Response to Discussion 1

Respond to each discussion with 100 words.

Myron

If I were to speculate on God’s will and his judgement, I feel like if the spirit was free from sin and all other sorts of unrighteous behaviors, then God would judge the disabled just as clearly and fairly as he judges those of us who are not in any sort of way disabled.

            It is written in The Bible, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Unknown, 2020) The actual quote is from Psalm 139: 23-24 and I feel it greatly reflects what it is to see God’s mercy. For the human mind is a complex and confounding mystery.

            I guess a deeper question is can those of whom are afflicted with such a disability as that of the mind be forgiven their trespasses? I feel that in the court of law and sadly sometimes in the court of public opinion, the ones with disabilities are given no quarter to express themselves and worse yet, when they do get in trouble whether by God’s law or man’s it is the disabled who get judged slightly harsher than someone without the handicap.

            Last point to prove that God is not blind to a person’s suffering whether of the mind or of the body, take the story of Job. God was the overseer of Job’s turmoil, but Satan could be the true cause of Job’s suffering. No matter what affliction the Devil placed on Job, he took it and continued to praise God’s name. No matter how Satan twisted his body and warped his mind, still Job stood on God’s promise and would not turn away. (Bayes, 2015) And so, Job was rewarded for all that he went through, and his trials and tribulations stand as a testament to us what we can achieve even when we think we cannot achieve anything at all.

            In conclusion, I feel that God would not judge anyone based on a handicap alone. If the heart is strong and true, that is what God will judge, the mind he can work with, but if the content of character is off then it is something that would make the whole body seemingly worthless.

Jasmine

In my opinion individuals with disabilities should be treated equally, as if they don’t have a disability. I have a cousin that was paralyzed years ago due to being thrown out of a vehicle. Yes, things will change for the individual, but I believe this is why we all should treat him/her as normal as possible and keep them encouraged. When a normal person develops a disability, it can be hard to cope with the change. I think that God views all of us the same. God has no respecter of persons. God can move through anybody whether it be a child, adult or an individual that has a disability. God may see them as being stronger than the average individual that’s why he chose him/her to live with the disability. God does not see them as an individual with a disability he sees them as someone who can be of service to him. The secular world may not be as accepting of an individual with a disability. The secular world can be very curial to individuals with disabilities. In my opinion I believe the secular world looks down on individuals with disabilities. I believe they view individuals with disabilities as problems. I believe they view them as not being qualified or being able to do things for themselves. Many people look at disabled individuals and see them as being a hindrance rather than help. Some may even think they don’t have the ability to learn and perform as a person without a disability would. I try to treat all people the same no matter their situation.

David

One of the most important things we, as Christians, should always remember is that God loves us for who we are. He loves us for the imperfect humans that we are, and there is nothing that will ever change that. God knows we are imperfect, but he continues to love us day in and day out and that is one of the most beautiful reminders of His grace that we will ever see. Moving on from that, I think that God views individuals with disabilities as His perfect creation. They are no less humans because of their conditions, they are still worthy of living life, and are still worthy of being loved by Him. Our circumstances in this life do not dictate the love He has for us. 

My opinion on how the secular world views individuals with disabilities, I believe the secular world takes a more dim approach to those individuals. These individuals might be seen as lesser humans, might be viewed as a burden to society and so on. To me, that is absolutely heartbreaking. These individuals cannot help the hand that they were dealt in this life, so they should be treated just as anyone else would be. An example I have often seen in my experiences in school, is that kids will often stray away from kids who have autism or other disabilities, make fun of them, or just flat out treat them badly. A reminder to us all is when we see someone who has a disability and they are the happiest person in the room. Why are we, as individuals without disabilities, unhappy in this life? We should always remember that we have so much to be thankful for everyday. 

To reiterate my first point, I believe that God loves all of us no matter what the circumstance we face in life. The Bible says that ALL have fallen short of the Glory of God, and all who calls on Him will be saved. There are no nuances to those verses. That is something that has stuck out to me and has been a constant reminder through all walks of life.