Harmful Errors of Modern Psychology (Continued from page 2)
Unscriptural presuppositions and practices of certain schools of psychology. (Continued from page 3)
No fixed moral values: relativism.
Moving on, another issue with psychology is relativism. No moral absolutes, no fixed more values. Everyone doing what’s right in his own eyes, more or less. Rogers in his non-directive counseling, where the counselor’s a listener, helping the counselee to find the truth within himself. And you can never judge, you can never tell people what to do. If somebody comes for counsel, and he’s thinking of leaving his wife for this woman he’s attracted to, non-directive counseling is not an option for a Christian. The Bible addresses issues of life, issues of the soul with absolutes. Likewise, what’s been happening is because they don’t have, the Bible gives us fixed, infallible revelation from God of that which pleases God, and that which does not please God. Their values change. In the early version of the DSM, homosexuality was treated as a disease. In DSM-III, now it’s considered normal, and even as time, and whereas before there were therapies to help homosexuals get out of it, now you’re not allowed to, and there are laws passed still in the courts now in some circumstances forbidding licensed professionals from counseling, at least now in California, minors who are homosexual, or have those tendencies of getting out of that because, and it’s not that research was done showing it’s right or wrong, they don’t have the basis to do that.
Szasz says it’s really pressure from homosexuals, and even homosexual therapists. The Bible clearly teaches that sex is within marriage between a husband and a wife. And even promotion of, again, gratification of carnal appetites, and it could be masturbation for sex drives, it could be finding ways to express your anger by yelling at a pillow, or going outside in a canyon, or the idea of venting. And often times, and especially in Freud, Freud saw the conscience as being kind of this bad thing that people have because of their puritanical upbringing, and all this guilt gets laid on. And, so, you gotta undo that so they wouldn’t feel guilty. Guilt is a bad thing. Well, the Bible says guilt’s a really good thing. We need, guilt is what drives us to Christ to seek forgiveness, and redemption, and transformation. It’s a God-given warning just like pain in the body. When I fell down and injured my shoulder, I felt a great amount of pain. It was indication something was wrong and needed to be done. It moved me to action. And guilt is designed by God really, again, to see that there is sin that needs to be dealt with; and God has provided a gracious way by which that is dealt with.
One author says, “Guilt heaped on people by Christianity produces mental illness.” Another writes, “Guilt is an illusion.” Well, that’s because of the last major critique is that in secular psychology there is no place for God. You can’t understand who man is, what his purpose is, what’s right and wrong unless you first understand God. Man is not autonomous. Life is not about you. Those who say self-centeredness is the secret to better mental health, the greatest commandment is to love God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Fromm writes, “The failure of modern culture is that people are not concerned enough with the interest of their real self. Vice is indifference to oneself.” No, actually when you hear stuff like that, you realize why this stuff is popular. It confirms people in their sin; it encourages them in their sin. That’s exactly what they wanna hear, just like they’d rather think they have a disease of which they’re a victim than to think that they’re sinning for which they have responsibility.
Sadly, this corrupts the church, as well. Robert Schuller writer, “Sin is any act, or thought that robs myself or another human being of his self esteem.” He didn’t get that from the Bible, though he claims to preach the Bible. That is psychobabble. That’s pop psychology from the pulpit. And an education website writes, “Self esteem is central to the most personal and social problems that plague human life in today’s world.” Maslow writes, “I propose that we explore the consequences of observing whatever our best specimens choose, and then assume that these are the highest values for mankind.” But who gets to decide who are the best specimens? And evaluate the quality of their choices? It’s only because there is a God who made us in his image, and has revealed himself in the scriptures. We even know how to address the soul, and how to help people.
No place for God.
And I assume you’re listening to this, maybe you need help. Let me tell you, the help comes from God in his word. Or maybe you wanna help others. And I think some people actually study psychology, and are attracted to psychology because they wanna help people, and that can be a noble motivation. But psychology in its secular roots isn’t gonna teach you to really help people because they don’t understand who we are. And then that’s why secular psychology is powerless to bring about meaningful change. The change we need is a spiritual change, and in their world view, we’re just a body with a brain. The change we need is in relation to God, that’s where transformation takes place. And God is left out of their system.