Deceptive Diagnosis

The book, Deceptive Diagnosis: When Sin is Calledforget the roots and ignore the essentials. The
Sickness, explores the major shift in how Christiandoctrine of sin is understandably disliked by the
evangelicals view and deal with sin. The authors,world. Moreover, what is alarming and tragic is the
Dr. David Tyler and Dr. Kurt Grady, believe thatopposition Christians have for the doctrine of sin.
the Church stopped calling sinful and deviantThere was a time when sin was clear and definite.
behavior "sin," and started calling it "sickness"But who can say that is true today? Vagueness
beginning in the mid 1960's. The sexual sinnercharacterizes what we think of sin. Sin is sin, but it
Apostle Paul wrote about became the sex addict.is sickness too and Christians must consult the
The thief became the kleptomaniac. The drunkard"experts" who are trained in detecting these
became the alcoholic. The rebellious child becamethings. There is no clarity of view, no definition of
afflicted with "Oppositional Defiant Disorder." Aposition and the language is confused. In fact, any
family in which the husband will not work, the wifeattempt to recognize a clear distinction between
will not keep the home, and the children will notsin and sickness is branded as being anti-Christian
obey is no longer considered sinful; it isand unloving. The apparent glory of Christianity
dysfunctional. The liar became a compulsive liar.today is in its vagueness.
The gambler became a compulsive gambler. TheTyler and Grady promote the case that labeling
"deeds of the flesh, which are immorality impurity,sin as sickness is seen nowhere more clearly than
sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife,in the fields of clinical psychology and psychiatry.
jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions,From the world's perspective, clinical psychology
factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing"and psychiatry are the answer to the mental and
(Galatians 5:19-21) were all redefined usingemotional problems of man. The word
psychopathological words."psychology" actually means "the study of the
Tyler and Grady believe the landscape ofsoul." Sigmund Freud, in what was lauded as
evangelicalism today is very disturbing. Christiansbreakthrough scientific exploration, cast aside the
have jettisoned their commitment to the Biblestudy of the soul and redefined psychology in
and embraced psychology. Biblical definitions andterms of human behavior. Freud placed practical
categories have changed and a new vocabularytheology in the crosshairs of psychology through
has emerged within the Church. Behaviors andhis underlying premise that man's problems are
attitudes once regarded as sinful have undergonebased in man and are solved through man and
a dramatic change. Sin is called sickness andman alone. He knowingly or unknowingly created a
confessing sin has been replaced with recoveringreligion around man with theories that are in direct
from sickness. The word "sin" has nearlyopposition to God's word. Today's mental health
disappeared from our vocabulary. As such, theindustry is largely built upon Freud; some 250 to
impact of the Gospel to a non-believer is less450 counseling theories are in practice worldwide.
pronounced and the need for progressiveThey are either directly Freudian, built from
sanctification in the believer is minimized. Althoughunderlying Freudian philosophy or are built in
we try to make ourselves feel better by callingopposition to Freud
sin by another name, it is always there. It neverIn man's attempt to run from sin, he also reduced
fully goes away.man's lifespan thus sparing him from a miserable
"Deceptive Diagnosis" claims that in 1946 theexistence mired in sin. Since the Garden, man has
federal government took responsibility forcontinued to run and hide from God, shift the
promoting American's mental health. Some of theblame for his behavior onto others, and cover his
initiatives included the National Mental Health Actsin so no one will see how miserably depraved he
(1946), the National Institute of Mental Heathis. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
(1949), the National Mental Health Study ActDisorders (DSM) is man's attempt run, hide, and
(1955), and the creation of the Joint Commissioncover-up. A collection of sins or sin-related
on Mental Illness and Health (1955). It was believedbehaviors have been composed into convenient
that American society would be dramaticallylists, labeled as diseases, explained to the lay public
transformed with the building of new mentalusing fundamentally flawed research tied to
health centers, the incorporation of trainingunproven chemical imbalances...and the list goes on
programs as well as countless locationsand on.
disseminating mental health principles. On FebruaryThe authors believe we have witnessed a severe
5, 1963 President John F. Kennedy delivered ablow to the body of Christ as a result of the
national speech on mental health. He referred toDSM and the disease-oriented culture it has helped
mental health as the nation's number one healthto create. Believers everywhere they are sick,
problem. In order to confront what wasdiseased, genetically predisposed to illness, etc.
considered a mental health care crisis, KennedyThose same believers have been led away from
signed into law the Community Mental Healththe language and direction of the Bible and into
Centers Act on October 31, 1963. This gavethemselves. Progressive sanctification is a foreign
Federal Government backing to the diseasing ofconcept to many today. Becoming more like
America and calling sin sickness. In 1977 PresidentChrist each day does not require medication; it
Jimmy Carter organized the Commission onrequires submission, humility, reconciliation,
Mental Health. The agency studied the state offorgiveness, and most of all repentance. It
the nation's mental heath and concluded a quarterrequires a steady diet of God's Word, an
of all Americans needed mental health services. Inenvironment bathed in His presence, and
the 1980's an eruption of twelve step programsconsistent work for His Kingdom. Evangelism
provided a disease label for virtually anyone whobegins with believers becoming sanctified and
wanted one. The television talk shows capitalizeddeveloping a burden for the lost. Those wayward
on and added to the success and growth of thesouls do not need more therapy nor do they
disease model. From Donahue to Oprah, commonneed an excuse for blame shifting.
everyday people and celebrities alike pour outDr. Tyler and Grady's book challenges the
their heart-wrenching stories of codependencyworldview of today's church. Statistics tell us
and other addictions, disorders and compulsions.church membership has been steadily decreasing
No segment of society was exempt. Therapeuticyear after year. Sunday School, which was once
holidays such as National Depression Screeningpopular, has also been declining in attendance.
Day, National Anxiety Disorder Day and NationalPrayer meetings, missionary groups, and
Eating Disorders Awareness Week were created.fellowship meetings in general are weak and
Local malls provided a convenient venue on thesefeeble. Today, because of poor attendance, many
special days where people could be diagnosed andchurches have cancelled mid-week and Sunday
learn more about their disease. For those whoevening services altogether or have limited
were too busy to go to the malls, a program ofpreaching in favor of other activities where the
mental health education and screening for earlyactivity is the focus and the gospel is absent or
detection and intervention was available online oronly alluded to by association. Mega churches are
by telephone.growing in prominence, but they are generally
The authors' of Deceptive Diagnosis believe that ifmarketing driven entities short on doctrine and
a person thinks he is morally fine though physicallylong on a feeling orientation. Thus, the church as a
sick, he will not repent. If one's bad behavior is awhole is declining in attendance and in its
disease, he will not go to Christ for cleansing. If,knowledge and commitment to Scripture.
on the other hand one decides to call sinfulThe authors believe that the critical necessity for
behavior, sin, he has made a major shift in hisan accurate diagnosis of a person's problem is
perception of reality. He has acknowledged, likefundamental to solving, or curing, the pathology. If
the prodigal son, something is wrong with himself.the diagnosis is wrong, the treatment is likely to
Confession of sin requires responsibility on one'sbe not only ineffective, but also potentially
part.dangerous. Dangerous in the sense that the
Tyler and Grady believe that evangelicalism hasoriginal problem is not addressed and that the
opened its gates to a Trojan horse by introducingwrong treatment carries with it the potential for
the teachings of modern psychology. Someside effects or other unwanted results.
Christian psychologists have become so belovedPsychology and Worriers Anonymous will not
that to criticize them would be almost likesolve man's problem. Psychology may help man
criticizing the Bible itself. While their intentions mayfeel better about himself, but Jesus is the only
be good, intentions are not the issue. The issue ishope for his sin problem. Jesus Christ is the Great
whether today's Christians are mixing men's ideasPhysician who possesses the cure to the most
with the Bible. Amazingly, most of today'sserious, life threatening problem man faces: his
Christian leaders who rightly cry so ferventlyinability to deal with his sin and separation from a
against so many false teachings are saying little ifRighteous and Holy God. The book "Deceptive
anything about subtle shifts in biblical interpretationDiagnosis" lays the problem on the front door
that undermine the faith of millions. In manystep of the Christian church and it's up to the
cases, it reflects a lack of awareness andchurch repent and turn back to the Bible as the
understanding of the teachings of psychology.sole source for truth.
The book states there is a tendency today is to