Friday, December 14, 2007

Grandstanding On the Backs Of the Disabled.

What I share today will make some of you spitting mad. It will comfort and amuse others. I am one of those folks with a "visible" disability. I use a walking cane, or a walker and without too much observation it is obvious that I don't see that well either.

Religion of all kinds proclaim healing for the sick (handicapped/disabled) and "liberation" for the "captive". When I first got Glaucoma a well meaning health food fanatic sent me home with a xeroxed health magazine that informed me that I possessed the "cure" for Glaucoma. Mind you, no research was ever sited, or experts quoted. No books were referenced.

A bunch of Russian sailors were shipwrecked at sea and all they had to drink was, well their urine. They got cured of arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure! For me, the "cure" is worse than the presenting condition!

Being curious, I finished the article. They even had a Bible verse to support the idea of drinking your own urine. (hot, or cold, by-the-way). "Let every man drink from his own cistern"!

I run into this kind of foolishness all the time. People are under the impression that to have a physical disability is a worse fate then anything. I have learned that being out of one's mind emotionally to where you can watch trees "sneak" around a parking lot renders you totally unable to serve others, or even yourself successfully.

Also, I have a serious trust issue with a lot of the "alternative" health movement. If you take their advice and die, their books keep right on being sold and they cry all the way to the bank. I also loathe most faith healers. I haven't let myself trust enough to be involved with these fools for a very long time.. But tonight I wandered back into a very painful and I believe demonically-inspired swamp of "being healed".

My guard was down, as I tend to assume that most of what our church participates in with other churches is close to the real deal. I do rejoice that I have been delivered from a blanket mistrust of all "moves" of the spirit. I forgot to pray for my own mental protection. I got stung and hurt badly.

The speaker started off by proclaiming that he was a "prophet" and that some people don't "receive" his word. He only teaches the Word of God! My BS detector was turned off, along with my cell phone, or I probably would have giggled inside, at this ploy. If you is one, you don't have to do the classic child abuse move of: "I'm a Prophet. I'm going to beat you up emotionally (in the name of JESUS) You know this is GOOD for you". Anybody recognize this one?

I was impressed with this guy because he did the puff-it-up-I-am-so-powerful routine. I always get snarred by that, when I leave my mind at home. It is just like Dr. Scott, who was just like...
Anybody recognize that one?

I know my pastor is going through a rough patch right now and I wanted to pray for him with the help of this "Prophet". My thinking is like this: God let me accept whatever you desire for me to have, but I'm going to concentrate on others and not my physical, emotional, mental or spiritual limitations. So, I swung into prayer.

I had my walking cane with me, as I knew my ride would be leaving as soon as I finished speaking with this man. The next thing I know this guy is praying for me. No problem, I'm swaying back as he's pushing me and others have come to pray. Fine. This happens sometimes at my home church.

to your faith". Now I'm truly trapped. If I don't jolly well get healed - eyes were also What NEVER happens at my home church is the physical removal of my eyeglasses and walking cane. I was than forced to "prance" around to show that my legs and feet were healed. They weren't, but I hesitated to get into this guys face and argue with him while he's still "praying". I did finally tell him it still hurt. He then quoted that "be it unto you in proportionnow on his radar, it meant my faith has a problem. I've been down that dreary road before and it has lead to suicidal thinking in the past.

The truth was, I felt refreshed and happy, but my physical vision and walking hadn't changed at all. He of course told me to throw away my glasses and my cane 'cause I wouldn't need them any more.

Thankfully, in the car going home my wonderful pastor and his wife helped me sort out what happened. I have to tell the truth, as I may be healed as I go on my way, like the lepers in the Bible. I can live with that. What I can't live with is being used like that. Everyone was swooning and carrying on while I walked around without my glasses and walking cane, waiting for the miracle.

Can I get real here. That ARROGANT man! I will NOT let someone remove anything from my person while they are praying or otherwise! What a lovely piece of showmanship for him and a catch-22 for me! I saw someone do this routine with another disabled person who has great difficulty walking because of surgury and pain. She was made to high step and prance. I remember wanting to feel good about what I saw, but something inside made me wonder what was really happening to her. What if she wasn't healed and was being forced to do painful things to make the "prayer warrior" look good?

Faith healing for show is a load of crap. I thank God I now know what NOT to do when lead to pray for someone laboring under any obvious painful or restrictive condition.