[nabs-l] having a hard time fitting in at church
Arielle Silverman
arielle71 at gmail.com
Thu Sep 20 17:21:21 UTC 2012
I think the article was written satirically.
Arielle
On 9/20/12, Littlefield, Tyler <tyler at tysdomain.com> wrote:
> This article, by far is not what you want people to see. If you want to
> fit in, go make friends. But the tone of this article seems to look upon
> us "pitiful souls" as helpless, people those who are "blessed" by god to
> be "normal," in other words, who should feel sorry for us.
> On 9/20/2012 10:44 AM, Andrew Edgcumbe wrote:
>> hear is an article that would lend into this thread.
>> Throw Away Christians
>>
>>
>> By Phil Scovell
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I have discovered a class, or group, of people, born again
>> they
>> are, members of the Body of Christ, yet the church has thrown
>> them
>> away. Strangely enough, I have learned how much God loves each
>> and
>> every one of these throw away Christians. It goes without saying,
>> but
>> I will say it any way, Jesus died for them, shedding His blood
>> for
>> their sins, and was bodily resurrected for them, too.
>>
>> These special groups cover a wide range of personalities and
>> a
>> variety of physical conditions. Some are in wheelchairs for
>> whom
>> ramps are conveniently constructed in order to get these pitiful
>> souls
>> up and into the church building. Unfortunately, for these
>> people,
>> none of the bathrooms have been modified to handle wheelchairs,
>> So,
>> extra faith is required of these folk to hold it for several
>> hours
>> until they get back home or to wherever they live. These special
>> folk
>> are such a blessing to the church, too. It makes you thankful
>> that
>> you aren't in a wheelchair.
>>
>> Another category of these special Christians with special
>> needs
>> are hard of hearing. Little, if any, regard is given to
>> their
>> inability to hear through the Public Address system to accommodate
>> the
>> hearing loss these people have nor have any special
>> accommodations
>> been made to the amplification system which would allow them to
>> wear
>> earphones or to even plug in to the system, if using implants, so
>> they
>> could hear better.
>>
>> If you are totally deaf, on the other hand, you are in luck.
>> The
>> larger ministries have taught sign language and so the services
>> are
>> then translated for the deaf. If you so happen to wish to attend
>> a
>> church without a translator, then you are out of luck. The hard
>> of
>> hearing, and the totally deaf, are such a blessing to the church,
>> too.
>> It makes you thank the Lord for your own hearing ability.
>>
>> The elderly have their own Sunday school class. This is nice,
>> of
>> course, because then all those that the church brings in from
>> the
>> nearby nursing home can sit in their own class without disturbing
>> the
>> mainstream body of believers. Especially if they smell funny
>> and
>> those bussed in from the nearby nursing home always do. Yet,
>> even
>> these elderly people are such a blessing to the church. It makes
>> you
>> thankful for the youth we have.
>>
>> This special class and seating arrangement in the church
>> service
>> for the elderly is very much like Sunday school for the children,
>> of
>> course, so it seems logically that the elderly would have their
>> own
>> class where they won't be a bother to others. These same
>> children,
>> since they are so disruptive, have junior church immediately
>> after
>> Sunday school. This is their own little church they have while
>> their
>> parents are out in the auditorium having their big church service.
>> In
>> this way, church workers, who never get to sit in on a Sunday
>> school
>> class or church service, get to teach the children for a good three
>> or
>> four hours each Sunday.
>>
>> Although it is rare, some of the mega churches have
>> discovered
>> blind people read Braille instead of print. Since blind people
>> don't
>> need to see, their little group of eight or ten sit on the back
>> row
>> where those ungodly large Braille hymn books are easily stored.
>> This
>> has really brought the blind community together, we are told, and
>> the
>> church is able to minister to them better when they are all
>> grouped
>> together. Additionally, there is the added blessing of
>> the
>> camaraderie which occurs among these, to be pitied of all
>> handicapped
>> peoples, just because they are now grouped together. They are such
>> a
>> blessing and encouragement to the rest of the church as they sit
>> back
>> on the back roe with the large Braille song books and singing
>> right
>> along with the rest of the church. It makes you thankful you
>> aren't
>> blind.
>>
>> Closely related to the blind group of special Christians, are
>> the
>> Path Finders group. These are the mentally retarded bussed in from
>> a
>> local care home. This group also gets to sit in the back of
>> the
>> church because they often become disruptive during the service
>> and
>> have to be taken out by the special workers. Thank the Lord we
>> are
>> not like them and have mental normality.
>>
>> Finally, there is a silent group of people who rarely
>> are
>> considered. They don't have their own special hymn books nor are
>> they
>> assigned a special place to sit in the service. Furthermore,
>> they
>> have no special Sunday school class of their own to attend. We
>> notice
>> their tears they often shed during the preaching and teaching of
>> the
>> Word but we just figure they are being moved by the Holy Spirit
>> to
>> tears. We would never once consider that something else might
>> be
>> wrong.
>>
>> We have also noticed that this silent group of unnamed
>> people
>> often are going forward during the altar call for specialized
>> prayer.
>> Again, we have no idea why but just assume they have tender
>> hearts
>> toward the Lord. We have heard they have some special problems but
>> we
>> have never talked to them, other than to say hello when coming
>> or
>> going to the church, and they look like people who prefer being
>> left
>> alone anyhow.
>>
>> Eventually, your curiosity gets the best of you and you ask
>> one
>> of the church leaders who this silent group of people are. You
>> are
>> told that this group has been unofficially classified by the church
>> as
>> "those to whom only the professionals can handle."
>>
>> I could continue with other segments of society but you likely
>> have
>> gotten the picture by now.
>>
>> Scattered throughout these various groups, are little girls
>> who
>> have been molested or raped by family members or friends
>> and
>> relatives. Little boys can also be found in the church who have
>> been
>> sodomized but as is the case with the little girls, they have
>> been
>> threatened or ignored if they did tell someone about it. Now, most
>> of
>> those children are adults. Some in this silent group have
>> suffered
>> from traumatic childhood experiences and although they
>> daily
>> experience anxiety and panic attacks, they have no understanding
>> of
>> the nature of the cross they must carry. When seeking counsel
>> from
>> leaders of the church, they often are referred to "The
>> Professionals"
>> and told they will be placed on the church prayer list.
>>
>> Some of these people suffering from various forms of
>> depression
>> have ungodly nightmares the would frighten the average
>> Christian
>> beyond emotional stability. Others cry themselves to sleep at
>> night
>> because of the sadness that tries to crush the life out of
>> them.
>> Others, although they would never admit such to anyone, even
>> hear
>> voices. Some have not only considered suicide but attempted it.
>> They
>> never told anyone why they were missing from church for the last
>> three
>> weeks and no one noticed anyhow. Some of these people in this
>> special
>> silent group, are told they are in advanced stages of emotional
>> and
>> mental illness. This group are on medications for sleep
>> because
>> otherwise they are awake all night. Others are on antidepressants
>> and
>> antianxiety medications for their depression. Some are on
>> even
>> stronger medications classified as psychotic or psychotropic
>> mind
>> altering drugs. These are the more mentally ill people,
>> who,
>> amazingly enough, seem to function in life relatively normally as
>> far
>> as anyone can tell. Holding down a job, caring for their
>> families,
>> driving a car, mowing their grass, reading their Bible, serving in
>> the
>> church, and other activities that seem perfectly normal, are
>> all
>> conducted by these silently hurting people. If people knew, on
>> the
>> other hand, they had done as the church leadership had recommended
>> and
>> gone to "The Professionals" with their problems, and were
>> now
>> diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or with
>> schizophrenia
>> tendencies, or told they have Obsessive Compulsive disorder,
>> General
>> Anxiety Disorder, or they are clinically depressed or
>> manic
>> depressive, or if they have been tested and found to be bipolar,
>> or,
>> as is the case for some who have been brave enough to tell
>> their
>> doctor that they heard voices and now have been determined to
>> have
>> Dissociative Identity Disorder, which is multiple personalities,
>> the
>> church wouldn't come near them. Well, they don't come near
>> them
>> anyway. These silently hurting people are throw aways, right
>> along
>> with many others, for whom the church chooses not to minister.
>>
>> My ministry, on the other hand, is to these silently hurting
>> and
>> forgotten people. I pastor them and pray with them. I cry for
>> them,
>> making myself available for them 24-7 and pray for them on my
>> own
>> times alone with the Lord. They call me in the middle of the
>> night
>> and get me out of bed because they are afraid. They call me when
>> I'm
>> eating my breakfast or lunch or supper and I talk to them as they
>> cry
>> and tell me how frightened they are and how they want to
>> kill
>> themselves. They call me as I listen to my favorite football
>> games
>> which I turn off to talk and pray with them. Sometimes, those
>> with
>> multiple personalities, call. It isn't uncommon in such cases for
>> the
>> frightened alternate personality to actually do the calling.
>> when
>> they call, I talk to them until they become peaceful. Sometimes
>> an
>> alternate personality emails me. I email them back and attempt
>> to
>> comfort them. I schedule regular appointments of prayer times
>> with
>> them so the Lord can continue to reach into their lives of fear
>> and
>> guilt and shame and loneliness and anxiety and pain to heal them.
>>
>> How long do I continue to minister to them? Until they are
>> whole
>> and healed from everything. Is that possible? If it is not, you
>> are
>> serving the wrong God. Aren't these people crazy people? No,
>> they
>> are hurting people whom the Lord not only wants to heal but can
>> and
>> does.
>>
>> If you are one of the suffering silent people and need
>> ministry
>> because you have no one to whom you can turn, call me. If you are
>> a
>> pastor and need ministry, call me. If you are a pastor's wife and
>> are
>> trapped by fear and there's no one to tell, call me. If you are
>> a
>> pastor or missionary or church leader, and find yourself addicted
>> to
>> pornography, call me. If you are a mixed up confused mom who
>> is
>> hearing voices in your head and you want to kill yourself, call
>> me.
>> If you are depressed, call me. If you've been raped or molested
>> and
>> can't seem to find comfort after all these years, call me.
>> Having
>> marital problems? Call me. If you are sexually confused, call
>> me.
>> If you have nightmares, if you are suicidal, or if you've
>> attempted
>> suicide, call me. If you've lost a loved one and the grief is
>> over
>> powering and it just doesn't get any better, call me. If you are
>> an
>> obsessive compulsive, call me. If you have committed the
>> unpardonable
>> sin, call me. If you doubt your salvation, call me. If you
>> have
>> become involved in an affair, call me. If you are a throw away,
>> call
>> me.
>>
>> No, I am not a professional but as an intercessor, I know how
>> to
>> pray and The True Lord Jesus Christ still knows how to heal. If,
>> on
>> the other hand, you require professional help, by all means,
>> find
>> someone to help you make the right medical decisions.
>>
>>
>> Safe Place Fellowship
>> Phil Scovell
>> Denver, Colorado USA
>> Mountain Time Zone
>> WWW.SafePlaceFellowship.COM
>>
>>
>> On 9/20/12, Sarah <coastergirl92 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> That sounds like a horrible discriminating church if you ask me.
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Lavonya Gardner <hotdancer1416 at gmail.com
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Thu, 20 Sep 2012 08:16:44 -0400
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] having a hard time fitting in at church
>>>
>>> I was told that I wasn't fowling gods word because I couldn't
>>> talk. And my sensory input is way, causing me to scream if
>>> things r too bright, loud, or if touched. Or handle any change.
>>> They thought I was dumb. They also thought that I was cursing
>>> them out, when I would make sounds or sign, and that my blindness
>>> was my punishment for not letting them touch me.
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>> On Sep 19, 2012, at 16:49, Sophie Trist
>>> <sweetpeareader at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> How can they throw you out of a church just because you're
>>> autistic? Sounds like discrimination to me!
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Lavonya Gardner <hotdancer1416 at gmail.com
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:16:55 -0400
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] having a hard time fitting in at church
>>>
>>> I have been thrown out of 25 churches, due to my autism. They
>>> seem to be fine with me being blind, but autism was not. So now
>>> I attend 2 churches. 1 of them has sometimes 15 blind people at
>>> a time. At the other church, I am the only blind person? I am on
>>> the dance team. I still do not fit in, but I do try to do ad
>>> much ad I can, and try and be ne'er people with my interests.
>>> Have you tried finding people to talk to that have your
>>> interests?
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>> On Sep 19, 2012, at 10:49, Andrew Edgcumbe
>>> <andrewjedg at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi nabs students readers
>>>
>>> I hope you all are doing well.
>>>
>>>
>>> Anyway
>>> I am struggling with fitting in at my church and things.
>>>
>>> I been having a hard time finding friends to talk to there and
>>> things.
>>>
>>> They all seem to talk to each other and just walk away from me
>>> and things.
>>> every time after the service is over they just talk to each
>>> other's
>>> friends and i am not really talked to much at all i am often
>>> left
>>> sitting alone sometimes they walk out of the church pew all
>>> together
>>> and things i get left behind allot i don't get included in going
>>> out
>>> to lunch and things like that.
>>>
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>
>
> --
> Take care,
> Ty
> http://tds-solutions.net
> The aspen project: a barebones light-weight mud engine:
> http://code.google.com/p/aspenmud
> He that will not reason is a bigot; he that cannot reason is a fool; he that
> dares not reason is a slave.
>
>
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