It's official....Billy G believes mental illness is evil...

[marmalade]

http://iblp.org/seminars-conferences/basic-seminar

 

Pay attention around the 1:30 mark of the video. Note the "outcomes" of not curing yourself through God. Perversion? Really?

 

Because it can't be said enough: FUCK YOU GOTHARD. The evil government will end up paying disability for many of his followers who can't deal with the perfection and the inevitable stress that his lifestyle demands. Hell, Mullet had a breakdown 12 kids ago and she had to be rescued to keep her sanity. Not that she's exactly stable these days. She needs meds beyond Boniva (or other osteoperosis meds she should have been taking years ago, but NOOOOO. Kids are like flowers. Being a black thumb gardener, I'm not surprised at the outcome of her brood, or that she denied pretty much every doctor's advice and had a dozen more.

 

Just one example of why fundies are so sick. I know it's been said a zillion times around here, but many of us can attest to the fact that prayer doesn't cure a brain that misfires in ANY way. Gothard DEMEANS any kind of mental illness.

 

Again, FUCK YOU GOTHARD.

 

/born this way

 

eta: They've done a nice job of taking the wrinkles out of an 80 year old guy's face, especially when other pictures depict him older. I guess Robert Staddon is earning his brownie points. *snicker*

[valsa]

Not surprised. I had a evangelical nursing instructor imply I had anxiety disorder because I was an atheist. Then, when I told her I had AD even when I was a Christian, she pulled out the old "no True Scotsman" argument and said that I couldn't have been a real Christian then.

[Ramona]

Yeah I've known quite a few extreme Christians who believed that mental illnesses were caused by demons and/or other forms of "evil" ... I had a friend many years back who was talked out of taking his medications that managed his schizophrenia symptoms... Fortunately, the worst that happened was that he landed in the hospital - it could have been a lot worse.

[loveandwar]

I'm not surprised. I know a few "faith healing" types who have dumped their medication and insist that any Christian that has any sort of chronic illness (mental illness or otherwise) requiring meds or surgery "just doesn't have enough faith."

[mirele]

Did anyone else besides me think this was referring to Billy Graham?

Also, Gothard can just kiss my fat, white, pasty psych-drugged ASS. I am a happy consumer of ebil psych drugz and I don't care what Bill Got Hard or the Church of $cientology says, they saved my life.

[Visionoyahweh]

They call him Dr. Bill Gothard. You know, the cult leader is exempt from the anti-education rule, and gets to use the built-in appeal to authority..

His 'degrees' are still toilet paper, though.

[ADoyle90815]

I'm not surprised by this at all, as I've encountered extremists who believe that mental illness exists because of Satan and demons, and that the way to cure it is through prayer and Bible reading, and if you need medication, you're not faithful enough.

[kthomp38+]

I believe that mental illness is a result of Satan and all of the evil in the world. All disease is a result of evil in the world, though not necessarily something that you did. I still don't understand why you wouldn't take medication for it. God gave people brains to invent the medicines and treatments in the world. I say this as a person who has an mental illness. I also thought that the title referred to Billy Graham.

[pomology]

]Did anyone else besides me think this was referring to Billy Graham?

Also, Gothard can just kiss my fat, white, pasty psych-drugged ASS. I am a happy consumer of ebil psych drugz and I don't care what Bill Got Hard or the Church of $cientology says, they saved my life.

I did.

[Miggy]

I have epilepsy. I have heard the argument ... People with epilepsy used to be thought of as possessed by demons. (It's a logical explanation for those who have no medical training so I don't mind that bit.) Jesus cast demons out of people into pigs and they drowned in the river. This actually meant they had epilepsy and he transfered it to the pigs, who fell in the river while suffering seizures. (Again, logical explanation for those who didn't really understand what they saw.) Therefore people with epilepsy should be able to pray it away. (Huh?)

I am sure Jesus could cure me if he chose to. However, if I believe God has a reason for everything, I have to believe he made me with epilepsy for a reason. That is the point where the reasoning doesn't make sense any more. I am quite content to live with my epilepsy, take my medication and ignore all those who want to pray me better!

[Deleted07]

and the Mentally ill people that claim GOD spoke to them, and told them to take a life or lives???

Ignoramus!

[LostSamurai]

I thought this was referred to Billy Graham at first....

Gothard hates mental illness; this really isn't a surprise. Gothard hates everything

[mockingbird]

I am sure God is healing people... through doctors and medications and science! It's like that old joke about the man whose house flooded and God sent all these different people to rescue him. When he died, he asked God why He hadn't saved him and God said He had, it was all those rescuers (capitalizing so you know which "he" I am talking about).

I guess the whole "world is a puzzle God left for us to figure out" that someone brought up in another thread and God working through science/medicine are just too logical.

I was born with a rare blood disease and have had subsequent chronic issues since. My family are mostly mainstream Catholics, and I was raised with the idea and do still believe that God healed me... THROUGH DOCTORS. I still believe that, even though I am not totally sure what I believe specifically about God anymore. Miggy, I also think it has a purpose. I think I have to think that (even if I stopped believing in God) because I would not recognize myself without having so much experience with illness. I think maybe it will help me be a better doctor.

[Trynn]

Of course mental illness is evil; it is WRECKING my life. It wrecks the lives of those I know and love who have it. I don't think it's wrong to hate mental illness, I think it's wrong to hate people WITH mental illness and or to tell them they are demon possessed and need to pray more. That is the part that is wrong.

[Austin]

Did anyone else besides me think this was referring to Billy Graham?

Also, Gothard can just kiss my fat, white, pasty psych-drugged ASS. I am a happy consumer of ebil psych drugz and I don't care what Bill Got Hard or the Church of $cientology says, they saved my life.

I did, Mirele. And my first thought was, "Well, he's about 109, so not sure I care". Of course, I don't care what Gothard thinks about anything, either.

[emmyfair]

I can function because of zoloft, and I don't think it's evil at all. If god made me, he made me with this brain, and I NEED those pills. So basically, in Gothards world, god made me evil because he made my brain with all it's misfires that needs zoloft.

You know what? I think Gothard is evil.

[gilamomster]

I have two kids with mental illness and I have suffered from anxiety and depression off and on for years. I remember when we were still fundie they tried to pray the demon of autism out of my oldest. We left that church immediately then.

Fuckers tried to convince us that our boy was possessed.

Gothard et al can kiss my ass.

[pomology]

You know what? I think Gothard is evil.

I'm pretty sure that's an indisputable fact.

[Miggy]

I can function because of zoloft, and I don't think it's evil at all. If god made me, he made me with this brain, and I NEED those pills. So basically, in Gothards world, god made me evil because he made my brain with all it's misfires that needs zoloft.

You know what? I think Gothard is evil.

I guess in Gothardland, God made me evil too. He made quite a few of my aunts and uncles evil. I sometimes (often? always?) think that Gothard knows a different God to me. I know the same God as Adrian Plass who wrote "God is nice and he likes me."

[miffy]

^Ditto. Gothards idea of God is more like my idea of the devil.

Lexapro lets me do normal things like uhhh go to the supermarket.

[loveandwar]

I am sure God is healing people... through doctors and medications and science! It's like that old joke about the man whose house flooded and God sent all these different people to rescue him. When he died, he asked God why He hadn't saved him and God said He had, it was all those rescuers (capitalizing so you know which "he" I am talking about).

Thank you! That's exactly how I argue it.

[wild little fox]

Did anyone else besides me think this was referring to Billy Graham?

I did too. :lol:

[mirele]

^Ditto. Gothards idea of God is more like my idea of the devil.

Lexapro lets me do normal things like uhhh go to the supermarket.

Hold down a job...have a life...you know, stuff like that.

Got Hard would never tell someone not to take their medicine for heart disease or diabetes, but he feels like he can for mental illness. In my book, that puts him next to the Scientologists, which is a pretty awful place to be.

[DifferentGurl]

Maybe he believes mental illness is evil because he too has a mental illness...? The only reason I suggest this is because I think of how Hitler was afraid that people would find out about his possible Jewish heritage.

As someone that has Autism, OCD, and General Anxiety Disorder, I am quite insulted that he thinks people with mental illness are evil.

At my old church/school, there was a sign that said "God creates no junk." Billy Gothard ( and people who think those with mental illness as well as those who are gay ) should read that. This not only includes people with mental illness, but also the medicines that help them!

[Closed Womb]

I did too. :lol:

Me too. Honest truth: I had to search Billy Graham to see if he was even alive.