tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825243.post7566378840915485573..comments2024-01-06T07:53:11.832-08:00Comments on disabled Christianity: "Favoritism Forbidden"Jeff McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10029386598033932429noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825243.post-80586369800507187562009-12-09T17:54:44.471-08:002009-12-09T17:54:44.471-08:00Children with disabilities are excluded from many ...Children with disabilities are excluded from many things in society based on their disability alone. I cannot fathom the thoughts of those people who choose to exclude children with disabilities with out even know the child. All children have the right to be treated equally, as adults we all want the same treatment. If adults think that they have the right to be treated equally, why should it be any different for children? The thing that most upsets me is that fact that children with disabilities are not being treated equally in the church. Romans 12:4-5 says, For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. We are all made in the eyes of God, if God made us the way we are, why should any one treat us any differently. The church should be the first ones to treat everyone equally. The pastor himself should know that God created us all I his own eyes, he should have been the one person to step in and make sure that the church was not pushing anyone away, especially do to their disabilities.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825243.post-81746805388657016512009-12-09T15:09:28.083-08:002009-12-09T15:09:28.083-08:00I have never thought about that verse before when ...I have never thought about that verse before when it pertains to people with disabilities. To be truthful, I just saw it as if someone who is homeless and comes in to church one day, we should welcome them regardless no matter how they look. It makes sense that people with disabilities fit the criteria of the poor, since they are seen like this in the eyes of the world. We as Christians should show no favoritism towards our brothers and sisters in Christ. For myself, this is a difficult problem I have. It is hard since I tend to treat those I love better than people I am hardly around. I have been a children’s church teacher and I loved all my students, but there were some kids who would bring challenges to my class. One student in particular was labeled to have ADHD. I would feel like giving up… because I could not get the classroom under control. One day while I was teaching I was asking my students to give examples of what they could do to share the gospel. The little boy, that was disruptive in class week after week, surprised me in how he was so engaged. Beyond doubt, I jumped for joy inside.<br /><br /> I think it is so important that we do accept all people into the church, and not show favoritism to those who look and behave like we do. God did command the church to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We would be breaking God’s law by only teaching kids that we call “normal.” It is a blessing to see children learn about God, but when a child learns about God’s love through people who do not discriminate against them, they gain so much more from that experience. Our love for humanity must extend far out beyond our circle, and include those who want to be loved. I believe that as a church we can make a difference, if we only tried.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825243.post-43881097886321277372009-12-08T11:59:24.944-08:002009-12-08T11:59:24.944-08:00I think this is a great aspect to point out. So ma...I think this is a great aspect to point out. So many people, including those within the church, look at people with disabilities differently. They assume that disabled people are less qualified and capable of being included in today's society. Yes, they might have special needs, but every person needs something more than others. I believe that the pastor that excluded the autistic boy, should have at least tried to make accommodations for him. Having that one autistic child in the church would make other parents with disabled children feel a bit more welcome to the church. This could have resulted in a whole new program for the disabled within this church. The situation is somewhat shocking because a church should be the one place that everyone is accepted and taken in. How can the pastor feel good or satisfied about what he said and the actions he DID NOT take? Favoritism at the church should be avoided as much as possible, not just with disabilities, but with all sorts of differences. These differences can include gender, race, ethnicity, or culture. I know I wouldn't want to be excluded from anywhere, especially church, because of my Asian background. God is the only one with the right to pass judgement between people.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825243.post-66758619601056075692009-10-22T13:52:41.305-07:002009-10-22T13:52:41.305-07:00I found ou the same thing when I was calling churc...I found ou the same thing when I was calling churches asking what services they provide for disabled people. I couldn't beleive some of the answers. Some churches didn't even know what a disabled ministry was. It is the churches responsibility to provide for all of the needs of all of God's creation. Special people recquire special needs but they are still one of God's creations. It is the churches responsibility to reach out to people with disabilities. If the church does not do that they are not completely serving God!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825243.post-3053009887563057662009-10-22T11:22:06.316-07:002009-10-22T11:22:06.316-07:00So sorry, I know the frustrations. I am helping ou...So sorry, I know the frustrations. I am helping our church expand their ministry outreach to each disability that we encounter. I do know with limited resources of people and supplies we always worry about never being able to be enough or do enough. Although I agree that everything we do in the church should be done with EXCELLENCE, the fact that it's not perfect in the beginning shouldn't keep us from starting! Praying for more godly people to be problem solvers rather than problem identifiers!ArtworkByRuthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03792826892385070109noreply@blogger.com