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21APRIL2013BODYOFCHRISTNEWSAsaBlackmalepsychotherapistIattendedaconferencesponsoredbyBrotherJeffsCulturalCenterontheStateofBlackMentalHealththatbythewaywasagreatconferenceofhighvalue.OneofthemajorthemessurfacingfromtheconferencewastherelationshipbetweentheMentalHealthMHCommunityandtheBlackChurch.ItwasclearfromtheconferencedialoguethatthereisasignificantgapbetweenmanyAfrican-AmericanChristiansandhowtheyvaluethepracticeofcounselingfromaspiritualperspec-tive.Itsavalidquestiontoweighespeciallysincethisspecificten-siondoesntgetmuchpublicatten-tionbutaccordingtotheconferenceparticipantsitneedsmoreroomforcriticaldiscussionanddebate.Representedwereseveralpointsofviewfromthereligiousperspec-tivethatseemedtomotivatesomechurchgoersandsomechurchlead-erstomoveinthedirectionofreject-ingpsychologytalktherapyandpsychiatrymedicinaltreatmentofmentalhealthconditionsaslegiti-mateformsofhealing.Attherootoftheargumentisthemega-narra-tiveofChristianbeliefthatnothingshouldbevaluedhigherthanGodotherwiseitrunstheriskofbeingidolizedorusedtoreplaceGodastheonetruesourcethatcansatisfyhumanneeds.ThereforespeaktothemandtellthemThisiswhattheSovereignLordsaysWhenanyoftheIsraelitessetupidolsintheirheartsandputawickedstumblingblockbeforetheirfacesandthengotoaprophetItheLordwillanswerthemmyselfinkeepingwiththeirgreatidolatryEzekiel144.Thereforemydearfriendsfleefromidolatry1Corinthians1014.ManyChristiansbelievethatMentalHealthpractitio-nersseetheirpracticeandthecureforabnormalbehaviorandanythingdefinedasthecureover-and-aboveGodsdesignmeetsthestandardofidolatry.ChristiansseekinghelporPastorsreferringforhelpfromapro-fessionalcounselorcanbeperceivedasaworldlyapproachtoaspiritualneed.SowhatwehaveisanaturaltensionforChristianswhobelievethattheymightbeviolatingtheirownprinciplesforthesakeofvalu-ingman-madedesignsofhealth.InadditionmanyBlackpeoplehavehaddirectexperiencewiththeMentalHealthcommunityandtheoutcomeshavenotbeenallthatpleasing.BlackpeoplewhovebeendirectedtoWhitetherapiststhemajorityofpractitionerswholackaminimaldegreeofculturalcom-petencyhavehadbadexperienc-eswiththecounselingoccurrenceandmanyAfricanAmericanshaveleftmorefrustratedthantheywerewhentheywalkedinthedoor.Plustherehavebeennumerousocca-sionswheretheDepartmentSocialServiceshassteppedintoabusiveneglectfulhouseholdsandinthenameofcorrectingwrongstheyhaveonlymanagedtoseparatechildrenwholaterfindthemselvesinanevenmoreabusiveconditionortheyhavecompletelydisenfranchisefathersandmademothersdependentonthesystemfortheirsurvival.AsapsychotherapistacounselorwithamastersdegreeIwouldagreethatwhatisofferedoftentimesasasolutionforbrokennessisalto-getherunsatisfyingunproductiveandsometimesdeeplydestructive.Thecounter-argumentisthatnotallMentalHealthpractitionersarenon-believers.ManypractitionersarefaithfulChristianswhoarecom-mittedtovaluingGodstruthrealityanddesignsastheirultimateaimofhealthcareandwhole-ness.Inthissensepsy-chologyandpsychiatrycanbetoolsthataskilledprofessionalcanusetorepairbrokennessinpeoplethatcomplimentsrelationshiptoGodstruthnotasareplacementofit.Asamentalhealthpractitionerforover25yearsandaChristianIwouldarguethattheessenceofMentalHealthpracticeistoaidtheprocessofclosingthegapbetweenwhatisrealandwhatisunrealtoassistpeopleinaconditionofbro-kennesstoremovedistractionsanddistortionsthatcreatedistancefromreality.Forexampledistractionsordistortionssuchasdrugaddictiondepressionhopelessnessanxietyfearetccanactasbarriersthatpreventapersonsconnectionwithreality.PsychologyisatoolthathastheabilitytoclosethegapbutitisnotthecureforwhatisTRUTH.Onceapersonsthinkingbecomescleareroroncethedistortionsofemotionsdrugsandcountlessotherdistractionsoflifearereducedthentheabilitytoseeobjectivetruthisgreatlyincreased.TRUTHisaproductofChristnotpsychologyoranyotherdis-ciplineforthatmatter.Ifapersonbelievestruththentheycanexpe-riencefreedomfrompainbutifapersonbelievesfalsehoodthenthesufferingcontinues.AgreatexampleisprovidedinthestoryofPharaohwouldntchangehisdesiretoholdontofalsehoodsohecontinuedtoexperiencegreaterlevelsofpain.AssuchthereisnothingaPsychologistPsychiatristorMedicalDoctorcandoforapersonwhobelievesthatslaveryorcrackcocaineistheanswertoalltheirproblems.SoGodwilldealwithhiscreationthussayingItheLordwillanswerthemmyselfinkeepingwiththeirgreatidolatry.Wehavethefreedomtobelievethateatingtubsofice-creamonadailybasisismytruthforemotionaldissatisfac-tionbutthescalethemirrororthespousewillhelpusrevisitoursenseofREALITY.AssuchtheBodyofChristshouldnotbesoquicktomisjudgeandwrite-offthevalueofpractitionerswhoarealsoBelievers.PsychologyandPsychiatrycangreatlyhelppeo-plebecomeclearenoughtodiscernlightfromdarkbutthecureisinthesubstanceofthelightnotjustinremovingthedark.TheproblemisthatnotallMentalHealthpractitionersareBelieversbutneitherareallschoolteacherswhoseektoeducateourchildrenonthequestionofhomosexualityorthecreationoflife.ThisbelovedisthegreatworkthattheBodyofChristownsasanobligationtoreachandteachtrutheffectivelynomatterwhatyourjobtitleis.RandallCravenByRandallCravenMentalHealthandtheBlackChurchtheyalsoimportedacom-pleteandcomprehensivehealthcaresystemoftheirown.SimplyputAfricanAmericanswerenotpassivevictimsofthemedicalmafianordidtheypatientlywaitforcivilrightslawstobeaddressed.Theysuccessful-lytookhealthcareintotheirownhands.Unfortunatelyanunjusteducationsystemandfalseimagesperpetu-atedbyHollywoodcausedBlackstosteerawayfromtheirroots.Weforaperiodoftimedisapprovinglyreferredtoourtraditionalhealersasvoodooworkerswitchdoctorsandmakeshiftphysi-cians.ThegoodandbadnewsisthatthefailureratesofallopathicmedicinehaveawakenedtheculturalDNAthathaslieddormantinusforfartoolong.Thisawakeningistheresultofunsuc-cessfultreatmentsofdiseaseandthehighratesofillnessamongstAfricanAmericans.Itisestimatedthat63000Blackswilldiefromcancernextyear.Blackshave3xasmuchhighbloodpressurediabetesandheartdisease.Infact80ofallBlackpeoplewillbediagnosedwithhighbloodpressurebytheageof45.AndthefactthatBlackssufferfromdiabeticinducedkidneyfailureatrates4xhigherthanourcounterpartsisastounding.Modernmedicalpracticesareunpredictableatbestwithridiculouslyhighfailurerates.EventheAmericanMedicalAssociationadmitstobeingwrongintheirdiagno-sisandtreatment48ofthetime.ThisinformationaloneshouldbepersuasiveenoughtodriveyoubackhometoBigMomma.Bigmommaunderstoodthescienceofnaturalmedicine.Naturalremediestreatthecausesandnotjustthesymptomsanditdoessowithoutthenastysideeffects.Dontgetmewrong.Iamnotsayingthatallopathicmodernmedi-cinedoesnthaveitsplacebecauseitmostcertainlydoes.Iamsayingthatmanyofthefailuresofallopath-icmedicinehaveaffectedBlacksatthemostalarm-ingrate.Dotheresearchforyourself.Chemotherapyandradiationdoesnotcurecanceritonlyaddressesthesymptoms.Insulinisasalt.Itdoesnotcurediabetes.Drugsusedtotreatarthritisdestroythebody.ThislistgoesonandonbutALLdiseasecanbepreventedtreatedandsometimescuredbystrengtheningthebodysownnaturaldefenses.Goddesignedeachofuswithourownimmunesystemandaspiritualitythathasalwaysencouragedamindbodyandsoulhealingthroughfaith.OurhistoricalandmodernpracticesofhealingthroughprayerlayingofthehandsandlettinggoandlettingGodspeakstothisverytradition.IbelieveGodhasprovideduswitheverythingweneedthroughtheEarthsbounti-fulsupply.Consideringthefactthatthereare46millionpeopleintheUnitedStateswithouthealthcareholis-tichealthcarepractitionersaregreatlyneeded.Bigmommaknewwhatshewasdoingwhensherubbedmustardonthechesttotreatpneumoniaorusedeucalyptustotreatrespiratoryinfec-tions.Maybeitwasdivineknowledge.Maybeitwasculturalhand-me-downs.Maybeitwastrialanderror.ButifitwasgoodenoughforBigmommaitsgoodenoughformeBigMomma...frompage1KarenLittle