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Category Archives: Controversies
What Can Christians Learn From the Chick-Fil-A Boycott?
Jesus is eminently clear in his communication. If we as Christians identify with Jesus, seek to do His will and work to expand His Kingdom, we can expect others will…
Seek to destroy our reputation
Attempt to intimidate us and silence us
Use government authorities to try to stop us
Hate us Continue reading
Is autism a form of mental illness?
Because of extensive media coverage and public education, the stigma associated with autism has largely disappeared. But the stigma associated with mental illness has largely remained. And that’s especially true in the church. Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Autism, Controversies, Key Ministry, Mental Health
Tagged Autism, church, Inclusion, mental illness, Sandy Hook, stigma
5 Comments
Mental Illness and Mass Murder: Reflections From a Christian…and a Psychiatrist
Efforts to address the danger present in our society through gun control or better mental health services represent futile attempts to employ collective defense mechanisms to assuage our anxieties and enable our avoidance of the real issue…there is evil in the world, NONE of us is good, and we as individuals and collectively as a society are powerless to do anything about it. Continue reading
Posted in Controversies, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry
Tagged aggression, Christian, church, evil, Mass Murder, massacre, mental illness, Newtown, Psychiatrist, social isolation, violence
5 Comments
Heart transplants and autism…should we fear the slippery slope?
Should we fear the “slippery slope?” When the ethicists responsible for laying down the principles for determining who will and won’t get access to medical treatment operate from a position of contempt for Christians (and other people of faith), we’ve already started careening down the hill. Continue reading
What Pat Robertson should have said…
As a physician with a fair amount of experience in treating adopted children with emotional, behavioral and developmental disorders and a working knowledge of the Bible, allow me to suggest an alternate response to Mr. Robertson or any other Christ follower if a similar question comes up again. Continue reading
Posted in Adoption, Controversies, Key Ministry
Tagged 700 Club, Adoption, orphan care, Pat Robertson, Shannon Dingle
7 Comments
On a personal note…
Churches can be pretty harsh and critical places. But they can also be places where we can find affirmation, encouragement and acceptance. Over the last couple of years, there were some times that I drove a considerable distance to go back and visit a church I’d belonged to in the past to spend time with people who knew me and appreciated me anyway. Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Controversies
Tagged advocacy, conscience, Disability Ministry, Key Ministry, relationships, Special Needs Ministry
5 Comments
What Can Christians Learn From the Chick-Fil-A Boycott?
The “elephant in the living room” in our ongoing culture wars is that Jesus, Christianity and the teachings of Scripture make some people very, very uncomfortable. After all, if Jesus is who He says He is and if the Bible is what it claims to be (the inerrant Word of God), a response is demanded of each of us. God’s standard is PERFECTION. NONE of us are capable of meeting the standard on our own. Recognition of our own inadequacy to save ourselves and the desire to receive God’s grace and forgiveness lead us, through faith, to acknowledge Jesus as Savior and Lord. We then seek to be obedient to Him and embark upon a process in which our actions and desires over time become aligned with his desires. But some people aren’t ready to go there.
Continue reading
Should Disability Ministry Avoid Discussions of “Political” Issues?
At the same time, we’re called as individual followers of Christ to be agents of redemption in EVERY area of life. We would be abandoning our responsibility to care for the sick and advocate for “the least of these” if we remain silent as our society (through the political process) allocates resources to meet competing needs. Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Controversies, Key Ministry
Tagged controversy, Disability Ministry, grace, Leadership, Libby Peterson, politics, Special Needs Ministry, Stephen Grcevich MD, truth
2 Comments
If Not Special Needs Ministry, What Should We Call It?
All things considered, I would favor the terms disability ministry or disability inclusion to describe the ministry our team resources and supports in churches. My hope in initiating this discussion is to spark leaders in the church to see a bigger game. The population of families who have children with what we’ve traditionally referred to as “hidden disabilities” is enormously larger than the population who have children with the physical or intellectual disabilities that come to mind in association with the term special needs. Most children’s pastors have all they can handle to serve families of kids with special needs and our team makes a practice of meeting churches wherever they’re at. But I’ll continue to communicate in a manner that constantly reminds us of the need to address the obstacles that prevent kids with less visible disabilities and their families from fully participating in the life of the church.
Continue reading
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