Psychiatrist J. R. Rees was involved in training school teachers as well as British and American military intelligence in psychiatric techniques at the Tavistock Clinic in 1934. Mr. Rees stated, "If we are to infiltrate the professional and social activities of other people, I think we must imitate the totalitarians and organize some kind of fifth column activity."

"...We have made a useful attack upon a number of professions. The two easiest of them naturally are the teaching profession and the church, the two most difficult are law and medicine.

Let us not speak in terms of 'mental hygiene' but in terms of 'mental health.' ...Let us all therefore very secretly be fifth columnists." ⁽¹⁾

Brock Chisholm, another psychiatrist and friend of J. R. Rees, was a founding member of World Federation for Mental Health. He had called for the reinterpretation and eventually the eradication of the concept of right and wrong. He wrote that this belief deprived the human race of its natural capacity to enjoy the satisfaction of its natural urges. He further stated that "Psychiatry must now decide what is to be the immediate future of the human race. No one else can. This is the primary responsibility of psychiatry." ⁽²⁾

With these statements in mind it would be well for Christians to examine the philosophy behind psychiatry and psychology.

The Random House Dictionary defines the word 'psyche' as the "human soul or mind; the mental structure of a person especially as a motive force." Psychiatry and psychology are both involved in the study and treatment of the mind and soul. Since the Bible has much to say on these two topics, we will compare what God has to say versus what man says.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." — Isaiah 55:8

Psychiatry rests on two false assumptions; the belief in evolution and the belief in secular humanism. These principles are fundamental in all their current theories about the mind and how it functions. Genesis 1 tells us that God created man in His own image — we did not evolve from some lower form of life. Humanism teaches that man is the highest reality (not God) and determines himself what is good or evil.

"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." .— Psalm 118:8

Lawyer and psychologist, Jay Ziskin, is the author of a two volume text book Coping With Psychiatric and Psychological Testimony. In it he says "Psychiatry and Psychology consist of a conglomeration of invalid theories of human behavior — there is no adequate classification or diagnostic system for mental disorders.

In fact, psychiatry has no agreed-upon definition of 'mind' and thus is unable to define its own subject area. Not surprisingly there is no agreement on 'sanity', 'insanity', 'psychosis', or 'schizophrenia.'"

Sigmund Freud, an Austrian Jew, was the founder of psychoanalysis. He was an avowed atheist who considered himself as one of the most dangerous enemies of religion. Freud believed that "free sexual intercourse between young males and respectable girls was necessary or society was doomed to incurable neuroses."

Peter Gay, a history professor at Yale wrote a book about Freud titled A Godless Jew which quotes from a letter written by Freud stating "Why was it left to me, a godless Jew to found psychotherapy?"

Dr. Lawrence LeShan, past president of the Association for Humanistic Psychology said: "Psychotherapy may be known in the future as the greatest hoax of the twentieth century."

There is a multitude of therapies — as many as there are therapists and therefore difficult to critique them all. However the one underlying theme is that man is basically good and needs to reach his highest potential. They say this can be accomplished by teaching self-esteem, self-worth, and self-love — anything to make one feel good about oneself.

What a contrast to compare this philosophy with statements from some of God's great servants:

Isaiah humbled himself and cried: "Woe is me... I am a man of unclean lips..." — Isaiah 6:5

The Apostle Paul said: "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." — I Timothy 1:15

Abraham plead for God to save Sodom: "Behold now have I taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes." — Genesis 18:27

A study of the life of Job will reveal that he was a man that had a right to feel good about himself (by human standards). But when God revealed Himself by reminding Job of some of His mighty works, especially the creation of the earth, Job was humbled and said: "...I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:6). God then restored double all that Job had lost in his trial.

In Matthew 22:35-40 we are commanded to "love God" and to "love our neighbor as thyself." This is not a command to love ourselves as some think. We do that without any prompting.

The Apostle Paul warned: "...no flesh should glory in his presence." — I Corinthians 1:29

"...in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves." — II Timothy 3:2

"Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand he shall not be unpunished." — Proverbs 16:5

The Four Temperament theory had a very strange origin among Greek philosophers beginning around 400 BC. Empedocles believed the universe was made up of four elements: fire, air, earth and water with each having its own god or goddess.

From there, Hippocrates, known as the Father of Medicine, expanded on this theory teaching that these elements had four corresponding body fluids or "humors." These were defined as blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm; each one designating personality types.

For Instance:

• If blood was the dominant fluid in your body, you were labeled Sanguine and therefore had a cheerful and outgoing temperament.

• If your body produced an excess of phlegm, you had Phlegmatic temperament and this meant you were cold, aloof and dull.

• An abundance of yellow bile meant you were Choleric (taken from the word cholera) and this designated you as one who gave in to hate and fits of anger.

• Black bile meant you were Melancholy.

By balancing these body fluids, temperaments could be altered. Other Greek philosophers advanced these theories but the common belief was that the planets and stars influenced the elements, body fluids and temperaments.

We are beginning to see the origin of 'typing' personalities which involve mythology, astrology and the occult. The Four Temperament theory has long been discredited, but is now enjoying revival, especially among Christian churches and colleges.

Personal Profile Systems (PPS) and Biblical Personal Profiles) are two similar testing programs based upon the Four Temperament theory that began in the Greek schools of philosophy. These are given to determine strengths and weaknesses of ones temperament and personality.

The Apostle Paul stated: "...I was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me who am less than the least of all saints is this grace given that I should preach among the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." — Ephesians 3:7,8

What a declaration of humility (no self-esteem here) and he was called by the grace of God — no personality test here, even though they were around in his day.

How would Amos do on a personality test? He was a simple herdsman who followed the flock (Amos 7:14,15). Moses said he was "not eloquent and was slow of speech," but God said "...I will teach thee what thou shalt say" -Exodus 4:10-13

God is not limited to selecting his servants according to a pagan test of temperament and personality.

"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence." — I Corinthians 1:26-29

"God wants us to become Himself (or Herself, or Itself). We are growing, toward another Godhood. God is the goal of evolution."
— Dr. M. Scott Peck, Psychiatrist

"A Trojan horse full of dangerous psycho-fantasies has been professionally prepared for us by Christian psychiatrists and psychologists... At the base, such therapies stand upon dogma, not scientific observations, and the dogma is the odious one of Freud and his followers who were some of the century's most anti-Christ teachers. No amount of well-intentioned refinement of deadly doctrines will make them clean for Christians."  — Dr. Hilton P. Terrell, M.D.

"Family therapy is family butchery... psychiatrists are jailors masquerading as mechanics... Psychiatry is probably the single most destructive force that has affected the American society within the last fifty years." — Dr. Thomas Szasz, Psychiatrist, and Professor, Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse, New York

"Psychoanalysis is not a science (it is) perhaps more like witch doctoring." — Nobelist Richard Feynman

"The techniques used by Western psychiatrists are with few exceptions on exactly the same scientific plane as the techniques used by witch doctors. The term itself (mental illness) is nonsensical, a semantic mistake. The two words cannot go together... you can no more have a mental disease than you can have a purple ides or a wise space. The mind really cannot become diseased anymore than the intellect can become abscessed."
"Psychiatry has been willing to sanctify its values with holy water of medicine and offer them up as the true faith of Mental Health. It is a false Messiah." — Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, Psychiatrist, National Institute of Mental Health

"The amount of research against psychology is amazing and from people in their own camps... the impossibility of integration of avowedly pagan psychologists with scripture seems obvious. One begins to wonder whether these promoters of psychology have any biblical discernment.
Church leaders must bear the guilt of the invasion of psychology into the church. These are the people who are ordained of God to guard the minds of their sheep. Instead they have invited wolves into the fold. Christian publishers are guilty as well... " — Dr. Ed Payne, M.D. and author, Medical College of Georgia

"The field of psychology is literally a mess today. There are as many techniques, methods and theories around as there are researchers and therapists. I have personally seen therapists convince their clients that all of their problems come from their mothers, the stars, their biochemical makeup, their diet, their lifestyle and even their 'Karma' from their past lives." — Roger Mills, Psychologist

"So-called Christian psychology is secular psychology clothed impious platitudes and religious rhetoric." — J. Vernon McGee, Pastor and Bible Teacher, Through the Bible Radio

"In my opinion, advocating, allowing and practicing psychiatric and psychoanalytical dogmas within the church is every bit as pagan and heretical (and therefore perilous) as propagating the teaching of some of the most bizarre cults. The only difference is that the cults are less dangerous because their errors are most identifiable." — Jay Adams, Theologian and Biblical Counselor, Westminster Theological Seminary

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ." — Colossians 2:8

Psychiatrists have replaced the word sin with words such as "disease," "dysfunction" or "addiction". This releases a person from any responsibility for his actions. The Bible speaks of sin as a real problem and gives the answer.

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."  — Romans 3:23-26

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  — Romans 5:8

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." — Romans 8:1

"Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." — Romans 5:1

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, his is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." — II Corinthians 5:17

"My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." —II Corinthians 12:9

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." ....  — John 3:16

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