Christian Psychology — A Modern Oxymoron
No system can be Christian in the New Testament, new covenant, Biblical sense and be psychological in the modern, theoretical sense.
The ancient Greek definition of Psychology: a discourse or treatise on the human soul; or the doctrine of the nature and properties of the soul.
The modern definition of Psychology: the science of mental life; syn: psychological science
This modern definition has evolved from the theoretical teaching of one individual who has historically been described as “the father of psychoanalysis,” Sigmund Freud, an Austrian, Jewish, atheistic neurologist. Freud’s view of anything Christian was clearly evident when he said, “Religion is an illusion and it derives its strength from the fact that it falls in with our instinctual desires.”
Freud’s evolutionary premise was evidenced by his agreement with Nietzsche that neurosis began with the “reduction of the beast of prey ‘man’ to a tame and civilized animal.” In Nietzsche’s “Human, All Too Human,” we see his view of Christianity: “Christianity is antiquity. When we hear the ancient bells growling on a Sunday morning we ask ourselves: Is it really possible! This, for a jew, crucified two thousand years ago, who said he was God’s son? The proof of such a claim is lacking. Certainly the Christian religion is an antiquity projected into our times from remote prehistory; and the fact that the claim is believed — whereas one is otherwise so strict in examining pretensions — is perhaps the most ancient piece of this heritage. A god who begets children with a mortal woman; a sage who bids men work no more, have no more courts, but look for the signs of the impending end of the world; a justice that accepts the innocent as a vicarious sacrifice; someone who orders his disciples to drink his blood; prayers for miraculous interventions; sins perpetrated against a god, atoned for by a god; fear of a beyond to which death is the portal; the form of the cross as a symbol in a time that no longer knows the function and ignominy of the cross — how ghoulishly all this touches us, as if from the tomb of a primeval past! Can one believe that such things are still believed?”
In an article entitled “FREUD: THE DARWIN OF THE HUMAN PSYCHE,” Ian Taylor begins with the following statement:
Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud, and Karl Marx have often been regarded as the unholy trinity who, in the 19th century, laid the foundation for today’s pagan society. Darwin gave the world biological evolution in 1859. Freud later developed the notion to give us the evolution of the human psyche, while at about the same time Marx told us how society would evolve.”
Every major school of psychological theory from Freud to the present was founded by an individual who was either an avowed agnostic or atheist.
It is worth noting that the modern definition above that refers to psychology as “the science of mental life” is inherently misleading and, as such, inherently eposes the subjective relativity of all things psychological (theoretical), being devoid of any provable, empirical scientific evidence — meaning observable, repeatable evidence — based on the use of a working hypothesis that can be tested using predictable observation and experimentation.
Empirical data is produced by objective experimentation and observation. The researcher formulates a theory or hypothesis based on what has been observed, then designs a test by which the theory may be verified as valid or not. This is inherently impossible to accomplish with the entirety of the theories expounded by modern psychology. To put it another way, there is nothing “scientific” about psychology. Those that declare psychology to be scientific either do not understand the scientific method or they do understand it, ignore it, or intentionally reject it in order to try to legitimize the subjectivity of psychology and convince the public that it is fact.
Christianity is based on the truth of the authoritative, absolute, immutable, inspired word of the living God (Isaiah 44:6; 40:6-8; 55:8,9-11; 66:1-2; Proverbs 30:5-6; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:16-21; John 17:17; Revelation 22:18).
The other, psychology, is based on the humanistic (atheistic) counterfeit “theoretical” lies of Satan (John 8:43-45; Deuteronomy 12:1-3,8; Colossians 2:8). Religious Humanism is not, contrary to what many believe, a new 20th-21st Century idea. The description of the children of Israel in v8 would drop perfectly into the tenets of atheistic, secular/religious humanism as presented in “The Humanist Manifesto I & II” of 1933 & 1973 as well would every one of the hundreds of theory-based, present-day psychological opinion based suggestions concerning how to deal with the issues of life (Deuteronomy 13:1-5).
This situation here in chapter 13 of Deuteronomy illustrates the reality of what Paul warns us, as 21st Century believers, to be on guard against in II Thessalonians 2:9. Here is our faithful, loving Father’s clear instruction concerning how we, as His beloved chosen ones, are to evaluate and deal with any and all false systems (psychology), ideologies (psychology), philosophies (psychology), false religions (psychology), etc. in the world today (Deuteronomy 18:9-14; Colossians 2:8,13-20; Proverbs 3:4-6; II Corinthians 10:3-5).
The following two items give testimony to the ultimate result of any attempt to wed Biblical truth and New Testament Christianity with psychology, or any other “. . . philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).
3The first item is an excerpt from the book, Our Sufficiency In Christ, by John MacArthur, and the second is an article from the official monthly publication of the Georgia Baptist Convention, “The Christian Index”, written by J. Emmett Henderson, Executive Director of the Convention’s Georgia Council on Moral and Civic Concerns. This article was published in November of 1990.
On pages 66-67 of Our Sufficiency in Christ, addressing the counterfeit deceitful nature of psychology, MacArthur says:
Not only do psychologists sell supposed cures for a high price, but they also invent diseases for which the cures are needed. Their marketing strategy has been effective. Invent problems or difficulties, harp on them until people think they are hopelessly afflicted, and then peddle a remedy. Some of the supposed problems of our culture are pathetically trite. Self-image, looks, co-dependency, emotional abuse, mid-life crisis, unfulfilled expectations — today’s “infirmities” were once seen more accurately as the pains of selfishness. Egocentricity has become a major marketing strategy for psychotherapists. By fostering people’s natural tendency toward self-indulgence, psychology has sold itself to an eager public. And the church has witlessly jumped on the bandwagon.
Psychology is no more a science than the atheistic evolutionary theory upon which it is based. Like theistic evolution, “Christian psychology” is an attempt to harmonize two inherently contradictory systems of thought. Modern psychology and the Bible cannot be blended without serious compromise to or utter abandonment of the principles of Scripture’s sufficiency.
Though it has become a lucrative business, psychotherapy cannot solve anyone’s spiritual problems. At best, it can occasionally use human insight to superficially modify behavior. It succeeds or fails for Christians and non-Christians because it is only a temporal adjustment — a sort of mental chiropractic. It cannot change the human heart, and even the experts admit that.
The Failure of “Christian Psychology”
Meanwhile, however, the attitude within the church is more accepting of psychotherapy than ever. If the Christian media serve as a barometer of the whole church, a dramatic shift is taking place. Christian radio, for example, once a bastion of Bible teaching and Christian music, is overrun with talk shows, pop psychology, and phone-in psychotherapy.
Preaching the Bible is passé. Psychologists and radio counselors are the new heroes of evangelicalism. And Christian radio is the major advertising tool for the selling of psychology — which is pulling in money by the billions.
The church is thereby ingesting heavy doses of dogma from psychology, adopting secular “wisdom” and attempting to sanctify it by calling it Christian. Evangelicalism’s most fundamental values are thus being redefined. “Mental and emotional health” is the new buzzword. It is not a biblical concept, though many seem to equate it with spiritual wholeness. Sin is called sickness, so people think it requires therapy, not repentance. Habitual sin is called addictive or compulsive behavior, and many surmise its solution is medical care rather than moral correction.
Human therapies are embraced most eagerly by the spiritually weak — those who are shallow or ignorant of Biblical truth and who are unwilling to accept the path of suffering that leads to spiritual maturity and deeper communion with God (Hebrews 5:12-13,14). The unfortunate effect is that these people remain immature, held back by a self-imposed dependence on some pseudo-Christian method or psychoquackery that actually stifles real growth.”
In November of 1990, J. Emmett Henderson, Executive Director of the Georgia Council on Moral and Civic Concerns, wrote the following article in “The Christian Index,” the monthly publication of the Georgia Baptist Convention.
“The Problem is The Heart, Not The Genes”
A university president resigns after being accused of making obscene phone calls. A physician absolves him of responsibility. “Genetic factors.” the doctor says, “predispose individuals to behave in abnormal ways.”
A habitual drunken driver kills two teenagers in a hit and run. His attorney argues he should not be tried for murder. He has a “disease.”
Add sociological rationalization to these gene and disease theories. It turns out no one can be held accountable. We are all possessed as if by some alien force. ‘My genes,’ ‘my disease,’ ‘my parents,’ or ‘my peers’ made me do it.
Following this reasoning, when a child is raped, the disease not the rapist ravaged the child. In fact, the rapist stands alongside the child as a victim.
In a society where there is no moral accountability there is no behavioral restraining (Judges 21:25; Ecclesiastes 8:11 – my insert). Automatic weapons replace balls and gloves in the hands of children. Stealing becomes as normal as breathing.
“Nasty As You Wanna Be” becomes a hit recording. “Cussing Like a Sailor” becomes the dialogue of movies.
Living together unmarried replaces being married and living together.
Obscene, homoerotic and blasphemous art is funded by the taxpayer.
S & L’s become the target for the biggest heist in history. And the value of human life declines so precipitously that youths kill each other for the latest sport shoe.
Granted, we all are beset by destructive forces. The Bible says “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.”
But the Bible does not let us off the hook (II Peter 1:1-4,5-7,8-11; Romans 6:12-14 – my inserts). It does not permit us to exclaim while being swallowed by the devil, “I am not responsible. The devil made me do it.”
To the contrary, the Bible says, “resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
We paint over evil with pastel shades of psychological, sociological and medical jargon (Ezekiel 22:28 – my insert). But the Bible uses the language of sin.
And the Bible traces the source of the behavior not to the genes but to the heart. Jesus said, “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication. theft, false witness, slander.”
What this country needs is some old-fashioned preaching on judgement day. For the theology of the judgement is based on accountability. “We shall all stand before the judgement seat of God …. Each of whom shall give account of himself to God.”
Besides, switching the diagnosis from sickness to sin provides us with hope. For we know not how to cure sociopaths. But we do know how to save sinners.”
As a final thought of admonition and encouragement to you who believe, I would challenge you to obediently, trustingly, embrace the command of Paul to Timothy when he says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15).
Additionally, rejoice in the Biblical portrait of the believer who does faithfully and diligently obey this command as revealed in I Chronicles 12:32 where the writer describes the sons of Issachar as “men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do.”
Finally, consider Proverbs 28:1 where Solomon says, “The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” Dear reader, the boldness with which the faithful child of God learns to go forth is that glorious boldness that is inherent in uncompromisingly proclaiming and standing on the authoritative word of God, living a life that is truly loving and trusting God in his daily stewardship of all that God entrusts to him. It is boldness anchored in the reality of going forth in the immutable authority of God’s Word (Psalm 19:7-11; 119:97-105; II Timothy 3:16-17), by the enabling illuminating power of the Holy Spirit in you (I Corinthians 1:6-16; 3:16-17; Romans 8; II Peter 1:1-11).
John 17:17; Deuteronomy 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; Revelation 22:18