Having a disability can add extra challenges to your life, as well as humbleness but lets explore if having a disability can actually help you have more faith.  When you have a disability you are often much more reliant on other people and God.  Its not as easy for you to get things done sometimes so when you have a disability sometimes you just have to rest and realize that God is going to handle these things for you.

Often times Christians struggle with their faith but people with disabilities often rely on their faith – because often times that is all they have.  Due to my disability and it causes me to be very poor at socialization I often time have to rely on God when I need help, because I have no one else to ask.  I find when I rely on God to help me with these things they get done, either by someone just showing up or me somehow managing to get it done myself.

How do you feel a disability can affect faith?

Fasting is a common way in the Christian walk of opening yourself up to God more, and seeking to allow God to do huge things in your life.  The problem though is many people with disabilities and diabetes can’t fast.  Well that’s not entirely true.  You can fast if you have a disability or diabetes you just have to do it differently.  Here are some ideas for how to fast so you don’t mess up your medications.

• Fast One Meal A Day: Don’t eat one meal every day instead of just not eating.  Spend the time you would normally spend eating reading the bible and in prayer.
• Daniel Fast: Eat only fruits and vegetables during meals.
• Give up Soda: Yea, give up the soda pop.  Drink the water.
• Give up TV: Spend the time you would normally watching tv in prayer or reading the bible.

What are your suggestions for fasting if you have a disability, medication or diabetes?

A common fear among people with disabilities is they are afraid they won’t fall in love.  This often results in poor relationships choices, including putting up with abuse or other things that should not be tolerated in a relationship.  So the question is… how do you help someone with a disability who is afraid they won’t fall in love.  The answer to this question is quite complicated.  Often as someone with a disability I get the answer “Well God always loves you” which to me it seems like people are using God as a cop out again to me.  I feel like God does love us, but God also wants us to need other people – thats why God created two seperate genders.

I do not have a good answer on what to say that would help a person in this circumstance, even though I have been in this circumstance before, so I will open it up for discussion.  What do you think you could say to help someone in these circumstances?

A question I often ask myself and don’t have an answer for myself is why does God allow disabilities to be in his people when he could heal them.  I’ve heard all the many theories on why God allows people to have disabilities when he could just heal them but I would like to hear your opinion – especially if you have a disability.  Why does God allow those with disabilities to not be healed when he could do so?

Many people with various disabilities also have social fears, and pets comfort them.  Church’s are a very social environment.  Lets explore whether people with disabilities should be allowed to bring pets such as dogs to church.  Many people with various disabilities have assistance dogs, such as those that are blind or hearing impaired.  People with other disabilities such as Autism and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome often have companion dogs to help them cope with stressful and social situations.  To many disabled people their dogs are their lifelines, and without them they would have trouble coping.

In many states the American With Disabilities Act can be interpreted along with state level laws to allow people with disabilities to bring companion dogs anywhere they go, in order to help them function – but many people see this as an abuse of the intention of the American With Disabilities Act.  I have a dog myself – his name is Lucky.  I have decided that from now on any church I go to Lucky will be there with me, and if hes not welcome I am not welcome.  I have Aspergers Syndrome a form of Autism and have a lot of trouble being overwhelmed in social situations, even more so in large crowds like churches.

Do you think people with disabilities should be allowed to bring companion dogs to church?

While this topic does not have much to do with Christianity, I have noticed that Christian parents of those with disabled tend to be overprotective of their disabled children – to the point of causing harm.Parents are called to love and protect their children, and when your child has a disability there becomes a fine line on whats overprotective.  Disabled children just like any child need to make mistakes in order to learn, and if you don’t allow a child to make mistakes and learn it will never learn.  Parents of those with disabilities tend to not allow their children to make mistakes in the guise of protecting their children, without knowing they are causing greater harm then their disability ever would.

I have seen one occasion where the overprotective parent who is a christian went to the point of lying, and manipulating people around her child in order to protect her daughter.   It has just about come to the point of being abusive.

At what point does protecting a child become harmful when the child has a disability? I would like your input.

Many people sadly believe abortion a disabled child is an act of compassion.  What is even sadder is many of these people are Christians.  I just had a conversation with one of these Christians and here is the log.

[23:53] Them: have there been higher rates of autism and aspergers occuring/being diagosed in america in the past few years?
[23:54] Me: yes
[23:54] Me: but that has nothing to do with them calling autistic people a disaster of epedemic proporations
[23:55] Me: thats just like saying your a disaster because of your seizures
[23:55] Them: no.
[23:55] Them: listen
[23:55] Them: so there have been noticibly increased rates
[23:55] Them: if there were a sudden outbreak of bird flu, unlike any other recorded in history
[23:55] Them: would you consider it an epidemic?
[23:55] Me: the flu is a contangen that is harmful to life
[23:55] Me: Autism is not
[23:56] Me: if you go by that standard then red heads are an epedemic
[23:56] Me: as well as brown haired people
[23:57] Them: no
[23:57] Them: because there have been the same amount of those colored hair people throughout history.
[23:57] Them: we can take another genetic disease, i dont care.
[23:57] Them: cerebal palsy
[23:58] Them: if suddently the percentage of children born with cerebal palsy shot through the roof
[23:58] Me: Autism is not a disease
[23:58] Them: it would be called an epidemic
[23:58] Them: fine. condition.
[23:58] Me: but your nitpicking on the word epedemic
[23:58] Me: which is beyond the point, but I enjoy a good debate
[23:59] Them: i’m just trying to point out to you that its not insulting to call something an epidemic
[23:59] Me: it is insulting to call it a disaster
[00:00] Them: do you not think that millions of people going through a severe brain disorder is not a disaster?
[00:00] Them: it’s certainly something awful for the people involved, parents, families, etc.
[00:01] Me: well if Autism Speaks has there way if I was born a few years down the road my mother would be encouraged to abort me
[00:01] Me: they have already nailed part of the spectrum on that
[00:02] Them: would you really want to bring a child into this life who would have to live with autism?
[00:02] Them: knowing what you know now
[00:02] Them: if you had the choice to spare someone a difficult life, would you?
[00:03] Me: No, I would not abort a child because I knew they would be autistic
[00:03] Them: would you abort a child if you knew they were going to be severely physically deformed?
[00:04] Them: sickly for their whole life?
[00:04] Me: No
[00:04] Me: But you are comparing apples and oragnes
[00:04] Them: not at all
[00:04] Me: Autistic people are not sickly there whole life
[00:04] Them: look
[00:04] Them: autism/aspergers no DOUBT causes some distress
[00:05] Them: if not a lot of discomfort, problems, upset
[00:05] Them: if people are morally okay with aborting a child to prevent a life of discomfort, pain, upset
[00:05] Them: that’s likely the reasoning behind it
[00:07] Me: So if you were going to have a kid on the Autism Spectrum – would you abort it?
[00:07] Them: i dont know
[00:07] Them: depends
[00:08] Me: on what does it depend?
[00:09] Them: how far along my pregnancy is, how the father feels, etc
[00:10] Me: so you view me as a lesser life form then you?
[00:10] Them: yes. thats precisely what i’m saying.
[00:11] Me: what makes me a lesser life form then you?
[00:11] Them: i was being sarcastic.
[00:12] Me: then I’m still waiting for an answer
[00:13] Them: no! God, of COURSE not. how can you even think that?
[00:13] Them: if i really thought that, would i even engage in conversation with you?
[00:14] Me: then I hate to be harsh, but you just said that if you were pregnant with a child and you knew it was on the Autism Spectrum you would seriously consider aborting it
[00:14] Them: BECAUSE I WOULD BE COMPASSIONATE
[00:14] Them: jesus christ, zach!
[00:14] Them: i just went over the fact that i would if my child had cerebal palsy
[00:14] Them: to AVOID the pain and discomfort.
[00:15] Them: to spare a life of hardship
[00:15] Me: so you would consider aborting someone like me?
[00:15] Them: i’m not having this conversation anymore.

What upsets me is the fact that they as someone who is very Christian thinks that abortion is a compassionate thing and would be a good and encouragable thing to do.  What are your thoughts on abortion in the case of disability.

Everyone goes through depression, and sometimes Satan uses the strongest of Christians’ disabilities to try and talk them into suicide.   Many times Satan tries to convince that we screwed up and God doesn’t want us or love us anymore.

This great video shows how much God loves us not matter what, please watch it.

Many people don’t realise God knows were going to screw up, he expects it and that’s why he sent Jesus.

Often fathers day invovles a lot of pain, anguish and hurt.  Families are often the sources of the most pain in our lives, but I think on fathers day we should also spend time recognizing the best father of all.

Below is a great video by Rob Bell on fathers.

God is an awesome dude, and he will never hurt you, never leave you.  I think on fathers day its very important to remember the heavinly father, don’t you agree?

Sometimes when Christians with Disabilities complain about the non-acceptance of non-disabled Christians they are met with the almost an attitude of why.  People with disabilties desire companionship, friends, fun just like everyone else!.

As someone who has a disability I know what its like….. people have full time jobs, spouses, kids, and sleep.  But sometimes I wonder if it would be possible if people would be considering spending an hour or two a week with someone that has a disability at their church.  Consider taking them for a movie, out to eat, or something you would do with any of your other friends.  Recently one of my pastors took a another disabled individual to the bar to watch a band this person loved play.

But They Are So Shallow….

But disabled people are so shallow and spend the whole time talking about their lives, their problems and their drama.  Well grow up – wouldent you be doing the same thing if you had no friends too?  People often need friends to help them get through difficult things in life – and believe it or not disabled people are people too!

The church and christians need to consider treating disabled people more like people, not like a mop that needs to be put in the back closet during church service.  While people need to be more patient with people that have disabilities, love is patient.  So the question is do you love people or not?