LCMS, Demons and Mental Illness

[pinacled]

This was my OP: <<<<<<Back in Biblical times those afflicted by mental illness were probably described as having demons. People were ignorant of the symptoms of mental illness. Since the Lutheran LCMS views The Bible are free from error, how can this be?>>>>>>


So, how can this be?

Show where in scripture there is any mention of demon possessed that fit a diagnosis of mental illness?

You are making preposition.

 

[Lamb]

This was my OP: <<<<<<Back in Biblical times those afflicted by mental illness were probably described as having demons. People were ignorant of the symptoms of mental illness. Since the Lutheran LCMS views The Bible are free from error, how can this be?>>>>>>


So, how can this be?

Your OP is not exactly the same as what I said. I said that some things in biblical times were considered to be mental illness. You suggested that mental illness was considered to be demonic.

 

[Faith]

Your OP is not exactly the same as what I said. I said that some things in biblical times were considered to be mental illness. You suggested that mental illness was considered to be demonic.

Yes, but the Bible says some things were demonic when I think they were sometimes mental illness. If true, is the Bible in error?

 

[Lamb]

Yes, but the Bible says some things were demonic when I think they were sometimes mental illness. If true, is the Bible in error?

What can you prove to be written as being wrong?

 

[Faith]

What can you prove to be written as being wrong?

I can’t. That’s why I’m asking.

 

[Lamb]

I can’t. That’s why I’m asking.

Then what is so hard about believing that the bible is true and that those people actually did have demons and not necessarily mental conditions?

 

[Faith]

Then what is so hard about believing that the bible is true and that those people actually did have demons and not necessarily mental conditions?

I’m just wondering because many people now have mental illness and rarely do we hear about demonic possession.

 

[Faith]

I’m just wondering because many people now have mental illness and rarely do we hear about demonic possession.

So why so much demonic activity then?

 

[Lamb]

I’m just wondering because many people now have mental illness and rarely do we hear about demonic possession.

That's because not a lot of people believe that demons are real unfortunately

 

[Faith]

I think that there are many mentally ill people in our day, as well as in Biblical times. I’m not saying demons aren’t real, though.

 

[tango]

I’m just wondering because many people now have mental illness and rarely do we hear about demonic possession.

It is interesting to note that some symptoms of mental illness look quite a lot like some symptoms of demonic possession.

 

[Faith]

It is interesting to note that some symptoms of mental illness look quite a lot like some symptoms of demonic possession.

True.

 

[Pedrito]

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Hope1960 (Post #37): So in Jesus’ time they considered epilepsy to be a mental illness?

That is not what I said. Not by a long stretch.

[Staff Edit]

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The psychiatric industry has a habit of varying its definitions as time passes. For instance:
- Children who in past times were considered simply a little difficult, are now said to have ADD, ADHD, etc., requiring drugs;
- The APA has declared that homosexuality, once considered to be a curable mental aberration, is now normal.

Is it any wonder , in our secular, largely irreligious society, that instances of demon possession are routinely classified as nothing but mental disorders?

Could there be that a section of the medical industry that stands to profit handsomely from such routine reclassification?

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(There I go again. ………… But am I making sense?)

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[tango]

On the topic of mental illness I was reading an article about schizophrenia (yeah, I'm a bit of a psycho geek) that indicated how there are seven potential markers of which three are required for a diagnosis. That implies that two people with the same diagnosis may have precisely zero symptoms in common, and from there raises the question whether the diagnosis "schizophrenia" is even a useful one if there can be such huge differences between people with the same diagnosis.

As Pedrito said above it wasn't that long ago that what we now call ADHD was just considered to be a badly behaved child. The symptoms of ADHD show a lot of commonality with the symptoms of sleep deprivation and childhood trauma, which further muddies the waters. When I was a child it was expected that during break time at school we would be outside - we were only allowed to be inside during break if it was raining. The idea was that we would run and play and burn off energy. If kids aren't allowed to do that it's hardly surprising that they then struggle to sit still. Throw in the junk kids are fed and they get restless.

Then come questions about where on a scale a diagnosis is given - with many things now given a dose of alphabet soup it's not a simple matter of "yes" or "no" but scoring on a scale and figuring where on the scale a diagnosis needs to be given, and also where on the scale medication might be appropriate. Some of the side effects of medications are sufficiently ugly it's not necessarily a trivial decision to consider whether to live with the condition or live with the side effects of the medications.

My wife and I decided not to proceed with a child we had expressed an interest in potentially fostering to adopt when we saw a list of diagnoses he had. At first I thought it was just a bunch of alphabet soup but having researched the list of prescriptions and seeing side effects that included, among other things, "suicidal and homicidal ideations" and "extreme mood swings" we decided we weren't prepared to deal with that, particularly as he got older. Along the way I took in quite a lot of alphabet soup.

 

[Faith]

On the topic of mental illness I was reading an article about schizophrenia (yeah, I'm a bit of a psycho geek) that indicated how there are seven potential markers of which three are required for a diagnosis. That implies that two people with the same diagnosis may have precisely zero symptoms in common, and from there raises the question whether the diagnosis "schizophrenia" is even a useful one if there can be such huge differences between people with the same diagnosis.

As Pedrito said above it wasn't that long ago that what we now call ADHD was just considered to be a badly behaved child. The symptoms of ADHD show a lot of commonality with the symptoms of sleep deprivation and childhood trauma, which further muddies the waters. When I was a child it was expected that during break time at school we would be outside - we were only allowed to be inside during break if it was raining. The idea was that we would run and play and burn off energy. If kids aren't allowed to do that it's hardly surprising that they then struggle to sit still. Throw in the junk kids are fed and they get restless.

Then come questions about where on a scale a diagnosis is given - with many things now given a dose of alphabet soup it's not a simple matter of "yes" or "no" but scoring on a scale and figuring where on the scale a diagnosis needs to be given, and also where on the scale medication might be appropriate. Some of the side effects of medications are sufficiently ugly it's not necessarily a trivial decision to consider whether to live with the condition or live with the side effects of the medications.

My wife and I decided not to proceed with a child we had expressed an interest in potentially fostering to adopt when we saw a list of diagnoses he had. At first I thought it was just a bunch of alphabet soup but having researched the list of prescriptions and seeing side effects that included, among other things, "suicidal and homicidal ideations" and "extreme mood swings" we decided we weren't prepared to deal with that, particularly as he got older. Along the way I took in quite a lot of alphabet soup.

I used to volunteer at our daughters school when she was young. Every day at a certain time (I think it was after lunch) there’d be a line of kids in the nurses office, there to take their medication for whatever diagnosis’s they had. I couldn’t believe that that many kids needed to be on meds.

 

[pinacled]

I used to volunteer at our daughters school when she was young. Every day at a certain time (I think it was after lunch) there’d be a line of kids in the nurses office, there to take their medication for whatever diagnosis’s they had. I couldn’t believe that that many kids needed to be on meds.

Demons aren't related to mental illness or connected to a specific congregation teaching as you have supposed..
Stephen Hawkins achieved a mental fortitude while his flesh deteriorated.

Demon possession is a willfull act to serve lucifer.
Which is witnessed by many who deny the music industries mockery of God