When i look at a number of individuals whom i interact with on this forum…i am aware that a number of them have a lot of health issues, and these issues certainly affect those individuals mental health. These are people who are not YEC specifically.
I do not agree that the bible makes no mention of mental health problems…mental health is not a phrase found in ancient biblical languages. The entire bible narrative talks a lot about mental health…its a significant part of who we are and how sin causes so much pain and suffering. Sin affects more than just the physical.
TEism goes to great lengths to make the claim the death experienced by Adam and Eve was spiritual…ie mental separation from God…and yet here you are denying this is biblical? Something drastically wrong with your theology there Christy…you are shooting your own theology in the foot with such claims!
So does the bible talk about mental health? Most definately it does.
Typically mental health was considered in ancient and indeed medievil times as possession by evil spirits. However, I am certain that if modern Psychologists and Psychiatrists were able to go back in time, the vast majority of secular scientists would deny demon possession and claim mental health diagnoses for almost all instances of these individuals in the bible narrative.
Below are two significant biblical individuals who very clearly suffered from mental health problems in the bible:
- King Saul (engaged David to play the harp in order to keep his “demons” from overwhelming his mind…Saul was clearly mentally unstable and suffered greatly.
- Judas Iscariot (killed himself by suicide after betraying Christ)
I would argue its a fools errand to deny suicide is not driven by a significant decline in mental health. The death of Judas Iscariot is a significant and very real example of mental health problems in the bible narrative.
obviously, there are different types of mental health…one of these is driven by environmental factors that surround individuals…such as the circumstances they find themselves in after making poor choices (as was the case with Judas).
Another environmental one is talked about in Luke 21 related to the last days before the second coming of Christ…this is similar to the narrative in Egypt just prior to the Exodus:
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23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
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24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
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25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
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26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
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27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.