Disabilities issues within Politics and Christianity

I have studied political history relating to disabilities that I came to conclusion that disabled people in Western society were poorly treated and often the victims of religious superstition and persecution. Years ago, many people had ignorant assumptions about the capabilities of disabled people. I am not sure if many people were aware that Nazi policies on disabled people have received relatively little scrutiny in the 1940's and 1950's. Hundreds of thousands of disabled people ranging from those with intellectual disabilities to blind and deaf people to those with psychiatric disabilities were sterilized, died or even were used as objects to be tested for dangerous science reseaches. The extermination of disabled people was largely ignored. No compensation to families of disabled people was paid and the cases were not prosecuted as a distinct group that was targeted by the governments around the world.

In the United States, we have wonderful laws that protects the disabilities however those laws have not changed "able" people's attitudes towards them. I believe the laws were mostly useful for raising the level of awareness and consciousness. However, the disability rights movements are still educating people about the structural and attitudinal barriers in the United States and similar industrialized countries that are the fundamental cause for the discrimination and oppression faced by disabled people.

I also have similar conclusion within the Christian community. Even though, I truly believe that most Christian churches are doing BETTER than the average American citizens regarding people with disabilities. However many churches often still treats people with disabilities, as 2nd or 3rd class citizens. I believe as Christians that the churches must remove physical, emotional and spiritual barriers in order to bring in people who are suffering with disabilities. We live in a world which places great emphasis on beauty, wealth and power. People with disabilities are often a symbol of the opposite – they struggle with physical or mental imperfection, powerlessness and often poverty. This only adds to the stigma which isolates them, separating them from the mainstream of life. Discrimination is a problem faced by disabled people and their families around the world. However, James 2:1-4, 9 reminds Christians “...don't show favouritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?... But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.” The fear generated by bad theologies was a problem that disabled people faced in Jesus’ day as today’s Christians with bad theologies. In John 9:2-3, Jesus and His disciples encountered a blind man. “His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’” A solid and sound theological framework is needed to understand disabilities and God's sovereignty over suffering.

The burden of loving help which we are admonished to give to others: "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2) which never harmed a soul. Another area of burden is the moral responsibility which no one can shift to another: "For each one should carry his own load" (Galatians 6:5) which is a source of comfort if our hearts are right. The only way the spiritual gifts are going to operate is love. Love is the key. God is love. He gave us two commandments. We are to love God and others. With the Holy Spirit and love, I will walk in the Spirit, Christ produces the fruit. It is Christ through the Holy Spirit produces power, love, a sound mind through us. Christ helps us. Without Christ, we are nothing. I believe that the church are commanded by God through Scriptures to train and equip people with disabilities in order to help them exercise their Godgiven gifts in building the Body of Christ.

Disability allows the life of Christ to be manifested to others through the flesh. God builds strength, virtue, compassion, faith and sacrificial love into His children “to become conformed to the image of His son.” (Romans 8:29) A disabled Christian believer can enrich in a Christian community, Christians with disabilities – especially those in positions of leadership can serve as God's best examples of His power being made perfect in weakness. The Bible also teaches us to bear the burdens of someone with disabilities. 2 Samuel 9:3-4 tells the story of David’s kindness to Mephibosheth, the lame son of Jonathan, modeling the way the church should minister.