What do you think about Boundaries?

[Running Gator]

6 hours ago, Ezra said:

So if they were to become disciples of Sigmund Freud or Carl Jung, they would be properly trained? Or would they become trained seals?

This may be a shock to you, but it is entirely possible for someone to be a trained professional and still be a Christian.  Christians can be, and are, trained as counselors and psychologist without trading God for Freud.   One of the main benefits of this is they know that not all mental and emotional problems are ultimately spiritual, despite what the untrained/unschooled masses might have been told.

[Guest shiloh357]

7 hours ago, Ezra said:

So if they were to become disciples of Sigmund Freud or Carl Jung, they would be properly trained? Or would they become trained seals?

actually, that is not the kind of training that counselors go through.   People go through relationship problems that are far more complex and require extensive measures to deal with.   I know a woman who cannot trust her husband, not because he has ever stepped out on her or looks at other women, because she even admits that he has never done, nor would ever do those things.   But her father was steeped in pornography and did step out on her mom.   That has created trust issues for her (which is putting it mildly).  People at church warned him about her before they got married.

• She acts they are joined at the hip.  If we walks into another room in their house, he told me she follows him.
• He cannot leave the house without her, and even shows up at his job to keep an eye on him.    
• One day, when did happen to be alone at Walmart, he was leaving the store and bought  a$2 key chain from a girl scout.   He told his wife and she freaked out and started throwing things at him because he talked to a teenage girl. 
• I have seen them at Sunday School parties and she demands his full attention. 
• They don't socialize because she doesn't want him talking to any of the female members of the class. 
• She makes them late to church so that he has no time to socialize.  She is very, very, very insecure and insanely jealous even if he is talking to a man.

It is insane.  He is a very patient guy, cause anyone else would have divorced her.  Her issues need to be addressed but he is afraid to suggest counseling.  He is scared spitless that she will leave him and divorce would devastate him.

[Running Gator]

3 minutes ago, Yowm said:

What would make a psychiatrist qualified?

Read the book of Timothy for the qualifications of a pastor and I would add a decent track record.

A licensing board. 

Do you think the list in Timothy makes a person qualified to council others on mental and psychological issues?  I personally do not see the connection at all, which of those traits do you think make them qualified to do such things?

[Running Gator]

1 minute ago, Yowm said:

God's Word and Spirit give more insight into the way people tick than any secular based school of learning. I studied psychology as a minor in college, they had more theories on human behavior than they had professors.

I take it then you agree with this statement... that all mental and emotional problems are ultimately spiritual.

[Running Gator]

1 hour ago, Yowm said:

God's Word and Spirit give more insight into the way people tick than any secular based school of learning. I studied psychology as a minor in college, they had more theories on human behavior than they had professors.

If you think psychology is bad, you should see the theories on sickness that the medical field has.  Maybe the pastor could take the place of the oncologist also.  

[hmbld]

56 minutes ago, Out of the Shadows said:

I take it then you agree with this statement... that all mental and emotional problems are ultimately spiritual.

Possibly not all, as we can be greatly affected by our bodies being out of wack, hormones, nutrition, etc.  I do believe a great deal of our problems are more spiritual than people give thought to.  There is much direction given in scripture as to what a person should think about, how we are to think and treat ourselves, others, and the priority we should give God over all other people, things, and circumstances.  I have not read the boundaries book, but have heard many people talk of it, something about what I hear makes me want to steer clear, though I admit being uninformed as I have read none of it, it just has struck me as being another one of those "its all about me" books.  Kind of like how a lot of the worship songs seem to be all about me instead of how great God is.  

[Running Gator]

8 minutes ago, Yowm said:

There are sometimes direct biological factors involved but even those are ultimately rooted in the spiritual...sin, the Fall, our  separation from God.

Cancer is rooted in the fall, so why cant a pastor fix that?

[Running Gator]

6 minutes ago, Yowm said:

Most pastors are not  trained in medicines for the body, but they should be for the soul.

Nor are they trained in medicine for the mind, yet you think that being able to give a sermon makes them qualified to do so.  You know, pastors are just humans like you and me, they have no extra special spiritual insight. 

[Running Gator]

13 minutes ago, hmbld said:

Possibly not all, as we can be greatly affected by our bodies being out of wack, hormones, nutrition, etc.  I do believe a great deal of our problems are more spiritual than people give thought to.  There is much direction given in scripture as to what a person should think about, how we are to think and treat ourselves, others, and the priority we should give God over all other people, things, and circumstances.  I have not read the boundaries book, but have heard many people talk of it, something about what I hear makes me want to steer clear, though I admit being uninformed as I have read none of it, it just has struck me as being another one of those "its all about me" books.  Kind of like how a lot of the worship songs seem to be all about me instead of how great God is.  

I do not really care for the book, just the idea that the pastor can fix everything.  I have a family member that suffered for years with depression and for a decade went to her pastor for help.    He made her feel like she was less of a Christian because she could not concur it, she just didn't have enough faith.   Turned out she has an actual physiological problem that was very easily handled.   This is the problem with an untrained amateur trying to be a counselor. 

[hmbld]

19 minutes ago, Out of the Shadows said:

Cancer is rooted in the fall, so why cant a pastor fix that?

A pastor can be gifted in teaching, preaching, leading, etc.  We do not go to the pastor to be fixed.  He is just a man.