People with disabilities and church

4. Do doo doo.  Especially for males there is right and a wrong answer to the question, “what do you do?” If you give the wrong answer to this you are branded a man-fail and ignored. People with disabilities have a staggeringly high rate of unemployment and underemployment so they’re less likely to be viewed as worth engaging by church people.
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Well, I'm not disabled, but I was unemployed for quite a while (start my new job next week woo-hoo!!) and I can certainly identify with this one.

When I was looking for a new church home earlier this year, I joined in the men's group meeting, one Saturday morning, of the church I was interested in. At first it was all "great to have you here" and how ya doing?" and all of that. Once they found out I was unemployed, I could definitely sense a change in their attitude. I was practically ignored the rest of the meeting. It was quite awkward. Needless to say that was the only men's group meeting I went to, and didn't attend any Sunday services after that.
 
That's so true. The disabled and unemployed are set apart. At least in the church we belong.
That is one thing I enjoy about the church we visit in our hometown, everyone is equal.
 
People see disability as a person who needs handouts. To be honest, there ARE those who use their disability as a means to get assistance from the church or other charitable organizations. I have seen it. However, since I have a disability and do not want the shame of being on disability I struggle through life trying to make ends meet. Being on disability would provide so much less for my family than if I continue struggling like I do now. NO. I am not wheelchair bound. NO I am not uneducated. I am someone with a disability that others do not see as a disability but it is very disabling. Doctors are beginning to understand it and insurance providers are becoming aware of it. However, If i cannot knock on doors or stand on my feet for 8 hours I am deemed unprofitable by society and by the church.

If a church cannot and will not allow you to serve and belong they are fleecers and users.
 
Lighthouse said:
People see disability as a person who needs handouts. To be honest, there ARE those who use their disability as a means to get assistance from the church or other charitable organizations. I have seen it. However, since I have a disability and do not want the shame of being on disability I struggle through life trying to make ends meet. Being on disability would provide so much less for my family than if I continue struggling like I do now. NO. I am not wheelchair bound. NO I am not uneducated. I am someone with a disability that others do not see as a disability but it is very disabling. Doctors are beginning to understand it and insurance providers are becoming aware of it. However, If i cannot knock on doors or stand on my feet for 8 hours I am deemed unprofitable by society and by the church.

If a church cannot and will not allow you to serve and belong they are fleecers and users.
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I see public disability assistance like insurance. We all pay in to the pool but hope we never have to file a claim. You should file for whatever you are entitled to. If you have contributed to society to the best of your ability then that's what these programs are for. If your too lazy to work then thats a problem or if your disibility is a scam then that's one thing but I sense you are neither. I have not had to use my disability or unemployment benefits at all but I would not hesitate to file a claim if I had it coming to me. We all pay in so those who may need it can get it. I may need it next week but until I do I am fine with helping those who need it today.

I think if your unemployed one should be looking for a job. On the other hand any of us could loose our job & with this job market it can take a while to find a new one. Glad I'm not a member of a church that would look down on someone going through a tough time.
 
As a person with Cerebral Palsy, I find this article and discussion very interesting. I think numbers 8 and 9 are particularly relevant to my experience in the IFB world. I always found it ironic that my "pastor" would often times preach about the man with the palsy whom Christ healed, and yet that same pastor would keep me at an arm's distance for the seven years I was in his church and ministry. In the very image-based Christianity that is the IFB world, I discovered rather quickly that a person with CP had no real value to them because I never fit the mold of their movement.

It is sad really, because Christ was all about breaking the molds of religiosity.  After all was it not the beautiful people (the Pharisees and the like) whom Christ Himself condemned a lot of times?
 
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