Why did God intelligently design only some people to be mentally ill?

Question

And how does he choose who will be afflicted with mental illnesses, and who won't be?

Answer 1

is it eenie meenie mynee moe? That's about as intelligent as intelligent design is.

Answer 2

We will be judged partly by how we treat others in this life. If we learn to have compassion for those that were not born with the same capacity as us, we certainly will be blessed. We will also make our lives more satisfying if we learn to find joy in helping others. Those who are mentally challenged may learn far more in this life that we will. Your question implies that you think someone with mental illness is somehow less capable of understanding this universe. They may have a reduced capacity in some things, but they may have learned to be far wiser than you or I by virtue of their disability.

"A Beautiful Mind" was a good example of someone who seemingly had a mental dificiency, but learned far more about this world and self-control because of his illness.

In the end, who is really disabled? Do you recognize shortcomings you have that others don't? Maybe we are so weak that our Father in Heaven knew we wouldn't be able to survive this life unless he gave us everything?

Intelligent design doesn't mean perfection by your definition, it simply means everything has a purpose.

Answer 3

God designed all of us perfectly according to His plan and purpose. Some of us are fat, skinny, and mentally ill. Mental Illness is a disease process not different and nobody thinks twice about being diabetic or having an infection. Because it effects our abilyt of think, reason and function in society we see a greater impact on people and their lives.

We do not know why or how God chooses, His choices have nothing to do with favor or change. They are all His and therefore perfect and always inerrant. God does not think and reason as men do. John the Baptist said. "His thoughts are Higher that our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways".

Answer 4

Dear Ynnuf,

i think there are a lot of causes to mental illness (i know this first hand- growing up with a paranoid schizophrenic father) and i don't think you can just blame God.

In my dad's case- i think some things had to do with his childhood and also some personal decisions that he made. There are a lot of people who have particular life situations that happen to them.

The Bible doesn't really clearly address the issue of mental illness. Although some do theorize about demons. Having volunteered in a mental institution-- i still have my reservations about that idea- although i can say i've met a few people who talk about some rather dark things in their mental illness- and it makes me wonder about what kind of things were in their past.

i think your question is basically addressing the fairness of God. The Bible is clear that God is a loving and a just God, and i think that mental illness is also in some ways the result of the fall of man. God doesn't choose people to victimize them...

i actually use to hate my dad- because his mental illness made life "hell' for my brother and i growing up- but it was when i accepted God into my life that i was able to forgive and begin to love Him and over the years i've seen him get slowly but progressively better and more adapted to society. He still lives in a boarding care home- but i can say that i've a relationship with my father that i consider a blessing- even if its not as normal as the ones that most kids have with their fathers.

Hope that helps. Kindly,

Nickster

Answer 5

If you are referring to the aspect of "God" that is within each of us, then that is true.
When we are in the time between physical lives, we review each lifetime we have had, and what lessons we learned and didn't learn. Then we select the lessons for the next lifetime. So in one life we may choose to be the hero, another time the villain, another the victim, and yet another, the negotiator that brings them all together to make peace.
We select our parents on a spiritual level, and the lessons we will teach each other.
Someone may choose to be born into a body that is retarded or have other challenges to learn lessons pertaining to that experience, such as trust and how to deal with a different set of expectations. The parents of such a child, of course, will learn patience and compassion, and how to deal with their own disappointment or feelings of failure.
Physical life is a classroom.
You selected every lesson you are learning.

Answer 6

I think He puts mentally ill people on the earth to make healthy people appreciate what they have, and to instill empathy in them. He puts mentally ill people in the lives of others who have the capacity to handle the caregiving. Whether the caregivers/parents/whomever live up to that capacity or not depends on what they do with the gifts God has given them.

Answer 7

I believe He put them here to see how the "normal" people will treat them.

My belief is that either 1) some people were so righteous before birth that He "blessed" them with a mental illness. In the afterlife they will be completely normal and we will have account for the way we treated them. OR 2) they are filled with a demon and need help removing it.

Either way it is testing us to see how we react.

Answer 8

personally I don't think God had any part in making some people mentally ill and others " normal" but I know god will love that person very much regardless

Answer 9

its the best way for that person to fullfil the job God has for them.
... I think maybe its not really a choice as much as its the way he made them... its part of who they are because he made them that way.

I guess even if the person becomes that way later in life, its still part of who they are because God knows it will happen and doesnt stop it so its still His will for thier life
He makes all things work together for those who love him.. He uses seemingly bad things to make good.

Answer 10

Because God is like a big kid, who sits up there and plays pin the tail on the next poor soul.

Answer 11

God is a figment of your imagination. This figment did not "design" anything in reality.