A few days ago, I ordered personalized business/ministry cards to hand out at upcoming speaking engagements, seminars, and to individuals.
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I shared both sides of the card on my Facebook page. One of the commenters said that the card is an education source by itself. I thought about it and then agreed. Everything I do is interrelated just as neuroscience has interrelated areas. If a person has a biological, neurological, or genetic variance in one area, he/she/they are more likely to have variances in other areas. Every major medical association in the world says to include disabled, Neurodiverse, and LBGTQIA+ individuals and their families because it’s life-giving to do so and life-taking to reject. Then I hear the the Religious Right grumblers, “Well religious organizations don’t have to because they are exempt from a requirement to include just anyone, especially if it goes against our sacred beliefs.” Well, they don’t have to legally, but if they call themselves “pro-life,” they must. When churches and other entities exclude those who want to belong, they are endangering lives, especially if the families are forced to leave their Church, entity, or geographical area because they have to choose between their child’s right-to-life or stay. As a person with Parkinson’s Disease and ADHD, I have grown weary of being forced out of places who don’t care enough to listen to people who are different and hurting. Leadership just doesn’t want to bother with imperfect and different people who are seeking to serve others, love God, and receive healing.
Over the last 6 years, God has opened the eyes of millions of Christians to so many injustices primarily caused by the Religious Right. I don’t include conservatives in this group who do not want to cause harm and death to others. It’s just impossible to not see how the politicization of areas in the Church who calls herself “pro-life” has hurt and destroyed so many marginalized people with neurological, biological, and genetic variances over centuries. The last injustice I opened my eyes to was the destruction and killing of LBGTQIA+ youth at the hands of untrained clergy and laity. In some cases, I suspect it’s intentional although I hope and pray it’s not.
For the rest of my days, I am going to try and live out what God has called me to do. A good Catholic psychologist friend of mine told me I am created to do what is listed on my business card. I just want all people to know they are loved by God and not rejected, including the Church Christ founded on the Rock of Peter, the Catholic Church. Either God is an angry, mean, and vengeful God, or he is a God of love, mercy, and forgiveness. I believe in carefully thinking about our actions and doing our best, but we are all human and only capable of doing our best without causing harm and endangerment to ourselves. This is especially true for those who fall on various spectrums of neurology and psychology. The church can no longer avoid and deny science. It must align it’s pastoral ministry with current science, or else people will continue to be endangered and die at the hands of clergy and laity. Sadly, I know some trads who think the lives and human dignity of marginalized groups of people, especially LBGTQIA+ people, are up for debate. Well according to Catholic teaching, no lives are up for debate. Period.
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