I first heard the term
Theophostic Counselling some years ago at Ballarat in Victoria, Australia where a highly educated lady had tried to introduce the practice to the fellowship, which relates to CWM, in that town. Fortunately the “elders” of the local church were alert and prevented it from getting a foothold. I was also able to help through the good work of Martin and Deidre Bobgan and their Psycho-Heresy ministry based in USA. We highly recommend the investigative work of the Bobgans. If you desire to know more about THEOPHOSTIC COUNSELLING and other psycho-heresies you can do no better than visit their website and/or register for their Psycho-Heresy Awareness Letter
(PHAL) – full address listed below (page 4)
The following two letters (one with some slight changes by the author) and the article Linkcare & Christian Psychology are from PHAL Vol 11, Number 5 – Sept-Oct 2003 – used with permission
.
Letter from Australia:
I am a medical doctor who has become profoundly concerned by the impact of neopaganism, by whatever name one chooses to call it, on the life and message of the Christian church. I have been almost catapulted into this by the activities of our previous pastor’s wife, who came to us ostensibly as a pastoral counsellor highly trained as a psychologist. She has proved to be a very disturbed lady, a rabid “biblical feminist” who has been totally absorbed in revealing unremembered childhood sexual abuse in all her counselees, whatever their presenting story.
She has repeated her performance at her husband’s previous church, where her activities tore the congregation asunder. They had the wisdom and the courage to tell the pastor to move on. She moved more cunningly with us, first recruiting her Amazon army of psychologically disturbed female church members whom she was able to dominate mentally, using them to create mayhem in church meetings. Her techniques were involved up to the hilt with those procedures now discredited as producing false memories.
Now she has moved on. Any new pastor will need our prayers that he should be used of God to bring about forgiveness, restoration and restitution. This will require the return of the preaching of the gospel and true doctrine to their rightful place. Such a man would, almost by definition, be concerned to prepare the congregation, particularly the youth and young adults, to fight for their faith against the onslaughts of paganism and Gnosticism. In such circumstances I shall be seriously committed to helping to create a quality church reference library.
Letter from Alaska:
One day, someone forwarded an email to me with comments from another believer who was taking a stand against Theophostics. At the end of the e-mail was a referral to your website. Needless to say, I made an immediate 2 beeline! I spent days here, reading, absorbing and printing stuff out! I was so thrilled to finally have the information that would confirm my observations. Based on what others have told me about their personal experiences with inner healing and the printed materials made available through the church, I can tell you emphatically that what you have written about inner healing and Theophostics is quite correct. A friend’s husband was enticed to try inner healing and he testified that he was told to yell, scream, and even use foul language ... whatever it took to “get it out!” He did not comply and decided right then and there that method was not for him.
I know nothing about psychology, well, very little; and I was shocked to learn how widespread the problem was and how infected the Church of Christ is across America! The Lord is indeed grieved. I did have some experience with Theophostics early on. I was a brand spanking new Christian and my Mom was having some pretty detrimental emotional problems and I wanted her to receive Christian counselling instead of secular. My church leaders referred me to a member who is a clinical professional who does Theophostics.
My Mom desired that I stay in the room with her, and it was OK with the counsellor. We attended three sessions with no results ... but I can attest to the “jesus” spirit guide you speak of in your articles. My Mom, a Christian, was uncomfortable with the whole thing.
I have wrestled for a long time with how to approach my pastor and church leaders on this. I have wrestled with leaving the church. I have agonized in prayer over whether I should even be agonizing over this! I want to keep my eyes on Him, but am committed in my heart to do as He instructs.
When Jesus miraculously healed my heart, I began to run FORWARD as fast as my little spiritual feet would go. I severed all ties with my past in order to follow Jesus. In fact, I told Him to put a torch to my bridges. From that day on, I knew I would never go back. Because I am a new creation, the Holy Spirit made me realize that I am whole and clean in Him. I feel like a virgin again! Wow! Only God could do that, and that’s why I love Him. That’s why I can give up my life for Him. My God actually did something for me! And I think that’s what I hate the most about Christian psychology ... it presents a weak Jesus. No wonder so few are excited about their redemption!
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-Last revised-
Monday, October 09, 2006
