Almost 50 percent of Social Security Disability payments go to those suffering from mental health conditions or organic brain disorders. Just 150 years ago, people with such maladies, who lived in the west (in a Christian nation), were mistreated, starved, and murdered because of their disabilities.
History indicates that many religions were, and are, slow to come out of the “dark ages” regarding mental health conditions or organic brain disorders.
Things have dramatically improved, but Christian goodwill and charity has not managed to correct this disconnect. Similarly, most health and disability insurance either excludes such maladies from coverage, or drastically limits the coverage. Moreover, many still find themselves excluded from support from religious-based communities and from many community services.
This is one of the reasons good old human charity sometimes lags behind scientifically based pragmatism. Until the gap is breached, that perfect world has just not materialized where charity is extended in a uniform, comprehensive, and all-encompassing way to this population.
Not to despair. Let's all keep working on it.
In the meantime, to reduce the expense and lighten the burden of those most affected by such problems, we must maintain, if not extend, our very minimal social and mutually beneficial protective net. It does not just benefit the afflicted; but it benefits us, by ameliorating the harm that those so afflicted can cause themselves and others when unable to access healthcare.
Loren M. Lambert © July 12, 2012
History indicates that many religions were, and are, slow to come out of the “dark ages” regarding mental health conditions or organic brain disorders.
Things have dramatically improved, but Christian goodwill and charity has not managed to correct this disconnect. Similarly, most health and disability insurance either excludes such maladies from coverage, or drastically limits the coverage. Moreover, many still find themselves excluded from support from religious-based communities and from many community services.
This is one of the reasons good old human charity sometimes lags behind scientifically based pragmatism. Until the gap is breached, that perfect world has just not materialized where charity is extended in a uniform, comprehensive, and all-encompassing way to this population.
Not to despair. Let's all keep working on it.
In the meantime, to reduce the expense and lighten the burden of those most affected by such problems, we must maintain, if not extend, our very minimal social and mutually beneficial protective net. It does not just benefit the afflicted; but it benefits us, by ameliorating the harm that those so afflicted can cause themselves and others when unable to access healthcare.
Loren M. Lambert © July 12, 2012
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