modern psychology and the Christian

**+Donny** · 12-11-2002, 11:10 PM

I have heard comments that modern psychology is vastly unbiblical (which would make sense if it doesnt build its foundation from God). Some of the books that were recommended are the following:

Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams

The Christian Counselor’s Manual by Jay Adams

Matters of Concern to Christian Counselors by Jay Adams

Insight and Creativity in Christian Counseling by Jay Adams

More Than Redemption by Jay Adams

The Christian Counselor’s New Testament by Jay Adams

Psychological Seduction: The Failure of Modern Psychology by William Kilpatrick

An Answer to Humanistic Psychology by Nelson Hinman

The Psychological Way/The Spiritual Way: Are Christianity and Psychotherapy Compatible? By Martin and Deidre Bobgan

My main questions are if anyone has read any of those books and if anyone that is acquainted with modern psychology would agree that it is not biblical.

waqi13 · 12-11-2002, 11:28 PM

i am interested in the field of psychology as a career, an psychologists out there.

from what i ahve herd/sorta seen i dont see what with psycology would be unbliblical. i htought it was jsut studies of the mind, investigating it or treating conditions with in it.

psychiatry is the bad one, which has madicine and drugs and really is not very good drugging pple up so they dont know whats happening etc...

deedeeshell · 12-11-2002, 11:37 PM

this is a conversation two of my friends had on another forum...I thought it was appropriate.

*"I thought psychology was stupid. Now I realize that, in short, the Bible is the "theory" (for illustration purposes) and psychology is the "proof". Everything I learned only gives glory to God. The world looks like it's in a search for something that is right under their noses. "

~"Please explain a little bit more, Shorty. The Bible is the "theory" for what? And psychology is the "proof" of what?"

*"For people who don't know or believe that the Bible is truth, they would see it as a theory. Or they would see it as foolishness. All of the research we are doing is really basically just looking for something right under our noses. They way we memorize things, the way we naturally act / react, the way we perceive, and they way we think are all shown in the Bible. People continually search for better ways to live. Healthier ways to live. Our medical science is looking for ways to heal, and the answers are in the Bible. There is only one who heals. Of course, Jesus heals also through people, but it is his will and power that makes it work. I've thought psychology was, in a sense, "worldy", when it is really showing us his awesome creation and all of it's splendor. His creation will be researched and awed at for longer than this earth will be here. It's possibly looking at the creator's work instead of the creator, but you can also praise Him and give Him glory when you look at his creation in details"

just thought I'd see what ya'll thought...

waqi13 · 12-11-2002, 11:48 PM

so tis like psychology is into the creation of God.

i dont quite think it is what is in the bible though it is a bit more to it or something.

an interesting psychological task was to discover which colour makes pple eat more. guess who did it? MacDonalds, as if they dont sell enough already. I cant quite remeber which colours are best, go look at a restaurant and they should be the colurs that make you want to eat the most.

Travis · 12-12-2002, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Donny
I have heard comments that modern psychology is vastly unbiblical

Well, personally I must say that I’ve had it. I have absolutely had it with everything you’ve been doing here, Donny. Think of this as the final straw that crushed the camel's spine. You are demonstrating an insane amount of ignorance and arrogance- an unpleasant combination. Please try to educate yourself and actually understand something before you attack it. Do you have any idea how many extremely different and completely opposed viewpoints exist within modern psychology? It is stupid, conceited and just plain ignorant to group all these views together as "modern psychology" and then attempt to judge the multitude of views together as a whole. It's like gathering up black people and judging their personalities. Honestly this is the most ridiculous thing you've posted since your spiel about how it's wrong for women to go to college or to have jobs. As a fellow brother in Christ, I am downright ashamed of the extreme ignorance and arrogance that you constantly demonstrate across the board on virtually every single issue on which you have an opinion. You display such a haughty, superior, legalistic, and self-righteous attitude constantly here on CGR with your frequent threads about laws and what everyone else is doing wrong. You have demonstrated yourself to be a modern-day Pharisee; exactly the kind of people Christ taught so strongly against. Donny, you honestly need to attempt to pry that immense log out of your eye before you go poking around for miniscule specks in everyone else’s.

PS: What does "unbiblical" mean anyway? Not of the Bible? Well so what? Cars are technically "unbiblical." Unless something is anti-bibical, or in direct conflict with scripture it is not wrong. Your cries of "unbiblical! unbiblical" have grown extremely tiresome here, at least to me.

waqi13 · 12-12-2002, 12:11 AM

why cant women go to college or have jobs?

Travis · 12-12-2002, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by waqi13
why cant women go to college or have jobs?

Take it to another thread. lol. Don't worry it was an assertion that was quickly and easily shot down (despite what he may try to tell you).

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 12-12-2002, 12:53 AM

I talked to my psych teacher the other night. She is Calvary Chapel I found out. She got into the field to "Understand God's most complex creation." So they must not needs conflict. Sometimes they will in theories, but name a science thats theories don't ever contradict, and I will show you a science that only has one theory

Bryan · 12-12-2002, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Travis
Well, personally I must say that I’ve had it. I have absolutely had it with everything you’ve been doing here, Donny. Think of this as the final straw that crushed the camel's spine. You are demonstrating an insane amount of ignorance and arrogance- an unpleasant combination. Please try to educate yourself and actually understand something before you attack it. Do you have any idea how many extremely different and completely opposed viewpoints exist within modern psychology? It is stupid, conceited and just plain ignorant to group all these views together as "modern psychology" and then attempt to judge the multitude of views together as a whole. It's like gathering up black people and judging their personalities. Honestly this is the most ridiculous thing you've posted since your spiel about how it's wrong for women to go to college or to have jobs. As a fellow brother in Christ, I am downright ashamed of the extreme ignorance and arrogance that you constantly demonstrate across the board on virtually every single issue on which you have an opinion. You display such a haughty, superior, legalistic, and self-righteous attitude constantly here on CGR with your frequent threads about laws and what everyone else is doing wrong. You have demonstrated yourself to be a modern-day Pharisee; exactly the kind of people Christ taught so strongly against. Donny, you honestly need to attempt to pry that immense log out of your eye before you go poking around for miniscule specks in everyone else’s.

PS: What does "unbiblical" mean anyway? Not of the Bible? Well so what? Cars are technically "unbiblical." Unless something is anti-bibical, or in direct conflict with scripture it is not wrong. Your cries of "unbiblical! unbiblical" have grown extremely tiresome here, at least to me.

dude, that was a little harsh. He didn't even say he agreed with this view. He asked what those who are interested in modern day psychology thought and if they had read the books. I think it was a little premature for you to come down on him like that. And you should have done it in private.

Bryan · 12-12-2002, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by waqi13
i am interested in the field of psychology as a career, an psychologists out there.

from what i ahve herd/sorta seen i dont see what with psycology would be unbliblical. i htought it was jsut studies of the mind, investigating it or treating conditions with in it.

psychiatry is the bad one, which has madicine and drugs and really is not very good drugging pple up so they dont know whats happening etc...

drugs are not always bad. Sometimes pshycological problems are caused by a chemical imbalance or something that is physical that can be treated with drugs.

waqi13 · 12-12-2002, 03:13 AM

i didnt say drugs were always bad. in relation to treating patients through psychiatry[not psychology] they have become overused and also dangerously used to an extent of leeving someone wiht a psychiatric disorder pretty much 'stoned' for lak of a beter word alot of the timeb [ i no this cant be all the time but it is a high occurence] and it has been a major talking point of late in news and media as to better ways to treat pple then hiding them away somewhere and drugging them up. psychology doesnt use drugs, a main difference in the two and hence is better, as it uses 'natural' again lack of a beter word methods of helping the brain.

"drugs are not always bad. Sometimes pshycological problems are caused by a chemical imbalance or something that is physical that can be treated with drugs"

this is an untrue statement as from what i have been told from various industry well known proffessionals [in seminars and the like] is that psychologists do not use drugs, but psychiatrists do. this is the main difference, psychologists cannot prescribe drugs as they are not legally permitted to[unless they are also dr's or something i suppose but a normal 'psycologist cannot.]

Tony · 12-12-2002, 07:43 AM

I think you'll find a variety of Christian responses to your question, ranging from absolutely not, to churches that have counselors on staff.

Covenant Seminary (PCA) has added a counseling program that has drawn quite a bit of interest.

http://www.covenantseminary.edu/acad...eqs/macreq.asp

Here's an interesting link I found on a basic search:

http://www.biblical-counsel.org/

The approach seems to be to not throw the baby out with the bath water. Rather, redeem the practice with a proper worldview.

SnapCase · 12-12-2002, 08:05 AM

Like Travis said, there are many different schools of thought when you say modern psychology. Travis would be the expert on this issue since this is his major in college. I have very limited knowledge of the subject and my knowledge only extends to that of youth (since I am a Youth Ministry major).

**Ted Logan** · 12-12-2002, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Travis
Please try to educate yourself and actually understand something before you attack it.

To reemphasize what Bryan said, Donny never attacked anything. He said that he had heard psychology was 'unbiblical' and was asking for us to enlighten him. He was trying to educate himself.

Travis · 12-12-2002, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ted Logan
To reemphasize what Bryan said, Donny never attacked anything. He said that he had heard psychology was 'unbiblical' and was asking for us to enlighten him. He was trying to educate himself.

Acknowledged and I apologize. When I made those statements I wasn’t referring to this thread alone, but speaking out of frustration from attacks on other things in other threads as well, and perhaps I did perceive the intent of an attack here when it wasn’t an explicit one and I’d like to apologize for that, Donny.