Approximately 4 years ago, I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, which is an autism spectrum disorder. I was 36 years old when I made this discovery. To say the least my eyes were opened to the reality that I processed the world so much differently than my peers growing up that there is no wonder I struggled to fit in, especially in the church.
Facing life with a disability of any kind can be a daunting task, which is why as a Christian I depend heavily on my faith community to assist me in my very public journey of processing the complexities of life as an autistic pastor, father, husband, and Christian.
This is why I am extremely grieved when the Christian community, the community of faith to which I and many others like me belong to, practice a type of faith that puts us at odds with the very community that we seek solace in.
Recently an article was released in a popular Christian magazine about the miracle of children that were being “healed and delivered” from their autism.
There are so many troubling images and ideologies present in this article that it would take me multiple articles to respond to everything that I find offensive and Biblically and theologically incorrect. With that in mind I want to offer just three primary issues that I have with this article and the overall assumption about faith and disabilities that I believe serve as the foundation for such an insensitive approach to a very sensitive issue.
- Assumptions: One of the primary issues with a ministry of “healing” or “deliverance” as demonstrated in this article is a basic human assumption about the role of faith in the face of disabilities, whether they be physical, mental, or developmental. In this case the author makes a bold and dangerous claim that the source of autism is a demonic force that “tortures” those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. As the world continues to gain access to more education about autism and how it impacts individuals differently, it is important to understand that having a belief system in the supernatural is not a license to be irresponsible. The faith community must do the work of educating itself about autism as well as all things disability related. The church is historically notorious for demonizing that which is difficult to understand. When Jesus was asked by his disciples why a man was born blind (John 9) they wanted to place the blame for his disability on sin or on something supernatural. Jesus responded by correcting them. It wasn’t the man’s fault or his parent’s fault that he was born with a disability. In addressing his followers in this way, Jesus suggests that using spirituality as a means to demonize an issue that is outside of one’s control should not be an indicator of one’s proposed piety. What is troubling about this author’s perspective is that she too blames the parents for the child’s autism.
“The tactics of the spirit of fear are to frighten and cause the parents or others in authority over the child, regardless of age, to back off from the process and to enter into doubt and unbelief. But if you, their caregiver and protector will not falter in your spiritual authority during this process, their deliverance and healing will manifest.”
While I could share much more on this issue, my aim is to point the Christian faith in a direction that moves away from assumptions about the source of disability. If Jesus says that we can’t discern the source of disability than continuing to insist that we know why someone is disabled is not a belief in the supernatural it is a belief in superstition.
- Ableism: Over the last few decades, the Christian church has slowly but steadily admitted to the role it has played in fostering racial and gender subjugation of its own members. We have named the name of racism and sexism in the church. What continues to be a struggle for many in the disability community is the lack of education in the church about the sin of ableism. Ableism is essentially discrimination against disabled people, and while it is much more complicated than that, the simple truth is that the very presentation of the children mentioned in the article is ablest. They have no voice or value other than what is given to them by the author. They are cropped and edited images of them based on their differences and their perceived deficiencies. What the author has done is to use herself as a standard for normal and acceptable behavior. In doing so, she alone becomes the gate-keeper to supernatural healing because she alone determines when the child’s behavior measures up to the desired results of her “deliverance” ministry.
“..the second major step in the right direction was her reaching out to me, climbing into my arms, laying her head down and holding on tightly to me.”
Ableism comes with the type of privilege that doesn’t require the voices of others to validate their experience with non-disabled persons. We don’t get to hear the whole story or to know the children or what the real results of her actions were. There is no medical confirmation of healing. Sadly she validates healing based on their ability to embrace her and look her into the eye. That’s what ableism does; it silently says that you are valued when and if I become comfortable with your disability, not when you are comfortable with yourself.
- Abuse: Among all the many things that grieve me about this encounter, the most egregious is the complete neglect of acknowledging the child’s independent agency over her own body.
“After a few minutes of holding this little girl and releasing the love of the Holy Spirit over her by holding onto her tightly and praying in the Spirit over her…”
I am grieved over the use of physical force and physical restraint on a child who may have an aversion to touch. To be held tightly against her will could very well feel like torture to this young child and to maintain that this type of inappropriate touch is permissible because of a perceived position of “spiritual authority” is abusive. People with disabilities of any type reserve the right to have agency over their own bodies regardless of communication style and/or age. Many people diagnosed with autism have an aversion to touch due to sensory processing challenges, however even if this is not the case for this child, grabbing her and holding her tightly without her permission is the very definition of inappropriate touching. The idea that somehow spiritual authority grants permission to touch people who do not want to be touched does not demonstrate power, it makes you a predator.
“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. ‘Rabbi,’ his disciples asked him, ‘why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins of his parents’ sins?’ ‘It was no because of his sins or his parents’ sins,’ Jesus answered.’ ‘This happened so the power of God could be seen in him’.”
When it comes to the mystery of autism, disabilities and faith, I’m not certain that we will ever have all the answers. What caused this? Who is responsible? Can God heal? Will God heal? How does God heal? When will God heal?
These are all great questions. Questions that I believe that we as Christians should continue to explore together. We should engage in critical thinking about our theology and our understanding of faith and disability. We should do the hard work of pondering the extent and involvement of God’s supernatural abilities and sovereignty in relation to human suffering.
In the end however, I think Jesus points us to the most important issue to remember. When being asked about the source of disability and the sovereignty and supernatural abilities of God to heal those with a disability, Jesus points to a much better question to ask.
The question was not “Why can’t this man see?” or “When will this man see?” The most important question is “How can God be seen in the life of this person who is created in God’s own image?”
Can you see God’s image in us? If you can acknowledge it! Celebrate it. Protect it. Honor it.
That is healing. That is deliverance. That is the work of the church. That is what I pray that the author will come to realize. As a Christian, pastor, and someone diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, I pray that the church will understand that whether we are healed or not, we are HIS and that is enough.
Thank you for your gentle, loving reply to this article. Let me tell you, I would have been a lot less charitable! I don’t have autism, but I know several people who do and I have never felt the need to think they should be “corrected”. God made them that way for a reason, and we should be looking for what that reason is rather than try to make them not-autistic.
Hello. I have mild intellectual disability, speech disorder and hearing loss. Can you please me cure? I have to become an entertainer, animator and a writer.
Dear Sir, Thank you for your thoughts in this article. However, I have to say that the perspective from which you speak in this article, does not represent the totality of this subject and really represents your internal perspective, rather than the potential effects, that autism in some individuals may have on all their social environment.
Our son is on the spectrum and as much as we love him, he is driving us at times to the end of our tether and the school to virtually asking him to leave, because of his rude and aggressive behaviour and attitudes. It is everyone else that has to tolerate (or try to) this behaviour. While I make an effort to show kindness to autistic people and try to help them, as many other people do also, some autistic people have no idea of the amount and degree of distress that they cause other people. And all of this results in the autistic person making their own situation and outcomes worse for themselves, as well as for others!
So while your nice article speaks of your own working through and experience, the experience and trauma that others and their families are going through, because of a loved one’s autism, may be characterised by feelings of being overwhelmed, oppression, exasperation, great anxiety and stress, coping with physical attacks from the autistic person, swearing from them as well as a life that takes little thought for anyone around them.
Its all very well making a nice theology of acceptance of autism and disability, but when in real life situations, someone’s autism causes real devastation to the lives of those around them, as well as to themselves, it is hardly surprising that Christians may not believe that this is God’s gift to them and that they may seek healing or even deliverance for a person who seems unable to stop themselves oppressing others, with verbal and physical aggression.
I have to agree with your response DJ.
I feel that if a person is born a certain way that handicaps them, and frustrates others helping them, then looking for help from God is not wrong….Its expected. No need to blame anyone.. Lets get to the real question….Will he/she be made whole or not? Handicaps are difficult, embarrassing, socially and physically hindering etc. how is this God’s desire for anyone to live like this and we call it peace? I pray for the spiritual wisdom and understanding to give an answer and solution for these dysfunctions.
I am so blessed by your article. Thank you so much for sharing your perspective with us.