Welcome to the October 2008 issue of the Psychology Debunked newsletter.
When dealing with sensitive subjects like "Christian" psychology, psychotherapy, mental disorders, psychiatric drugs, and mental health screening, it is tempting to want to avoid conflict in the name of "love" and "acceptance" and just allow our friends and family to continue down their blind paths. "I'll just pray for them--I don't want to offend them and risk losing their friendship," we might say.
Nowhere does the Bible teach this "preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words" concept of love without truth. Rather, the Bible teaches that a true friend will speak the truth, even if it might hurt and offend:
Pro 27:6Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy [are] deceitful.
We do run the risk, like the Apostle Paul, of being persecuted for speaking the truth:
Gal 4:16Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
But Jesus says we're blessed if this happens:
Mat 5:11Blessedare ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
The most effective way to tell others about psychology and psychiatry is to speak the truth in love:
Eph 4:14That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ:
The psychology of Carl Rogers, which many therapists use today, teaches a non-confrontational, non-directive counseling approach that actually discourages speaking truth to people in love. In that sense, a therapist becomes your enemy as he or she "multiplies kisses" as you seek their help. Jeremy Lelek compares this Rogerian counseling approach with that of Scripture here.
This month, we see righteous men and women speaking the truth in love, and inducing positive change as a result, at the risk of their own personal well-being.
Also this month: exposing Barak Obama, PMS as a mental disorder, lethal antipsychotic side effects promoted to treat anorexics, and how Christians should deal with verbal and physical spousal abuse. Also, don't miss the solid "My objections to Theophostic Counseling" write-up, worthy of saving and forwarding to others caught up in this deception.
In truth and love,
Lisa and Ryan Bazler
Obama and McCain: the wicked and the righteous
With the election in just days, here is a good resource to help you gauge the positions of Obama and McCain on government screening programs, mental health "parity" and mental health care, as well as their levels of drug company funding. The psych industry's choice? Obama.
But mental health positions are the least of our worries surrounding Barak Obama. Perhaps some of you, like us, have recently discovered Obama's shady connections with leftist radicals and associations like ACORN, his socialist/Marxist goals, and his key role and foreknowledge in the current financial meltdown. If this is news to you, you need to read this well-researched and documented expose of who Obama really is--the man the mainstream media won't dare touch. Unlike other rumors and half-truths floating around the web, this article was written by Jim Simpson, former White House staff economist and budget analyst. His articles have been published in numerous publications including the Washington Times.
What else does Obama stand for? For starters, Barak Obama opposes the traditional marriage definition, supports judges legislating from the bench, supports the homosexual agenda, opposes expanded drilling for oil, supports universal socialist healthcare, opposes parental choice of schools, opposes a parental notification law, supports Roe v. Wade, supports taxpayer funding of abortion, opposes banning the barbaric and murderous practice of partial birth abortion, and supports human cloning (source: http://www.familyvoterinfo.org). Woe to those who call evil good and good evil!
If Barak Obama is elected our next President, we will start to see the quick demise of our democracy and freedoms, and the flourishing of everything that is restrictive, wicked, and deserving of divine judgment. God is in control, but we still need to pray for God's mercy and Hand in this election, then cast our vote and tell others to do the same. May He raise up the righteous to rule.
Nemeroff the latest drug lord exposed by IA Senator Grassley
Prominent psychiatrist Charles Nemeroff of Emory University is the latest elite psychiatrist on the take from drug companies and caught red-handed with unreported drug money. He has since stepped down from his position at the University.
"One of the nation’s most influential psychiatrists earned more than $2.8 million in consulting arrangements with drug makers from 2000 to 2007, failed to report at least $1.2 million of that income to his university and violated federal research rules, according to documents provided to Congressional investigators."more »
Iowa Senator Charles Grassley's congressional investigation has thus far exposed unreported drug money received by Stanford University’s Alan Schatzberg, Harvard University’s Joe Biederman, Brown University’s Martin Keller, University of Texas’ Karen Wagner and John Rush, and Melissa DelBello at the University of Cincinnati. Way to keep 'em honest, Senator Grassley!
U.S. kids take more psych drugs than their European counterparts
Do mental disorders strike U.S. children more than European ones, or do cultural differences and regulatory practices (or the lack thereof) drive drug prescriptions? This articlemakes the case for the latter.
Here are some excellent video clips from experts on why drugging our children is not the answer (courtesy Ken Kramer):
The author of the Ms. magazine article "Pathologizing your Period" states, "Despite a lack of evidence, the psychiatric establishment has made extreme premenstrual distress a recognized disorder—and a boon to Big Pharma."more »
Lethal Zyprexa will treat anorexia
What do you do when the public discovers your antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar causes rapid weight gain and life-threatening diabetes (information you already knew but were hiding), and a dozen states are suing you in the billions for fraud? If you're Eli Lilly, to recoop settlement costs, you fund studies showing the effectiveness of this same drug to treat anorexia. That way you can justify a new use of an old drug with an expiring patent. What a great idea you have, turning anorexics into overweight diabetics. This study gives us yet another proof point that psychiatry is all about the money at the expense of science and disease prevention. more »
"My objections to Theophostic counseling"
This reader from down under has witnessed others in his church adoptFreudian/Jungian-based Theophostic Counseling. Rather than standing by and doing nothing, brother Ralph Waters has critiqued Theophostic using biblical and other sources for the edification of the saints in Australia and around the world. If you want solid reasons why Christians should avoid this counseling method,read "My objections to Theophostic counseling".
Q&A
This reader asks, "How do you deal with verbal and physical abuse within the Christian community from a biblical standpoint?"See our answer.
Letters
We liked this exchange between two women posted to a non-Christian web group so much, we re-post it here in its unedited and unabridged form.more »
"The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease." --Thomas Edison
"It is commonly held that one can take a non-Christian process and utilise it for Christian purposes. But if the underlying assumptions are antichristian or unbiblical, it is contended that no amount of dressing up will change the fact that the underlying approach does not conform to the Word of God. To be blunt… you cannot find truth in a garbage dump and you cannot find light in a sewer. You can mix dark with light but you cannot get light from darkness. It is like using the Communist manifesto for a doctrinal platform to create a foundation for a Christian community. It is more than naïve, it is simply contradictory…
"The Bible’s teachings on the psyche, both its problems and solutions are perfect. The Bible covers all the emotional, behavioural and spiritual issues a person needs to know. The Bible has a perfect author, a faithful perfector, a perfect Word, a perfect source of power. It is perfect and complete in every aspect and every respect. The mystery is why we look at alternatives?"
Do you have a question relating to secular or "Christian" psychology, mental disorders/diseases, psychiatric medications, or biblical counseling? Ask us.
Would you like us to speak about psychology at your church, a local event, or a media outlet? Contact us to book a date.
Have you recently discovered a web site or news article that would be of interest to us and our readers? Send us the link, and we may include it in future newsletters (Note: We do not necessarily agree with or endorse all of the material on websites to which we link).
We read and appreciate every email but are unable to respond to every one.
This newsletter is freely distributable to others. To remove your address from this list, unsubscribe.
The mission of this ministry is to inform mental sufferers and those from whom they seek help of the physical, mental and spiritual dangers of mental health disorders and treatments, and to encourage them to pursue a drug-free, psychology-free, Christ-centered life. Visitors to this web site taking psychotropic drugs who wish to discontinue use are strongly advised to consult a qualified physician for assistance and supervision before starting the discontinuation process. This ministry and web site provides information to help visitors make the most informed decisions about their mental health, and should not replace the advice of a medical doctor.
