Foundational Issues - Foundational Issues

 

Basic Psychological Theory

The basic premise propounded by the psychological community is simple: Nothing is your fault! Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time in 'therapy' will begin to find people to blame for the way they feel. NOT because those people are at fault, but simply because the counselor has convinced them that someone else caused the problems they face.

Here's how it works. According to the mental health community, everything that happens to us, from the womb to the tomb, is imprinted on our unconscious mind. They maintain that the unconscious mind determines how people process information and make decisions. Some of these decisions are conscious, others are simply automatic. Therefore, if you were raised in poverty, you will probably choose to engage in some sort of crime because statistics indicate that poverty produces crime. If you were abused as a child, you will probably become some sort of abuser yourself because statistics show that abusers were abused themselves as children. You get the picture.

The problems with these theories are many. On the back side there is no proof that poverty produces crime. The only thing certain is that crime produces poverty. During the Great Depression many, many people were poor. Yet they did not resort to crime. And not all poor people are criminals. Also, child abuse does not guarantee that the abused will become an abuser. Not all abused children grow up to be abusers.

Underlying psychological thought are many false assumptions. Frustrated that merely altering a person's behavior doesn't work, psychology added to  their behavioral therapies with various cognitive therapies. They theorized that behaviors flowed from the way we think. Then, frustrated that changing the way people make decisions didn't solve the problems, they hit upon this theory about the unconscious mind. The truth? They have no idea why people do what they do except that these decisions seem to be made deep within -- hence the idea of an unconscious mind.

The Bible answers their questions by saying, 'they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;....' [Rom. 8:5] And the behaviors which result from this orientation produce 'death.' While, '..they that are after the Spirit (do mind) the things of the Spirit.' And the result of this orientation is 'life and peace.'

The word 'after' in this passage is translated from the Greek word which means 'out of' or 'according to.' God is saying that the way a person relates to life and processes information is a product of their 'heart' NOT their brain or their feelings or the experiences of life. The choices made come from our heart. Those choices produce results, both internal and external. Jesus, speaking of the principles laid out by God, said 'If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.' [Jn. 13:17]

The unmistakable conclusions from The Bible is that people are responsible for their own decisions. They may have been abused, or lived in poverty or even riches, but in the end they will answer to God for their attitudes and behaviors and for every choice they make.

Our current society is profane, vulgar, and narcissistic. It focuses on that which makes us happy, regardless of how such happiness affects anyone else. This is the utopia constructed by the mental health community. In the psychological world any objective standards of right and wrong are seen as enemies of good mental health. According to Freud and Ellis, etc., it is the 'oughts' and 'shoulds' of life which create the problems. Therefore, whatever it takes to eliminate all sense of responsibility contributes to a well balanced psyche. This is pure nonsense!

Also, our society is fixated on 'abuse.' We aren't addicted to drugs, we 'abuse drugs.' We aren't drunkards, we 'abuse alcohol.' And any effort by parents to keep children from being sucked into the wrong crowd or to keep them from being exposed to the wrong attitudes / actions portrayed on TV or through music is 'abuse.' Normal discipline in the home is seen as 'abuse' because it seeks to limit the child's natural development. Requiring a child to take out the trash can be seen as 'abuse' because it is the arbitrary imposition of the parent's standard of right and wrong.

Our society hates authority in any form. The ideal home is a democracy, according to the social experts. Everyone has an equal say as to what will or will not be done. Where the family lives, what money is spent on which items, where the family goes on vacation, etc. are all decisions made by consensus, if we are enlightened. Of course, the Bible gives ALL authority in the home to the parents! Children have no say. They are simply expected to obey. This, too, is seen as 'abuse.'

In short, those who spend any time in psychotherapy will develop a more selfish, victim-mentality. They will be encouraged to identify those who have caused their pain and express their anger and frustration toward that person or persons. The act of expressing this anger is called 'therapy' for it releases them from the constraints imposed by these 'abusers.'

If the therapy occurs while the child is in their teen years (or early 20's) it can be especially destructive because this is the time in life when children think of themselves as adults, but are still very much children. Additionally, adolescence is a unique time in a child's life. A time when they don't think like anyone else on the planet! And if they are in college, they are living in a world that doesn't resemble life; a little cocoon of liberal ideas and social ideals. It usually takes 10 years or so for those who bought into this philosophy to realize they've been duped. They find life is not what they were told it was. Jobs, families, children, etc. all conspire to restore a sense of reality.

Of course, if these children choose a life of psychotherapy or politics or education, they may never come out of this artificial fog. But, most children grow up by age 30 / 35 and are sorry they said and did so many stupid and hurtful things. Parents need to be patient, don't take what they say too seriously (although it hurts deeply) and wait. They'll be back.