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