First of all, and hopefully I’ve said this before in the years this blog has existed. I’m not a theologian and I never will be. I’ve never been to seminary. I’m not a certified, official Bible teacher. I’m just a guy who has studied, mostly on his own, for a number of years (decades) and have come up with a few ideas. Most of those ideas actually belong to other people and sources. Take all of that into account when reading the following.

Oh good grief.

Periodically, a story will be posted in news or social media making Christians look particularly evil and/or stupid. This time, I found the story in The Christian Post so it’s not like I can accuse them of anti-Christian bias.

The article is titled Missouri pastor who called autism a ‘demon’ resigns from school board after backlash. The “Pastor” in question is named Rick Morrow and his church is Beulah Church in Richland Missouri.

That link used to go to their Facebook page which has been taken offline. They have no twitter account or website that I can find, which in their case, is probably a good idea. I’m sure they’re taking a lot of heat just now.

The article opens with:

A Missouri pastor who recently told his congregation that autism is a demon that can be cast out by Christians and pointed to many examples of this recorded online, has resigned as a member of the board of the Stoutland School District after backlash over his comments.

Basically, he gave a teaching recently about deliverance. He said that a number of human ailments and disorders, including autism, are caused by demonic influences. He believes that “simply” casting out the demons will cure children of autism and that:

So let’s quit being nice and putting a Band-Aid on stuff and giving it medicine,” he added. “How about you just cast the demon out?”

Pastor Morrow said the only other possible cause is if God made children with autism:

“If it’s not demonic, then we have to say God made them that way,” Morrow continued in his comments. “Like that’s the only other explanation. ’Why does my kid have autism?’ Well, either the devil has attacked them, he’s brought this infirmity upon them, he’s got them where he wants them, and/or God just doesn’t like them very much and He made them that way. Well, my God doesn’t make junk. God doesn’t make mess ups. God doesn’t make people that way.”

I’ve encountered these “people only have problems because they are being attacked by Satan” believers before and they really seem to have a dim view of the Bible. I remember many years ago, when I first came to faith, I met a woman who thought if she lost her keys, it was because of demons. If her coffee maker broke, it was coffee maker demons at fault. No, I’m not kidding and I’m not exaggerating. Every problem she had, big or small, was because of demons.

I mention her not just because of Morrow’s comments, but also because, since I didn’t know a whole lot at the time, I thought maybe I should believe her. Fortunately, subsequent studying and interacting with a broader range of teachers helped me realize she had “issues.” However, inexperienced Christians or believers who’ve been taught “the Pastor is always right” are too easily taken in by such bad teachings.

Apparently, Pastor Rick Morrow has “issues” too.

It’s like the old question “If God loves us, why do bad things happen.”

The answer is that it all had to do with the choice Adam and Eve made.

NOTE: Sorry, but there’s no one source that has a perfect answer, or at least the one that maps to my understanding, so I’ll just have to do the best I can in posting links.

The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.” –Genesis 2:16-17 (NASB)

In other words, the Almighty allowed Adam and Eve to do anything they could imagine in the Garden except that one thing. You’d think life would be pretty uncomplicated if you only had one commandment to deal with. But while at that point, Adam and Eve were sinless, they also had free will. And being human…

The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. –Genesis 3:2-6

Eve and Adam wanted a “fast track” to becoming like God. All actions have consequences and this couple, in disobeying God, created a consequence that affected not only them, but the entire world and everything in it, going forward throughout all human history and to this day.

Depending on the source you consult, the consequences are seen in particular ways.

The Blue Letter Bible takes a predictably literal approach based on the relevant verses within the context of Genesis.

Got Questions expands into the rest of the Bible, specifically the Apostolic Scriptures. For instance, death:

Because of the Fall, death became a reality, and all creation was subject to it. All men die, all animals die, all plant life dies. The “whole creation groans” (Romans 8:22), waiting for the time when Christ will return to liberate it from the effects of death. Because of sin, death is an inescapable reality, and no one is immune. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Worse still, we not only die, but if we die without Christ, we experience eternal death.”

The message from Compelling Truth is pretty much the same.

Food for the Hungry was the first online source I found that said “Sickness and death entered our world.”

I’m not minimizing or ignoring the many other consequences, but to address Pastor Morrow’s “God doesn’t make junk” statement, I’m focusing on how the Fall fundamentally affected the physical nature of Creation and specifically people. Not only can we now die, we are susceptible to all manner of disease, disorders, ailment, birth defects, and all other sorts of breakdowns, including cancer, hemophilia, and autism.

Notice that none of this is directly dependent upon a supernatural, evil being intervening in our lives in the matter we read in Job:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But reach out with Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will certainly curse You to Your face.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not reach out and put your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord. –Job 1:6-12

This is just my opinion, but I don’t consider the events recorded in Job to be literal. Job reads more like an epic poem or a morality play than a newspaper or scientific journal of factual statements. I can’t imagine the Adversary (HaSatan) having to personally appear before the Almighty to get permission to test any given individual human being.

Yes, particularly the Gospels record any number of people possessed by demons suffering from terrible physical problems. Does that happen today? I have no idea. The Bible also describes people suffering from physical disorders which, while Jesus healed them, did not seem to be related to demons.

Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might bring charges against Him. But He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable then is a person than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him. –Matthew 12:9-14

Now in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Gate, there is a pool which in Hebrew is called Bethesda, having five porticoes. In these porticoes lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, limping, or paralyzed. Now a man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. Jesus, upon seeing this man lying there and knowing that he had already been in that condition for a long time, said to him, “Do you want to get well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. –John 5:2-9

As far as I can tell from reading those verses, no demons were involved in those two people being disabled.

So it’s quite possible and even likely that no demons are involved when a child suffers from autism. That means Pastor Morrow has missed a few steps in his Bible studies. He probably needs to put his ego aside, and read the lessons of the scripture from a more “teachable” approach.

Another point needs to be addressed from the original article. Pastor Morrow said:

“I know a minister who has seen lots of kids that are autistic, that he cast that demon out, and they were healed. And then he had to pray and their brain was rewired, and they were fixed,” Morrow told his congregation, noting that they could go online and see “lots of examples of it.”

The Christian Post does include a YouTube video (I’m not going to insert it here) that supposedly shows a boy “set free from autism” by faith healing or casting out demons or what have you. I haven’t seen it and I’m probably not going to.

Faith healing and its like comes and goes in some corners of Christianity. The name that immediately pops up for me is Benny Hinn. Hinn’s reputation comes with a lot of baggage and other “Christian luminaries” consider Hinn to be a fraud.

Does that mean all faith healings are fraudulent? That’s impossible for me to say. If a faith healer charges you admission to a large auditorium and does his or her healing on a stage in front of an audience, I’d have a lot of questions about said-healer.

If there are those among the faithful who can still spontaneously heal people in Christ’s name, why don’t we see them in hospitals, in hospice homes, among the lost, the sick, and the dying in the world today?

I do know, having been to doctors myself over the years, that they are hardly useless, and I’ve been helped on numerous occasions by medical practitioners. My long-term family doctor, before he retired a year or two back, is a Christian. A decades-long friend of my wife is a Christian and was an R.N. before she retired (someday, I hope to retire).

In saying this, I’m addressing Morrow’s “…let’s quit being nice and putting a Band-Aid on stuff and giving it medicine” comment.

One last thing from the “Christian Post” article:

“It has been perceived that I’m evil, that I am full of the devil, that I am possessed myself because I said kids with autism are junk. That’s what has been perceived. What was intended was autism is junk. People that have it, are loved by God, and loved by me,” he explained.

Morrow said he has made attempts to clarify his comments with some of the “mob mentality” currently attacking his church for his statement on autism but lamented, “I can’t get anywhere.”

“I have been told that autism is a blessing from God. I have been told that I’m the evil one. But you know what? If I was to stand up here and say cancer is junk, people would agree. If I were to stand up here and say addiction is junk, people would agree. But for some reason, when I shine the light on this subject, it has been blown so far out of proportion,” Morrow continued.

Do I think Pastor Morrow is evil? No, of course not. Do I think he is demon possessed? I can’t know in an absolute sense, but I suspect not. I don’t believe he said that kids with autism are junk. I also don’t think that Morrow is a victim. I hope, but I don’t know, no one is actually attacking his church. I hope his church board and his denomination have issued a “correction” to him rather than backed up what I believe to be his very non-Biblical statements about autism.

Pastor Morrow apologized. A lot of people apologize after they’ve made a controversial statement with conviction and then experienced considerable blowback. You see it among politicians and celebrities all the time. I don’t think he actually meant to insult or degrade children with autism or their families. However…

The Missouri pastor apologized to anyone who has been hurt by the mischaracterization of his comments but maintained his conviction that autism is a demonic affliction.

“For those of you who are having to deal with this thing, I apologize. I am not apologizing, that I want to see people set free from things. I’m not apologizing. I want to see people healed,” he said. “I’m apologizing if you’ve had to deal with the misperception of my intention.”

The article mentions that Pastor Morrow resigned from his position on the local school board. I’ve suggested that he, if not resign, at least take a leave of absence from his pastoral duties to brush up on his theology and doctrine. He obviously hasn’t backed down from his original statement.

But what if his teaching is consistent with his denomination? Beulah is a Baptist church associated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

Apparently, there is a healing division within SBC.

A Baptist Press article (Baptist Press is “the official news service of the Southern Baptist Convention and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.”) was very illuminating in how SBC sees illness and healing.

First, all healing is from God. We may see a healing process where an individual is restored to health over a period of time. This is the most frequent expression of healing today. However, we are concerned in this article with miraculous healings. This is when God sets aside the normal laws of recuperation which he has set in motion and instantaneously heals and restores to full health.

Second, it is simply not true that God’s will for every Christian is for them to remain perfectly healthy. God works in the midst of all circumstances for His glory and for our good.

Third, there is no one method that is always used when God does move with miraculous healing.

Fourth, God is ultimately responsible for all of life and death.

Fifth, when God does heal it is always undeniable. Biblically no one questioned the fact of the healings, even the enemies of the Christians.

Sixth, Personal faith was not necessarily a prerequisite for healing. Often faith was honored, as with the woman who touched the Savior’s clothes (Mark 5:34). But sometimes no faith was involved at all (Acts 3:1-10; 9:32-34).

Seventh, there are times today when God acts in such a manner that only His direct intervention can adequately explain the physical healing. He still heals today, and always in a way that is consistent with His nature. We should pray for His healing touch on our lives and trust Him to do what is His will for us.

Notice that nowhere in this list (or in the whole article) does it mention that satanic or demonic influence is required for a person to be sick or disabled. It also doesn’t say that the only way to heal is to cast out the demons.

The first point does mention “a healing process where an individual is restored to health over a period of time” and “when God sets aside the normal laws of recuperation which he has set in motion.”

So the SBC acknowledges that there is a “normal” (not supernatural) healing process that we see in the lives of human beings all the time. Autism may well be one of those ailments, disabilities, or disorders that occur in people because of the Fall and that, unless there’s a supernatural healing involved, we rely on the medical profession to address.

But what does the SBC believe about demonic possession?

In the Baptist Press article Exorcists in demand? Baptists discuss demonic activity, the author writes:

“Can a Christian be demon possessed? No,” Southern Baptist Theological Seminary theology professor Stephen Wellum said in a video posted on the seminary’s website Feb. 28. “To be demon possessed would mean one is outside of Christ, one is dead in their sins, one is under the power of the evil one.

“Can Christians though battle against principalities and powers? Is Satan a roaring lion who’s trying to deceive and lead us astray? Yes. But that’s quite different than possession,” Wellum said, noting believers “have power over” Satan.

So a Christian, someone in whom dwells the Holy Spirit, cannot, by definition, be possessed by a demon. However, said-Christian could be involved in a “battle against principalities and powers.” But what does that mean?

Nonbelievers can be “controlled” or “possessed” by demons, Wellum said, citing Ephesians 2:2. Yet all believers “can resist [Satan]. We have power over him. Satan’s power has been defeated at the cross and in the resurrection.”

Pastor Morrow states that autism is a result of demonic activity, yet Southern Baptist Theological Seminary theology professor Stephen Wellum says that Christians can resist Satanic influences. Does that mean (from Morrow’s perspective) that only non-believers can be autistic or that believers are autistic if they are insufficiently resisting Satan? Wellum does say that believers have the power over Satan, so an autistic person wielding that power can overcome being autistic (remember, I’m filtering all of this through the SBC and Morrow).

The BP article cites “The Billy Graham Christian Worker’s Handbook,” published by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in recommending methods of resisting “Satan’s attacks and temptations to sin.”

— “Confess all known sin (1 John 1:9) with the understanding that the sin is to be abandoned.”

— Be alert “to Satan’s designs and intentions” (1 Peter 5:8).

— “Put Satan in his place,” as when Jesus rebuked him verbally in Matthew 16:23.

— “Use Scripture” (Matthew 4:1-11).

— Prioritize “intimate, daily devotional time with the Lord,” which “will help us resist Satan and result in his fleeing” (James 4:7-8).

Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. states:

“We are engaged in spiritual warfare every minute of every day, whether we recognize it or not.” Proclamation of the Gospel, Mohler said, is the church’s greatest weapon against demon possession.

So Pastor Morrow may not be completely out in left field in some of his statements, according to the SBC, his denominational authority.

What bothers me is that all of this puts human responsibility on the back burner. People aren’t really accountable for their own sins (bad behavior). Rather, it’s “spiritual warfare.” Nasty old demons are against us and making us do bad things.

Okay, that’s getting away from “demons cause autism,” but it’s important to establish what the SBC believes about demonology in order to compare that with Morrow’s opinions, beliefs, and teachings.

In this instance, the SBC does believe in demonic influences over people’s lives, influences believers must fight against and resist. Christians already have the power to “win,” thanks to Jesus, but we may be tricked into thinking otherwise.

However SBC beliefs about healing, illness, and demons don’t quite match up to what Morrow was teaching, so I can still say he needs to go to his (earthly) authoritative source and take a refresher course.

Without dealing with the ailment and healing aspects, I don’t always believe people need to attribute their problems and issues to a supernatural cause. Sometimes people, including Christians, can be their own worse enemies.

I particularly like this take on the matter (click on the image to make it bigger).

I do agree that turning to the Almighty in prayer, repenting of sins, and immersing yourself in scripture are very fine and good ways to improve your life and to resist whatever you may be struggling with. I also think there are other tools, yes secular ones, that may help in correcting whatever faulty thinking we may be employing, whether we’re believers or not.

Morrow could use some of those tools to help straighten out his thinking. He probably should look back into what his denomination actually believes rather than depending on his personal theological biases and letting them off the leash in his church teachings. Finally, he might consider the words of the bard, as should we all, under similar circumstances:

“The fault lies not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

–from Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” Act I, Scene III