It is one thing to question what an illness is, and how it manifests itself. It is quite another to challenge its existence in the face of evidence armed only with faith in the supernatural. However, this is what Channel 4 deem fit for public consumption, despite the consequences. Sufferers of depression have enough to deal with when it comes to being accepted by society as genuinely “suffering” from a condition without having that struggle set back again by misinformation, ignorance, and religious pandering.
Channel 4, in their 4thought.tv slot featuring unconventional or controversial viewpoints, are screening a week of programmes that ask ‘is faith a remedy for depression?’
One speaker, Malcolm Bowden, is a Christian “who believes that depression is not a real mental illness but a manifestation of the cardinal sin of pride”.
The programme is broadcast tonight, Wednesday 25th April, at 7.55pm on Channel 4
Malcolm Bowden is, of course, entitled to his opinion. But, when it comes to a statement of scientific fact about illness, then an opinion can be clearly shown to be wrong.
He says, in his video, that “A true Christian should never be depressed…”
Dangerous, dangerous words. Ignorance is one thing, but people of faith watching this may now question their own feelings of despair, loneliness, sadness, and genuine clinical depression as signs of weakness of their faith. We know, in fact, that severe clinical depression is not only a ‘feeling’ but a true physical disability that can not be cured by positive thinking or ‘faith’ alone, and that a medical intervention is actually required.
Faith healers probably would.
I’m so angry right now that this viewpoint is being aired on national television without any form of rebuttal or the showing of evidence to the contrary. Some people will undoubtedly use this against sufferers of depression to belittle their condition, or even worse, sufferers will take it on board and fail to grasp the severity and reality of the condition’s requirements and the harsh reality of it.
Thoughts?
link: http://www.4thought.tv/themes/is-faith-a-remedy-for-depression/malcolm-bowden?autoplay=true (answer: No, it damn well is not.)
One Comment
Unbelievable. I think 4thought is often a challenging program, but why give something as dangerous as this a platform? If I can jump straight into Godwin territory, would they have Hitler answering the question “Should we kill the Jews?”.