5 Things Not to Say to a Christian Who Is Depressed

Cheer Up

When dealing with one who is depressed, it is easy to resort to using trite statements. Other ones that often come up are “try not to be so depressed,” “just snap out of it,” and “stop feeling sorry for yourself.” All of these end up hurting more than helping. These statements show a misunderstanding of what depression truly is. No one chooses to be depressed. Depression is a real illness that severely impacts the chemistry of the brain. This often manifests itself through various behavioral, emotional, physical, and cognitive symptoms.

Things Could Be Worse

Or “there’s always someone worse off than you are.”  This will only exacerbate guilt in their mind. For someone who is depressed, even trials that may appear to be petty can be hard for them to deal with. Don’t belittle their problems. Use this as an opportunity to show that you support them no matter what. Make sure your statements are genuine, especially when you offer a listening ear or prayer for such an individual.

I Know How You Feel

This one usually comes from a good place but, once again, isn’t the least bit comforting to one who is battling depression. In this case, people often confuse feelings of temporary sadness with depression. It isn’t possible to fully understand how the person may feel unless you have the ability to completely enter into their mind. Of course, no one can do this but God. What you can say instead is “I can’t imagine how you must feel.” Continue to cultivate trust in their relationship. This in turn will encourage them to open up their thoughts and feelings with you. When they do, although you may not always understand their situation, you must learn to empathize with them. Pray and ask God to give you divine discernment.

It’s Your Own Fault

Anything that in any way inflicts blame on the individual who is depressed or implies that they may be suffering for their sins should not be encouraged. In many cases, the person who is depressed is already dealing with feelings of guilt, self-blame, and remorse. While there may have been sins committed by or against them that could have triggered their depression, it is not your place to condemn them. For example, think of the story of the “woman caught in adultery” (John 8:1-11). Although she had committed a grievous sin, Jesus, the only one Who could pass judgment, does not and instead shows her love and mercy. We are called to do the same. In contrast, Job’s friends add salt to an open wound (Job 4:7-8; Job 8:1-6, 12-20; Job 11:1-6, 14-17).

Have You Tried…

Everyone wants to see their hurting loved ones get better; there is no doubt about that. However, unsolicited counsel isn’t wise to give in these cases. If you know someone who is depressed, don’t try to prescribe or offer a solution. For one who is battling depression to the severest degree, the best thing they can do is seek professional help as quickly as possible.

The Author

Alexandra Yeboah is a freelance writer living in Canada. If you would like to know more about her or read more of her stories, please check outspeakthewords.com.

http://faithinthenews.com/5-things-not-to-say-to-a-christian-that-is-depressed/

Senator Orrin Hatch: The Wall of Separation Between Church and State Must Come Down

The wall separating faith and public life must be torn down

Our history tells us that faith and public life are complementary parts of American life. But invocation of the “wall of separation” between church and state has become shorthand for a particular narrative about the history and status of religion in American life. This narrative is wrong.

The idea that the Constitution creates a “wall of separation” between church and state traces back to Thomas Jefferson, and generations have been led to believe that his view reflected the dominant attitude of the Founders toward religion in public life. But Jefferson’s position, as embodied in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which he wrote, was in fact a novel approach that represented a decidedly minority viewpoint in the early republic.

The dominant model at the time was embodied by the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution drafted by John Adams, which protected religious liberty while at the same time instituting a “mild and equitable establishment of religion” that enshrined “Christian piety and virtue.” In Adams’ view, as articulated by one scholar, “the notion that a state could remain neutral and purged of any public religion was a philosophical fiction.”

Jefferson himself acknowledged that the Virginia statute broke with the practices of other states. At the time of the adoption of the First Amendment in 1791, about half of the 14 states then admitted to the Union had an officially established church or allowed municipal governments to establish such a church. Moreover, every single state sponsored or supported one or more churches.

Simply put, the idea of a rigid separation between church and state is without any basis in our history or laws.

The First Amendment says, quite simply, that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” On its face, this language affects only one actor, Congress, not states and local governments, and not individual citizens.

At the time of its adoption, the First Amendment’s establishment clause neither created an individual right to be free from religion nor limited the power of the states to establish religion; it simply limited Congress’ ability to choose a preferred religious sect. This restriction on favoring one particular sect over another at the federal level made eminent sense for a new nation composed of states with a wide variety of religious traditions and approaches to established religion.

For a century and a half, this understanding of the establishment clause endured with little challenge. Unfortunately, religion was not spared from a liberal, activist Supreme Court that spun wildly out of control in the mid-20th century. In Everson v. Board of Education, the court jettisoned the traditional understanding of the establishment clause, asserting that “the First Amendment means at least this: Neither a state nor the Federal Government can set up a church. Neither can pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another.”

The court cited Jefferson to “erect a wall of separation between church and state.” A structural limit on federal power was transformed into an individual right to be free from religion.

The conventional wisdom peddled by advocates for stringent exclusion of religion from the public sphere is that aggressive enforcement of their vision of the establishment clause enhances religious freedom. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. The erroneous wall-of-separation doctrine narrows the role of religion in public discourse, fueling the view that religion is a private matter rather than a fundamental precept of American civil society and leading many to fall prey to the disturbing claim that religious freedom doesn’t extend much further than the church door.

Such an approach undermines religious liberty and limits the ways in which faith enriches our society. It counsels government to avoid any perceived entanglement with religion — not only denying religious organizations the same opportunities afforded to secular counterparts, but limiting also accommodation of religious practice at the core of the right to free exercise. It tells the religious believer that in order to participate fully in public life, he should cabin and hide his religious devotion.

While the addition of principled jurists to the court has turned momentum against previous excesses, the thrust of the court’s misguided establishment clause jurisprudence remains dominant. As we seek to protect religious liberty for future generations, we must restore a proper relationship between faith and public life.

• Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Utah Republican, is the former chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the current chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/nov/29/power-of-prayer-the-wall-separating-faith-and-publ/

Apocalyptic predictions in the Jewish and Russian religious circles

Meanwhile the Elder Pais, the Greek Saint , comes in a vision to some Russian monks and prophecies the conquer of Constantinople. He predicts The Beginning of the Apocalipsis will start from Ukraine. And comforts the Russians that Russia will win on the end.
http://goo.gl/vjWSSH
The Jewish communities also remembered the prophecies of the Vilna Gaon: “When you hear that the Russians have captured the city of Crimea, the ‘Times of the Messiah’ have started, that his steps are being heard”
http://goo.gl/N5Lp0j
It seems that the prophecies for Russians and the Jews sounds optimistic.
I see that such information about visions of Greek Saint is not dumped in social networks by common people but by associate professors and religious scholars, I do not even know what to think of these ''peacemakers'' and their message.

''Russian leader Vladamir Putin shares a heartwarming tale about his love of Judaism''
(JEWSNEWS. DEC 08, 2015.)
http://goo.gl/T6N2Qn


FRIEND OF THE JEWS: Putin initiates law AGAINSTt anti-Semitic Biblical commentary used to spur hatred against the Jewish people
http://goo.gl/EOYrdw

"Уважайте каждую отдельную минуту, ибо умрет она, и никогда не повторится..." (Януш Корчак)

Rejected by society, HIV patients helped by Caritas Bangladesh

According to the UN, 9,500 people are HIV-positive in the country. About 50 of them are Catholics. Because of social stigma, people have been forced to change their name and move away from home. Caritas Bangladesh provides economic and spiritual assistance, including bursaries to the children of the poorest, but for volunteer, preventing priests from addressing the issue is making matters worse.

Dhaka (AsiaNews) – I had to "leave my community because I was told that I was sick because of my sins! People looked at me in a very negative way, but I know that I am not to blame for this disease. I got it from my husband,” said Mina Gomes (not her real name).

Since she became HIV-positive, she has had to change her identity and move away from her village. Her husband, a migrant worker, died a year after he was infected.

Last Tuesday, 1 December, was World AIDS Day. Like Mina, some 50 Bangladeshi Catholics have been infected with the virus. Caritas Bangladesh is in charge of their care.

Bangladesh’s Health Ministry data indicate that the country had 3,664 AIDS patients in 2014. The United Nations AIDS (UNAids) programme put the number at 9,500. So far, 472 people are known to have died of the illness.

"Little by little, the number of HIV-positive patients is creeping up in the country, including among Christians,” said Edward Pallab Rozario, head of the Caritas Bangladesh Health Project.

“Most patients,” he told AsiaNews, “will not reveal that they are positive because of the social stigma.”

Since 2007, the Catholic Church has offered a host of services for people living with HIV. However, for patients, the social consequences of their illness are worse than the illness itself.

"Many priests told me that they are not allowed to mention AIDS in their homily,” Rozario said. However, “if they could warn parishioners and explain the disease in their pastoral outreach, this would be fruitful. Priests visiting homes can play a vital role in lowering the risks associated with HIV/AIDS."

For now, Caritas is offering spiritual and financial support and some counselling to Christian patients and their children. "Twice a year, we meet with them to offer spiritual assistance and bursaries to the poorest families,” he explained. “We also organise vocational courses in crafts and small-scale business management, so that patients can earn a living."

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Rejected-by-society,-HIV-patients-helped-by-Caritas-Bangladesh-36064.html

My Life After 44 Years In Prison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrH6UMYAVsk

Євген Сверстюк і його християнська утопія

http://www.day.kiev.ua/uk/blog/suspilstvo/yevgen-sverstyuk-i-yogo-hrystyyanska-utopiya