ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE

   Well, it's another night where I can't sleep.
   It's another night with too much swirling around in my mind.
   There's one particular subject that keeps occupying all my thoughts.
   Sin. How does it relate to someone with a mental illness, whichever one or more it may be?
   As a Christian; is mental illness a sin? No! Of course not!
   Can we consider our actions while in the midst of some serious psychosis sinful?
   That's not for you or I to say. Only God can judge that.
   Simply put; a sin is a sin is a sin...
   In regards to mental illness and sin, to single any one action out as a particularly worse sin, well, I have to question the logic in that thinking.
   For instance, putting suicide in the spotlight as a particularly worse sin than, say, murder, stealing, lying, or arrogance is making a judgement call.
   Now, I know what I just wrote could be said as the same. But, I'm just offering an opinion, trying to give some food for thought. Agree or disagree, it makes no difference to me.
   I would point out, very strongly, saying suicide is a sin and having someone who is on the verge or thinking about committing suicide read that kind of statement, could very well be what pushes them over the edge.
   In a court of law someone found to be mentally unfit to understand one's actions is usually found not guilty by reason of insanity or mental defect. Harsh wording, true. But that's how it's worded.
   I'm not trying to say anyone who is mentally ill is immune from taking responsibility for their actions. But, it must be taken into consideration.
   Remembering that mental illnesses are an imbalance of the chemicals in the body and the brain. Those chemicals being your emotions and/or feelings.
   So, yes, some leeway must be given.
   When having a psychotic break or some sort of psychosis the individual is not in control of their facilities, or in other words, not in control of their thoughts, and/or behaviour.
   Their actions could be considered that not of their own.
   It's not fair to measure a mentally ill person to a so-called "healthy" person, although the individuals are essentially the same, but at the same time they are not.
   The mentally ill's brain is not going to function the same as the "healthy" person, therefore aforementioned's reactions and actions in the same kind of situation will be far and wide different.
   Still, I do believe both are and should be held responsible for the actions and behaviours.
   For no one is separate from another.
   In ending, no one sin should ever be singled out from any other.
   For all sins are the very same in God's eyes. And one sinner is just as much as a sinner as the next. No matter which sin(s) that may be.
   I should add, to say; the mentally ill are not more prone to sin than than the one without a mental illness. The mentally ill are not any more vulnerable to sin than one without a mental illness.
   Each both face different challenges in facing the one's own sin for sure.
   Just remember to be pointing out any one sin, whether it be a part of mental illness or not, as such is questionable.
   We should not be singling out the negative, instead we should be working on the positive.
   Stop the ridicule and the judgement, and learn to love. Not just learning to love, but learning just what love truly is.
   There are more than plenty examples in God's Word of just what love is and what it means to love as a child of God.
   I know, I know, I was supposed to have ended, but more thoughts came into my mind, as always.
   We should be spending less time about what is sin on the outside and more time on working on the sin within one's own self.
   Being critical is always counter productive. We should be uplifting one another and encouraging one another than making someone's already unbearable burden that much more unbearable.
   "How we show love towards others is how we show our love for God." (Scott David Buckley)

SCOTT DAVID BUCKLEY