Or would he say "I will heal this man afflicted by schizophrenia"? And "there are no demons anymore, all mental problems are brain diseases caused by imbalance in brain chemicals"
2007-10-30 11:20:18 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
How do you reconcile what religion says and what psychiatry says?
2007-10-30 11:20:57 · update #1
If Jesus were to walk amongst us today, what would happen?
A bunch of Christian fundies would swarm over him...
..."Cut your hair!".... "Get a job!"....
Meh.
2007-10-30 11:23:25 · answer #1 · answered by CanadianFundamentalist 6 · 2⤊ 3⤋
No he wouldn't
Schizophrenia is a mental illness. It's an illness of the mind just as we also have illnesses of the body.
If we look at the scriptures we see that the Bible makes a clear distinction, between “those who were ill and those demon-possessed.”
Mark 1:32-34; Matthew 4:24; Acts 5:16
Today most causes of mental illness/distress are caused by physical—not demonic—factors.
Just because there are mental illnesses as schizophrenia though, this doesn't rule out such things as demon possession.
In some cases, people have been demon possessed through inviting them into their lives (perhaps through spiritism for example) & then when the object that the demon is connected to is destroyed or advice has been followed in how to get rid of the demon has been followed, the person has returned to a normal lifestyle.
If this was a mental illness then the person could not possibly make this recovery simply by following these steps, medication would have been needed.
Acts 19:18-20
Demonic involvement, however, appears to be the exception—not the rule. So anyone with distressing symptoms must not jump to conclusions that it's demon possession
However, demon possession does exist - without a doubt
2007-10-31 00:48:16 · answer #2 · answered by New ♥ System ♥ Lady 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I believe Jesus referred to demons as unclean spirits in the word. There's the story of the man who lived in a cave who was in chains b/c he'd cut himself and he called himself legion.
I don't know much about schizophrenia - only that it must be the worst condition anyone could live with - although i believe it can be managed with medication - and can happen to anyone.
Yes Jesus would heal from His heart of compassion.
Reconciling religion and psychiatry: there's a place for psychiatry - but God designed us - so He knows everything about us - psychiatrists are still learning.
2007-10-30 12:44:12 · answer #3 · answered by ;) 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's interesting to note, in Mathew's gospel, chapter 4, verse 24, we read "They were suffering various kinds of diseases. Some were in great pain, some had demons, some were epileptics, some were paralysed"
It appears that a distinction could be drawn between epilepsy and demon possesion, so I have no reason to think that a similar distiction could not be drawn between epilepsy, demon-posession, or schizophrenia.
2007-11-03 08:47:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's a good question. I've never believed in schizophrenia because the Bible says nothing about things such as this. However, we know that Jesus cast out demons all the time. Would Jesus change what He said about demon possession, and call it something else because man says it's something else? I hardly think so! Why would He? He is God, and knows all things. We are merely human. How dare we try to redefine God? He would say "I told you what it was, why didn't you believe Me?" Amen?
2007-10-30 11:28:57 · answer #5 · answered by byHisgrace 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Jesus spoke of illnesses in the way that people would understand, he was not there to give biology lessons. But he would have recognised mental illnesses and epilepsy for what they were, I feel sure.
Although Jesus healed people his main purpose was to preach the good tidings of the coming kingdom and of salvation from sins.
2007-10-30 14:05:12 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jesus never gave a diagnosis. He laid hands on people and they were cured. The people who recorded the events said he was casting out demons - that's what it was called in those days. Some may have been suffering from schizophrenia and at least one had epilepsy.
2007-10-30 11:26:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
He would join all the others that make such claims, and get the treatment he so obviously needed first time
2007-10-30 11:29:48 · answer #8 · answered by wolfe_tone43 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think he'd be diagnosed as a limbic epileptic or suffering bipolar disorder. I lean toward the former.
2007-10-30 11:24:01 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
I suspect he would be seen for what he was as a radical Jewish preacher
2007-10-30 11:40:28 · answer #10 · answered by Maid Angela 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He might - whatever "schizophrenia" is in Aramaic...
2007-10-30 11:27:00 · answer #11 · answered by captbullshot 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋