Cultural Revolution - Part V
The Destructive Seeds of Pyschology
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In 1979, a lengthy study appointed by the American Psychological Association and subsidized by the National Science Foundation involved eighty eminent scholars and concluded that psychology is not and cannot be a science.1
Well-known psychiatrist Thomas Szasz called psychology, “[T]he clever and cynical destruction of the spirituality of man, and its replacement by a positivistic ‘science of the mind.’”2
There is no science to human behavior. The historic lies of Darwinism and Wilhelm Wundt’s experiments, which we presented in previous articles, bear witness to that.
The question I ask is, just how did psychology make its way into the church? There is nothing Christian about psychology. Because psychology uses terms such as soul and spirit, and even God, their meanings and definitions of these words are contrary to the Word of God. Secular psychologists Sam Keen and Phillip Reiff have described psychotherapy as “a kind of national religion, with a gospel of self-fulfillment and with therapists as new priests.”3
The early progenitors of psychology clung to the behavioristic theories of Freud and Skinner to explain thought, emotions, and personality in terms of the physical body alone. Because of those prideful advocates of psychology, this delusion lasted longer than necessary. There can be no science of the mind, for science has no means of observing spirits. Sigmund Freud said that religion is the “enemy.”
In Obsessive Actions and Religious Practices, Freud’s earliest writing about religion, he suggests that religion and neurosis are similar products of the human mind: neurosis, with its compulsive behavior, is “an individual religiosity”; and religion, with its repetitive rituals, is a “universal obsessional neurosis.”4
Creepy Psychology
Modern psychology is no better today than it was at its modern origins. We have witnessed a rise in “diagnosis inflation,” an expression used by Dr. Allen Frances throughout his book, Saving Normal. Frances chaired the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) Task Force and was a critic of the escalation of symptoms found in the DSM-5—the most recent version used by psychiatrists and psychologists to diagnose mental illness.
Just how did this twisted secular humanistic philosophy called psychology, which is inspired, in many aspects, by demonic spirits, creep into the church? Or should I say, denominations?
Norman Vincent Peale, a 33rd-degree Mason, pioneered the integration of psychology and theology together. This became known and accepted as “Christian” psychology.5
At his church, in 1937, Peale established a ‘one-psychiatrist clinic.’ From there, it grew to many and included doctors and ministers. This became the inspiration for thousands of similar clinics today. Televangelist Robert Schuller became one of Peale’s chief disciples. His books and Hour of Power broadcast became major factors that made Peale’s destructive beliefs acceptable. Peale called the virgin birth of Christ “some theological idea.”6
Schuller gave the idea that psychology and psychiatry were right in line with Christianity, and he promoted that delusion in his books and television ministry. Schuller admitted that many of his ideas came from two leading occultists.7
Schuller accepted the International Viktor Frankl Logotherapy Award. Briefly, logotherapy encourages people to recognize an existential meaning to life on earth, with no regard to heaven or hell, involving “spiritual” values minus any “religious connotations” and based upon “the Good, the True, and the Beautiful”—but not God.8
After reading behind many of Frankl’s writings with his emphasis on purpose, I can see how it greatly influenced the author of the book, The Purpose Driven Life.9
The existential title to one of his books is, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? This book is an excerpt taken from The Purpose Driven Life book.
As an aside, the new movement in neuroscience is seeking to use the fundamental concepts of Purpose In Life (PIL) to “focus on the interactions between mind and body and the powerful ways in which emotional, mental, social, and spiritual factors can directly affect health. It links the belief that your life has meaning and purpose to a robust and persistently improved physiological health outcome…In the 1940s Victor Frankl introduced PIL to psychiatry.”10
In addition to Peale, there were others who fashioned the acceptance of psychology with theology. The clear, distinct differences of psychology and theology were syncretized together and became promoted and accepted. The Christian education world embraced and championed psychology. These Christian educators began to believe, teach, and indoctrinate their students with this corrupt humanistic philosophy.
Today, major Pentecostal and denominational colleges and seminaries offer classes and degrees in psychology that include the teachings of Freud, Carl Jung, and many other humanistic psychologists and psychiatrists. Notwithstanding, these schools have embraced the concepts of social justice and the “Purpose Driven” model for church.
Dr. James Dobson wrote, “Christian psychology is a worthy profession for a young believer to pursue, provided his faith is strong enough to withstand the humanistic concepts to which he will be exposed.”11
Interestingly enough, on his nationwide radio broadcast program, Dobson interviewed so-called Christian psychologist Dr. Gary Collins, and they agreed that psychology was founded on the five basic principles as humanism. They went on to say that psychology (humanism) and Christianity could be integrated together. Why would anyone want to integrate a humanistic, demon-inspired philosophy invented by anti-Christians with Christianity? Can the wisdom of this world enhance the wisdom that God has supplied in His Word through His Spirit?
Let’s make a clear distinction about worldly wisdom: Christians can benefit from this world in some fields—physics, chemistry, and mathematics for example—but not psychology. Psychology, unlike any other profession, claims to deal with the very matters that the Bible deals with—the soul and the spiritual side of man. That claim may hold some legitimacy if the Bible were insufficient.
Psychology is man’s attempt to understand himself and adjust his behavior. Psychology is the world’s wisdom, which God looks at as foolishness.
Another influential individual in making psychology acceptable to the church was Dr. Clyde Narramore.
According to Billy Graham, “Dr. Narramore has one of the most unique ministries of our generation.”
Leaders such as Collins, Dobson, Dr. C. Everett Koop, and Dr. Bruce Wilkinson have called Narramore a “pioneer of Christian psychology.”12
Satan’s leavening process is gradualism. Psychology, socialism, communism, worldliness, and many other immoral directives have gradually corrupted the church and our nation. There is only one answer: Jesus Christ and Him crucified!
The church went astray when it separated Jesus Christ from the cross. Without the cross, all that is left is another gospel fostered by another spirit offering another Jesus.
The time has come for true repentance!
REFERENCES:
1 Sigmund Koch, Psychology Cannot be a Coherent Science, in Psychology Today, September 1969, P.66.
2 Thomas Szasz, The Myth of Psychotherapy, (Double Day, 1978), 104-105.
3 Miles Vich and Rollo May, “Debating the Legitimacy of Transpersonal Psychology,” in The Common Boundary, July/August 1986, pp. 7-15.
4 Sigmund Freud, In Obsessive Actions and Religious Practices, 1907.
5 The Los Angeles Times, June 5, 1988, Part IV.
6 Family Week, Ventura Free Press, April 15, 1984.
7 James Reid, Ernest Holmes: The First Religious Scientist (Science of the Mind Publications, Los Angeles), 14.
8 Vicktor Frankl, The Doctor and the Soul: From Psychotherapy to Logotherapy (Random House, 1973), 21-23.
9 www.oneplace.com, Daily Hope with Rick Warren, February 13, 2016.
10 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc4564234?
11 Focus on the Family, 1988.
12 Johnson, Eric L.; Jones Stanton L. eds., 2000. Psychology & Christianity: With Contributions by Gary R. Collins…Et Al. IVP Academic. ISB 0-8308-2263-1
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