says that God's divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and virtue. We know that means God is enough - we don't need psych drugs to handle mental/spiritual problems.

Regarding his statement, "Sure there were sinners/humanists who helped to found psychology, but there were to in all branches of medicine, in law, in government, etc…and we still are active and participate in those areas..." Here we need to differentiate between soul-related / philosophy-related disciplines and those that are not soul- or philosophy-related. God can surely use things invented by non-Christians to accomplish His will. Take for example the Internet and satellite technology. He is using these non-soul-related inventions to spread the gospel to the entire world. We get professional help with taxes and car repairs--like the Internet, these are not soul-related things. But God cannot and will not use philosophies, beliefs and systems of soul treatment that contradict His Word (Col. 2:8). In fact a large percentage of the New Testament is Paul correcting false teachings of the soul that had crept into the church (Galatians: legalism, Colossians: Gnosticism, etc.). Just like God cannot use astrology, Mormonism or evolution, God cannot use psychology because all these represent different worldviews of the origins of man, how to treat his soul, and where he is going when he dies. But if Joseph Smith or Charles Darwin found a cure for AIDS, then we should embrace it! Millions over the years have looked to psychology's theorists for the cure to man's identity and reason for existence--this type of cure we should reject.

That is why we have a difficult time understanding the logic behind your pastor's statement, "I do believe that the scriptures are authoritative and contain all that we need to know for doctrine, reproof, for correction and for righteousness. However, in my opinion, that doesn’t mean that we can’t seek out professional counseling help." He is referring to the verse 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which says the Word of God is "useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man [or woman] of God may be THOROUGHLY equipped for EVERY good work." If we are thoroughly equipped for every good work, the help of a professional counselor trained in worldly, godless worldviews becomes unnecessary at best and harmful at worst.

Jesus Christ "has become for us wisdom from God." (1 Cor. 1:30) In Christ is "hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Col. 2:3) We "are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." (Col. 2:10) If God says we are complete in Him, and the saints lived without psychology for 1,800+ years, then why do we need it?

I hope this helps clarify what we believe to be the biblical position on psychology and medications.

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