| The book, Deceptive Diagnosis: When Sin is | | | | to forget the roots and ignore the |
| Called Sickness, explores the major shift in | | | | essentials. The doctrine of sin is |
| how Christian evangelicals view and deal with | | | | understandably disliked by the world. |
| sin. The authors, Dr. David Tyler and Dr. | | | | Moreover, what is alarming and tragic is the |
| Kurt Grady, believe that the Church stopped | | | | opposition Christians have for the doctrine |
| calling sinful and deviant behavior "sin," | | | | of sin. There was a time when sin was clear |
| and started calling it "sickness" beginning | | | | and definite. But who can say that is true |
| in the mid 1960's. The sexual sinner Apostle | | | | today? Vagueness characterizes what we think |
| Paul wrote about became the sex addict. The | | | | of sin. Sin is sin, but it is sickness too |
| thief became the kleptomaniac. The drunkard | | | | and Christians must consult the "experts" who |
| became the alcoholic. The rebellious child | | | | are trained in detecting these things. There |
| became afflicted with "Oppositional Defiant | | | | is no clarity of view, no definition of |
| Disorder." A family in which the husband | | | | position and the language is confused. In |
| will not work, the wife will not keep the | | | | fact, any attempt to recognize a clear |
| home, and the children will not obey is no | | | | distinction between sin and sickness is |
| longer considered sinful; it is | | | | branded as being anti-Christian and unloving. |
| dysfunctional. The liar became a compulsive | | | | The apparent glory of Christianity today is |
| liar. The gambler became a compulsive | | | | in its vagueness. |
| gambler. The "deeds of the flesh, which are | | | | |
| immorality impurity, sensuality, idolatry, | | | | Tyler and Grady promote the case that |
| sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, | | | | labeling sin as sickness is seen nowhere more |
| outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, | | | | clearly than in the fields of clinical |
| factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing" | | | | psychology and psychiatry. From the world's |
| (Galatians 5:19-21) were all redefined using | | | | perspective, clinical psychology and |
| psychopathological words. | | | | psychiatry are the answer to the mental and |
| | | | emotional problems of man. The word |
| Tyler and Grady believe the landscape of | | | | "psychology" actually means "the study of the |
| evangelicalism today is very disturbing. | | | | soul." Sigmund Freud, in what was lauded as |
| Christians have jettisoned their commitment | | | | breakthrough scientific exploration, cast |
| to the Bible and embraced psychology. | | | | aside the study of the soul and redefined |
| Biblical definitions and categories have | | | | psychology in terms of human behavior. Freud |
| changed and a new vocabulary has emerged | | | | placed practical theology in the crosshairs |
| within the Church. Behaviors and attitudes | | | | of psychology through his underlying premise |
| once regarded as sinful have undergone a | | | | that man's problems are based in man and are |
| dramatic change. Sin is called sickness and | | | | solved through man and man alone. He |
| confessing sin has been replaced with | | | | knowingly or unknowingly created a religion |
| recovering from sickness. The word "sin" has | | | | around man with theories that are in direct |
| nearly disappeared from our vocabulary. As | | | | opposition to God's word. Today's mental |
| such, the impact of the Gospel to a | | | | health industry is largely built upon Freud; |
| non-believer is less pronounced and the need | | | | some 250 to 450 counseling theories are in |
| for progressive sanctification in the | | | | practice worldwide. They are either directly |
| believer is minimized. Although we try to | | | | Freudian, built from underlying Freudian |
| make ourselves feel better by calling sin by | | | | philosophy or are built in opposition to |
| another name, it is always there. It never | | | | Freud |
| fully goes away. | | | | |
| | | | In man's attempt to run from sin, he also |
| "Deceptive Diagnosis" claims that in 1946 the | | | | reduced man's lifespan thus sparing him from |
| federal government took responsibility for | | | | a miserable existence mired in sin. Since |
| promoting American's mental health. Some of | | | | the Garden, man has continued to run and hide |
| the initiatives included the National Mental | | | | from God, shift the blame for his behavior |
| Health Act (1946), the National Institute of | | | | onto others, and cover his sin so no one will |
| Mental Heath (1949), the National Mental | | | | see how miserably depraved he is. The |
| Health Study Act (1955), and the creation of | | | | Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental |
| the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and | | | | Disorders (DSM) is man's attempt run, hide, |
| Health (1955). It was believed that American | | | | and cover-up. A collection of sins or |
| society would be dramatically transformed | | | | sin-related behaviors have been composed into |
| with the building of new mental health | | | | convenient lists, labeled as diseases, |
| centers, the incorporation of training | | | | explained to the lay public using |
| programs as well as countless locations | | | | fundamentally flawed research tied to |
| disseminating mental health principles. On | | | | unproven chemical imbalances...and the list |
| February 5, 1963 President John F. Kennedy | | | | goes on and on. |
| delivered a national speech on mental health. | | | | |
| He referred to mental health as the nation's | | | | The authors believe we have witnessed a |
| number one health problem. In order to | | | | severe blow to the body of Christ as a result |
| confront what was considered a mental health | | | | of the DSM and the disease-oriented culture |
| care crisis, Kennedy signed into law the | | | | it has helped to create. Believers |
| Community Mental Health Centers Act on | | | | everywhere they are sick, diseased, |
| October 31, 1963. This gave Federal | | | | genetically predisposed to illness, etc. |
| Government backing to the diseasing of | | | | Those same believers have been led away from |
| America and calling sin sickness. In 1977 | | | | the language and direction of the Bible and |
| President Jimmy Carter organized the | | | | into themselves. Progressive sanctification |
| Commission on Mental Health. The agency | | | | is a foreign concept to many today. Becoming |
| studied the state of the nation's mental | | | | more like Christ each day does not require |
| heath and concluded a quarter of all | | | | medication; it requires submission, humility, |
| Americans needed mental health services. In | | | | reconciliation, forgiveness, and most of all |
| the 1980's an eruption of twelve step | | | | repentance. It requires a steady diet of |
| programs provided a disease label for | | | | God's Word, an environment bathed in His |
| virtually anyone who wanted one. The | | | | presence, and consistent work for His |
| television talk shows capitalized on and | | | | Kingdom. Evangelism begins with believers |
| added to the success and growth of the | | | | becoming sanctified and developing a burden |
| disease model. From Donahue to Oprah, common | | | | for the lost. Those wayward souls do not |
| everyday people and celebrities alike pour | | | | need more therapy nor do they need an excuse |
| out their heart-wrenching stories of | | | | for blame shifting. |
| codependency and other addictions, disorders | | | | |
| and compulsions. No segment of society was | | | | Dr. Tyler and Grady's book challenges the |
| exempt. Therapeutic holidays such as | | | | worldview of today's church. Statistics tell |
| National Depression Screening Day, National | | | | us church membership has been steadily |
| Anxiety Disorder Day and National Eating | | | | decreasing year after year. Sunday School, |
| Disorders Awareness Week were created. Local | | | | which was once popular, has also been |
| malls provided a convenient venue on these | | | | declining in attendance. Prayer meetings, |
| special days where people could be diagnosed | | | | missionary groups, and fellowship meetings in |
| and learn more about their disease. For | | | | general are weak and feeble. Today, because |
| those who were too busy to go to the malls, a | | | | of poor attendance, many churches have |
| program of mental health education and | | | | cancelled mid-week and Sunday evening |
| screening for early detection and | | | | services altogether or have limited preaching |
| intervention was available online or by | | | | in favor of other activities where the |
| telephone. | | | | activity is the focus and the gospel is |
| | | | absent or only alluded to by association. |
| The authors' of Deceptive Diagnosis believe | | | | Mega churches are growing in prominence, but |
| that if a person thinks he is morally fine | | | | they are generally marketing driven entities |
| though physically sick, he will not repent. | | | | short on doctrine and long on a feeling |
| If one's bad behavior is a disease, he will | | | | orientation. Thus, the church as a whole is |
| not go to Christ for cleansing. If, on the | | | | declining in attendance and in its knowledge |
| other hand one decides to call sinful | | | | and commitment to Scripture. |
| behavior, sin, he has made a major shift in | | | | |
| his perception of reality. He has | | | | The authors believe that the critical |
| acknowledged, like the prodigal son, | | | | necessity for an accurate diagnosis of a |
| something is wrong with himself. Confession | | | | person's problem is fundamental to solving, |
| of sin requires responsibility on one's part. | | | | or curing, the pathology. If the diagnosis |
| | | | is wrong, the treatment is likely to be not |
| Tyler and Grady believe that evangelicalism | | | | only ineffective, but also potentially |
| has opened its gates to a Trojan horse by | | | | dangerous. Dangerous in the sense that the |
| introducing the teachings of modern | | | | original problem is not addressed and that |
| psychology. Some Christian psychologists | | | | the wrong treatment carries with it the |
| have become so beloved that to criticize them | | | | potential for side effects or other unwanted |
| would be almost like criticizing the Bible | | | | results. Psychology and Worriers Anonymous |
| itself. While their intentions may be good, | | | | will not solve man's problem. Psychology may |
| intentions are not the issue. The issue is | | | | help man feel better about himself, but Jesus |
| whether today's Christians are mixing men's | | | | is the only hope for his sin problem. Jesus |
| ideas with the Bible. Amazingly, most of | | | | Christ is the Great Physician who possesses |
| today's Christian leaders who rightly cry so | | | | the cure to the most serious, life |
| fervently against so many false teachings are | | | | threatening problem man faces: his inability |
| saying little if anything about subtle shifts | | | | to deal with his sin and separation from a |
| in biblical interpretation that undermine the | | | | Righteous and Holy God. The book "Deceptive |
| faith of millions. In many cases, it | | | | Diagnosis" lays the problem on the front door |
| reflects a lack of awareness and | | | | step of the Christian church and it's up to |
| understanding of the teachings of psychology. | | | | the church repent and turn back to the Bible |
| | | | as the sole source for truth. |
| The book states there is a tendency today is | | | | |