Psychology, another word for Manipulation.
Just what is psychology? Psychology is commonly referred to as the "study of the soul" Psychology includes the study of behavior, perception, emotion, motivation, personality and, relationships.
Psychology has one very practical benefit. Manipulation.
What actual benefit does studying behavior have? It teaches you what to expect and what you can do or say to manipulate that behavior.
What do psychological studies on perception do? Understanding human perception gives you the ability to change perceptions. This gives a great tool to be able to hide truth and present a false understanding of the world.
What about emotion? When you study people's emotions and how they respond to different words, actions, colors, or objects, it allows you to use those things to pull a response from people.
When you use psychology to study motivation, it gives you the ability to give people false purposes, passions, or needs that they previously didn't have. Again manipulation.
When you study personalities, it gives you the ability to know how different people will work in different settings. It groups people into A, B, C and often manipulates what career a person should go into, or what type of person they should marry.
Finally, psychology in relationships let's you always get the upper hand. By understanding the personality type, you can better manipulate that person in a relationship. This is done by building false friendships.
Man existed for thousands of years without psychology, and there is no real benefit of the study in comparison to eternal things. Christianity does not need psychology, because our goal as Christians is to simply tell truth and give people freedom to respond to truth.
Christianity pertaining to behavior says that everyone is sinful, therefore we're all deserving of eternal punishment in Hell.
In terms of perception, we think nothing of it. Perception of man or self perception is based on vain thinking, and is worthless. What matters is our perception of God and to understand God, we read His Word the Bible. Then we learn and perceive truth.
As for emotions, we as Christians gain control of our emotions. A Christian would never want to manipulate someone's emotions, but rather, do simply what comes naturally in Christ, self-sacrifice to put others above ours. We control our emotions by focusing on Christ knowing truth and the Word.
For motivation, we have ample motivation in Christ. Everything is fueled by Christ dying on the Cross to forgive us of our sins. We are then motivated to lovingly share forgiveness with others. Since salvation is open and a free gift that anyone can take, we need not manipulate to "make a decision". If God doesn't do a work in a person's life, they'll never surrender to Christ.
As for personality, for Christians we are to conform ourselves to the image of Christ, and thus lose our individuality. We still have personalities, but they are brought under subjection to Christ's commands. You can't say "my personality is to lust". That is not personality, but that is sin.
Finally in relationships, as Christians seek Christ together there is no closer relationships, where there is no one there to hurt us. We have the strongest relationships of any groups of people because our hearts are bound to one another in Christ. In relationships, love is key.
So is psychology good for Christianity? Absolutely Not! Psychology is just a way to manipulate, Christianity is a way to inherit eternal life, love God, and to love others.
Edit: Please be aware that I am talking specifically about secular psychology and concepts that are not biblical, but have made their way into Christian thinking. Perhaps I should have been less harsh, but my overall point is that we don't need man's ideas. We need God's truth. Even what we think of as "good psychology", if it does not encourage you to seek after Christ, understand truth, or be obedient to God, it is a deception. Psychology attempts to manipulate behavior but can never solve the real spiritual issues of a person. Biblical counselors reveal truth to a person and in that God gives strength and comfort to endure.
Psychology has one very practical benefit. Manipulation.
What actual benefit does studying behavior have? It teaches you what to expect and what you can do or say to manipulate that behavior.
What do psychological studies on perception do? Understanding human perception gives you the ability to change perceptions. This gives a great tool to be able to hide truth and present a false understanding of the world.
What about emotion? When you study people's emotions and how they respond to different words, actions, colors, or objects, it allows you to use those things to pull a response from people.
When you use psychology to study motivation, it gives you the ability to give people false purposes, passions, or needs that they previously didn't have. Again manipulation.
When you study personalities, it gives you the ability to know how different people will work in different settings. It groups people into A, B, C and often manipulates what career a person should go into, or what type of person they should marry.
Finally, psychology in relationships let's you always get the upper hand. By understanding the personality type, you can better manipulate that person in a relationship. This is done by building false friendships.
Man existed for thousands of years without psychology, and there is no real benefit of the study in comparison to eternal things. Christianity does not need psychology, because our goal as Christians is to simply tell truth and give people freedom to respond to truth.
Christianity pertaining to behavior says that everyone is sinful, therefore we're all deserving of eternal punishment in Hell.
In terms of perception, we think nothing of it. Perception of man or self perception is based on vain thinking, and is worthless. What matters is our perception of God and to understand God, we read His Word the Bible. Then we learn and perceive truth.
As for emotions, we as Christians gain control of our emotions. A Christian would never want to manipulate someone's emotions, but rather, do simply what comes naturally in Christ, self-sacrifice to put others above ours. We control our emotions by focusing on Christ knowing truth and the Word.
For motivation, we have ample motivation in Christ. Everything is fueled by Christ dying on the Cross to forgive us of our sins. We are then motivated to lovingly share forgiveness with others. Since salvation is open and a free gift that anyone can take, we need not manipulate to "make a decision". If God doesn't do a work in a person's life, they'll never surrender to Christ.
As for personality, for Christians we are to conform ourselves to the image of Christ, and thus lose our individuality. We still have personalities, but they are brought under subjection to Christ's commands. You can't say "my personality is to lust". That is not personality, but that is sin.
Finally in relationships, as Christians seek Christ together there is no closer relationships, where there is no one there to hurt us. We have the strongest relationships of any groups of people because our hearts are bound to one another in Christ. In relationships, love is key.
So is psychology good for Christianity? Absolutely Not! Psychology is just a way to manipulate, Christianity is a way to inherit eternal life, love God, and to love others.
Edit: Please be aware that I am talking specifically about secular psychology and concepts that are not biblical, but have made their way into Christian thinking. Perhaps I should have been less harsh, but my overall point is that we don't need man's ideas. We need God's truth. Even what we think of as "good psychology", if it does not encourage you to seek after Christ, understand truth, or be obedient to God, it is a deception. Psychology attempts to manipulate behavior but can never solve the real spiritual issues of a person. Biblical counselors reveal truth to a person and in that God gives strength and comfort to endure.
posted by D @ Friday, December 18, 2009
4 comments
