Is it wrong to help them?

[Curmudgeon]

For a large portion of my life I have felt compelled to do work to help those who were born mentally disabled. Now I am starting to wonder whether this is okay or not. Is it true that being born mentally retarded is a result of the sins of the parents? If so, would it be acceptable to help these unfortunate children to cope with the world around them and whatnot, since they had no say in their conditions?

[Felicity]

Re: Is it wrong to help them?

@Curmudgeon Why not simply pray for them to get better?

[Pastor Ezekiel]

Re: Is it wrong to help them?

God hates cripples and retardeds. If you were a Christian you'd know that.

[Rev. M. Rodimer]

Re: Is it wrong to help them?

@Curmudgeon Why not simply pray for them to get better?

Felicity, what a wonderful suggestion! Why, there is nothing that heals like prayer!

What's that saying? "Two hands clasped in prayer accomplish more than a million hands engaged in labor"?

[Curmudgeon]

Re: Is it wrong to help them?

@Curmudgeon Why not simply pray for them to get better?

Of course prayer would be part of it, but I also would like to help in another way, such as being a special education teacher or some sort of life skills instructor who could help at least some of the more mildly afflicted to gain skills that would lead them to be productive members of society in any small way that they can, thus lessening the burden on the rest of society.

[Curmudgeon]

Re: Is it wrong to help them?

God hates cripples and retardeds. If you were a Christian you'd know that.

Thank you for the helpful links, Pastor. I am still learning the way of being a good Christian, so every little bit of education helps. But what about those folks who might be deemed merely a little more "simple" than the rest of us? That is, those who might have trouble with the life skills necessary to contribute to society, and aren't just drooling empty shells or grunting non-verbals? I hope you will forgive all the questions that I ask on my quest for understanding.

[BelieverInGod]

Re: Is it wrong to help them?

Thank you for the helpful links, Pastor. I am still learning the way of being a good Christian, so every little bit of education helps. But what about those folks who might be deemed merely a little more "simple" than the rest of us? That is, those who might have trouble with the life skills necessary to contribute to society, and aren't just drooling empty shells or grunting non-verbals? I hope you will forgive all the questions that I ask on my quest for understanding.

I know the type your speaking of and I have yet to understand how they were not capable of contributing to society. There were a couple who grew up in our town and I can tell you that when it came to picking season, those men could pick their rates. The farmers would be begging them because nobody could pick faster and cleaner than those two boys. During the rest of the year they were always being called on to be hired for odd jobs like fixing fences or helping build a shed. How exactly are they not contributing to society? Sure they ended up living with their parents and then a sibling as they aged, but they "contributed" as much as the next person. I've also known them to be mail room clerks and document shredders.

Maybe my female side is making me soft on the subject, but I do not believe these people should be coddled. God made them that way for a reason (even if it was the sin of their parents) there is no reason that they can't do some form of work. It's the liebrals that want to take their ability to work away by putting them in institutions to take care of them and to put them in the regular class rooms to slow down the more intelligent students.

[Curmudgeon]

Re: Is it wrong to help them?

I know the type your speaking of and I have yet to understand how they were not capable of contributing to society. There were a couple who grew up in our town and I can tell you that when it came to picking season, those men could pick their rates. The farmers would be begging them because nobody could pick faster and cleaner than those two boys. During the rest of the year they were always being called on to be hired for odd jobs like fixing fences or helping build a shed. How exactly are they not contributing to society? Sure they ended up living with their parents and then a sibling as they aged, but they "contributed" as much as the next person. I've also known them to be mail room clerks and document shredders.

Maybe my female side is making me soft on the subject, but I do not believe these people should be coddled. God made them that way for a reason (even if it was the sin of their parents) there is no reason that they can't do some form of work. It's the liebrals that want to take their ability to work away by putting them in institutions to take care of them and to put them in the regular class rooms to slow down the more intelligent students.

Without realizing it, you and I are in agreement here. When I say "life skills instructing" I mean teaching skills like perhaps counting out change (if one were to desire to work in a grocery store) or perhaps ironing their own clothes or doing their own laundry, which are skills that seems easy to us, but might be a challenge to people a little more on the simple side. Other things like how to read job listings to find a job, or how to use a bus or other public transportation could also be something they need to be taught. I'm not saying that people like that do not contribute now. I am saying that sometimes they need a little extra instructing in order to get there. I am entirely against "coddling" as you put it, and also putting those children in regular classrooms. Farming and other manual labor like that is a very good place for these sorts of people, but when one lives in a more suburban/urban area where there isn't much opportunity for that, other options of work have to be explored that might require more of them mentally. I hope that clarifies my stance on things.

[Phebe Carlyle]

Re: Is it wrong to help them?

For a large portion of my life I have felt compelled to do work to help those who were born mentally disabled. Now I am starting to wonder whether this is okay or not. Is it true that being born mentally retarded is a result of the sins of the parents? If so, would it be acceptable to help these unfortunate children to cope with the world around them and whatnot, since they had no say in their conditions?

Cumdungeon,

I work with retards daily. By that I mean, those retarded by satan, so not open to hear the word of God. You are right too, those born retarded are usually the spawn of atheists.

It is possible to turn these retards around though if you persist. I had one like Rainman some years ago and I was able to get him to memorize Bible verse over less important things. I did however allow him to keep his card counting skills, as then he could tithe in an appropriate fashion.

Hope that helps.

YIC,

Mrs.P.Wintersnow.

[Curmudgeon]

Re: Is it wrong to help them?

Cumdungeon,

I work with retards daily. By that I mean, those retarded by satan, so not open to hear the word of God. You are right too, those born retarded are usually the spawn of atheists.

It is possible to turn these retards around though if you persist. I had one like Rainman some years ago and I was able to get him to memorize Bible verse over less important things. I did however allow him to keep his card counting skills, as then he could tithe in an appropriate fashion.

Hope that helps.

YIC,

Mrs.P.Wintersnow.

It is wonderful that you help those born into such an unfortunate lot in life. You are truly the kind of person I look up to. That said, I hope your misspelling of my user name was unintentional, because if not it could really hurt my feelings. Forgive me for being uncertain about this. I have noticed a type of sense of humor on this forum that I am unaccustomed to, and I am afraid that it will take some time before I get a good ear for it.

[Phebe Carlyle]

Re: Is it wrong to help them?

It is wonderful that you help those born into such an unfortunate lot in life. You are truly the kind of person I look up to. That said, I hope your misspelling of my user name was unintentional, because if not it could really hurt my feelings. Forgive me for being uncertain about this. I have noticed a type of sense of humor on this forum that I am unaccustomed to, and I am afraid that it will take some time before I get a good ear for it.

Sir,

I can guarantee you that it was merely a keyboard error and no intention whatsoever to slight you. Despite doing The Lord's work, I am merely a human and a woman at that, and even though I strive for perfection in His eyes, I cannot always attain it. As to humor, I am puzzled. I for one take the Lord's Word and Works quite seriously, and see them as no laughing matter.

YIC,

Mrs.P.Wintersnow.

[Curmudgeon]

Re: Is it wrong to help them?

Sir,

I can guarantee you that it was merely a keyboard error and no intention whatsoever to slight you. Despite doing The Lord's work, I am merely a human and a woman at that, and even though I strive for perfection in His eyes, I cannot always attain it. As to humor, I am puzzled. I for one take the Lord's word and Works quite seriously as see them as no laughing matter.

YIC,

Mrs.P.Wintersnow.

Just to clarify: I am a female. I apologize for not making this more obvious, but my father does not allow me to post pictures of myself on the internet. My comment about humor is because I thought you might be intentionally misspelling my user name as some sort of joke. No offense intended. I really did like your post so I hope I didn't alienate you with my clueless-ness.