I think that depression is two-fold.

1) For some (not all) it is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. The person may what to feel happy, may have their eyes fixed on Christ, may be growing in faith in Christ, but still feel down and out because of the chemical imbalance. My husband falls into this category. He is studying to be a preacher but without his depression medicine everything in his life just goes wrong.

2) I firmly believe that depression can also be caused when there is unrepentant sin in a person's life; and I believe that it can affect the believer more than the unbeliever. While as believers all of our sins prior to Christ are forgiven, it is our responsibility to ask God for forgiveness for those we commit after our salvation. The Holy Spirit is there to convict us of unrepentant sin in our lives, and if we ignore it too long the end result is depression.

3) In Christians, depression can also be caused by believing wrong interpretations of scripture. For instance, Christians who believe that there can come a point where you sin so much that you are no longer saved often become more depressed than those who believe that we are to try NOT to sin, and in that way not abuse God's grace, but still realize that God does forgive.


So in general, I think that depression in Christians is more than just spiritual and more than just chemical. If there is a chemical imbalance there, medicine should help. But for some that is not the answer. Also for some it may be both, and in those cases addressing the chemical imbalance allows the person to think well enough to address the spiritual issues behind the depression.

I'm not an expert, but this is what I have found while dealing with my husband, at least.

 

Our minds are capable of storing an infinite amount of memory and thoughts, so to say that if you fill your mind with God-thoughts, or thoughts about any one particular thing, then your depression will be cured is simply wrong. Latching on to an idea will not cure depression, it can only be cured by tackling the problems which caused it. Maybe the problems some specific people are related to spirituality, but with most people this probably not the case.

 

It isn't a sin. That seems silly to me.

 

Paul - awesome SINGLE dude of the Bible. He was a fisherman who liked to CUSS until he got God-smacked (that kind of smack doesn't hurt, it HEALS).

Depression is in effect taking on more than we can handle, and becoming overwhelmed. At those times, we cast our burdens on Him and focus on what we can accomplish. Easier said than done, I know, but people in the Bible faced many the same issues as we do - they just didn't have the Internetz......probably a good thing.

 

Paul - awesome SINGLE dude of the Bible. He was a fisherman who liked to CUSS until he got God-smacked (that kind of smack doesn't hurt, it HEALS).

Depression is in effect taking on more than we can handle, and becoming overwhelmed. At those times, we cast our burdens on Him and focus on what we can accomplish. Easier said than done, I know, but people in the Bible faced many the same issues as we do - they just didn't have the Internetz......probably a good thing.

Paul wasn't a fisherman.

 

I think that mainstream christianity itself is depressing.
I mean what kind of hope does it offer for sick and suffering people who lost
all perspective in life and simply don't know how it's supposed to go on and how they're supposed to keep functioning in life because of their sickness and depression?
What does christianity have to offer them other than telling them that one day in heaven everything will be okay? How does this help them with there problems here and now?
At least for me this suffering gracefully stuff doesn't work.

 

depression is an illness and not a sin

 

There was a christian teacher who said that some depression is a sin because it is the individual focusing on him or herself and problems, oppose to focusing on god. Incidentally, after each time he would say it, he would discourage anyone to go off their depression meds--I assume this was his disclaimer so he couldn't be sued if someone went off their meds and said he told them to as this was a very tight-knit, cult-like group I was involved in and he knew he had great authority over people and their actions.

 

What was the name of this minister?

I understand how he thinks. He thinks how could a person possibly be depressed if she believes in an allmighty God who can fix everything? This sounds logical. But the problem is that it doesn't work for everyone the way it supposedly works for him. The one I am talking about claims to not have had a cold or headache in decades. I don't even know if this is true or just a lie.
Even if it is a reality for him then this still doesn't give him the right to talk so lightly about depression. This is like a male who talks about PMS and says that women shouldn't complain so much about it and just deal with it. You simply cannot do this and talk about things you don't understand or have personally experienced.

 

Depression is not a sin.
There are 7 deadly sins, those are pretty clear.

 

Depression is considered sloth. Atleast back in olde time it was.

 

I think depression is a human condition and one that is helped with reading verse and praying. I know when i'm done praying I feel euphoric, when I read verse I feel euphoric and when I think of future in heaven same thing, euphoria. Euphoria is starting to become a natural feeling for me, so for me, reading the Bible and praying has been a cure for my depression. I don't believe depression is a sin.

 

Clinical depression runs through my mother's side of the family. For generations members have had it. It's genetic in some people, a chemical imbalance in others, and brought on by any amount of hardships in the rest. So no, I don't believe it is a sin.

 

I think that a minister telling someone that their depression can be healed by religion is utterly irresponsible.

But what do I know.

 

That's almost the same reply I got back from the college ministry I was in, and got kicked out and blacklisted 2 weeks afterwards from all United Methodist Churches in the Southeast USA. All because I was comfortable enough with my church friends at the time to say I was depressed and have been suffering from depression. Apparently my lack of faith in God caused the depression and now that my influence may bring others down they kicked me out.

And then they wonder why I defaced their building 2 weeks later in a medically induced suicidal rage.

 

If it is then i've been a sinner all my life, but then again, i've been a sinner all my life anyway :b
Just toss that rock in the backpack with all the other ones.

 

Is diabetes a sin? Is cancer?

 

Mother Teresa:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3642383/Mother-Teresas-crisis-of-faith.html

She's also been criticized by not using funds to help people better with improved treatments, because she was overly concerned about how that would be perceived. If that does pan out, then there are problems with even the saints themselves.

But yea, you ask a few priests a question like that expect different answers. You also do realize that there's a wide tradition of Platonism and Aristoleanism with the church, right? That means that priests do also read into stuff like stoicism of Epictetus and Marcus Aerelius' Meditations. Aquinus also had a bromance with Cicero.

So anyway beyond that, I'd recommend reading something beyond just the Bible or asking some random priest on the internet. Science, philosophy, and even the opinions of other priests that have ruminated upon the subject. If the interpretation of Genesis isn't even resolved by any measure, how do you think that "depression is a sin?"

As for myself, iin short no.

 

I really can't even comprehend how people could fall for Camping. Some of them must be really pissed now cause they gave up everything and hoped for the end. Boy this has to suck.

@ Cheesesteakjimmy

I'm not catholic so I don't ask priests but it's the same with protestant ministers. They also have many different opinions and interpretations of the bible which is really annoying.

 

@ Cheesesteakjimmy

I'm not catholic so I don't ask priests but it's the same with protestant ministers. They also have many different opinions and interpretations of the bible which is really annoying.

It's not just a Catholic thing, Protestants and Anabaptists go along the same turnpike. By "priest" I meant more in the larger sense, and should've mentioned Islam as well. The actual source for a lot of the philosophy for Christians came from men like Ibn Sinna.

 

My depression is mostly due to loneliness. That's cause I crave human interaction and can't have it cause I run away from it due to anxiety.

In some way, it makes sense, I focus to much on people in this world then on God, I shouldn't feel lonely cause God is always with me, and I shouldn't love humans more then God, so.........if i direct all my attention to God, then I would understand i'm not lonely, BUT is this really possible when we live in a social world ?

For me at least, to be able not not crave human contact and direct all my attention to Him I would have to be somewhere in the wild alone and do nothing but to pray all day and try to live without sin.

Does that make any sense ?

 

I imagine it a terrible thing to acknowledge depression and God coexisting within a person at once, for an ardent believer. "The word of God is not enough to you?... Impossible". I don't think they necessarily realise how manipulative they're being. Like many passages in the bible, of themselves innocuous and even poetic at times, yet they all feed a whole... And the monster swallows through different teeth.

Whether they are aware of it or not, this arguement preys on guilt. The idea of culpability, of being forever able and compelled to love. Should you one day find yourself lacking the part of you necessary to love; still able, still compelled. It's amazing what people allow for or miss when in love with a hero, they simply never recognise when they're being subtly manipulated. It's sad.

 

No depression is not a sin. It doesnt make sense to be? Paul was depressed because of what he did in the past. But God told him that hes forgiven and Paul just had to let go and trust in God. The reason why Paul was depressed was because of what he did to the Christians before he became one, so he was feeling guilty and miserable. But God forgave him.

There is something called clinical depression, depressed with no reason.

Depressed because of reason - e.g being lazy so not achieving anything in life, or anything else..

God offers support and so if you trust in him. He'll help you.

But if you dont believe in him, then nothing will work. You have to find your own motivation in life.

 

"Depression is a product of being self-centered rather than being Christ centered"

Stopped reading after this. Some people are really stupid.

 

Depression is a chemical imbalance. It's isn't any more a sin than any other illness.

 

I'm pretty sure everything is a sin according to the bible

 

science asserts that depression is very much a biochemical reaction, and thus, is attributable to how our bodies are programmed to react to stress- it is thus not a conscious decision to be clinically depressed. how your body reacts to stress is often highly determinant on our genes, and thus how our mind and body copes with stress is often something we inherit- not a choice! i'm not religious anymore, but if god would punish you for something that is greatly out of your control, well that's just ****ed up.

 

Of course it is a sin! That's why you should feel guilty for not being grateful to God, the creator. Didn't you know that life is a gift .... or so the story goes.

Some gift - mindless wars, tsunamis, greedy capitalism, not to mention the rest. Personally, I'll take it one damn day at a time, along with my meds, regardless of what the sky-daddy thinks ...

yours truely

bitter and twisted

 

I don't believe that depression is a sin. It's a disease in most cases. God wants us to find peace of mind despite being depressed. It's only a sin if a person lets depression take over so badly that they forget about their service to God and stop serving him. Paul of the Bible had a 'thorn in the flesh' but God said 'my grace is sufficient for you'. The scriptures also said not to be 'weighed down with the anxieties of life'. It could be a snare. But God is kind so his loving kindness and mercy will help us that we should never give up.