church and mental illness
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| Fri, 04-14-2006 - 9:45am |
Here's an interesting question. I was watching Oprah yesterday, and her program featured Women 'who had let themselves go'. One of the women was sexually abused by somebody in her family, and she developed the courage to not go to a family social that her accuser had been invited to. That show was really eye opening for me and made me think of my own childhood, the church, and the emotional struggles that I have endured myself especially with my mother.
My question is this. Why do churches harbor pedophiles, (not singling any church out in particular)and do everything to excuse their behavior? and determine them to have emotional problems? but not support people who have bi-polar or schizophrenia type of illnesses or who are just a bit off? and if those people come to them needing an exorcism or something they're labeled as wacko's and not taken seriously?
I do realise that not all churches are like that. I really have admired the members of that church for standing by that lady who killed her minister husband just recently.
Sarah
Edited 4/14/2006 10:15 am ET by stormflower

Good question. I have no answer, but I'm hoping someone does!
Express!
Beth "Petrouchka"
Hi! I think the issues you've raised are distinct, and as such are going to be regarded differently by a church, a/o society in general.
I think churches harbor pedophiles out of a sense of fear, that maintains a twisted, and unbalanced sense of power at its core. Just as in a co-dependent, enmeshed family, where the dynamic is to close in, and "protect" its weakest members, so too can the church, and religious structure pull "together" in an unhealthy manner, in an effort to run from, a/or hide its failings.
What these kinds of situations need the most are light, and air time, but often it's the last thing they get. The church hierarchy is really only concerned with keeping the status quo, the current power structure, and its people in check, even if that means keeping nasty secrets, and passing pedophiles around from one diocese to another. They think, sometimes, people are better off not knowing, for some of the same reasons governments are not forthcoming with information people have a right to know. Madness, I say, and it's part of why big churches are also big tents; they harbor more than pedophiles, sadly. The RCC, for one instance, has a long-standing sickness about females that go way, way back and has a lot to do with goddess-like sexuality. Church, and sex-negative are irrevocably tied together, and that's just for one thing.
As for mental illness, and the church often not recognizing those with mental, a/o possibly severe spiritual difficulties, I think that church is not even adequately equipped to handle such issues. The level of civilization of a culture can be measured by how it treats its weakest members, the young (25% of children live in poverty), the old (prescription drug "benefit"), the mentally ill (close the institutions and release the patients to live on the streets), and the physically ill (we're not going to even try to develop drugs that don't have a big pay-off, not to mention that if you don't have the money, you can't get the drug .) Where does that leave the people who want to try an alternative approach? In the dust, I'm afraid. It's not all grim. There are better institutions than others, but we have a long, long way to go.
Well, we can have hope, and more importantly, take action to change what most people think of as status quo.
xxoox
Susan