Is our child’s disability a result of parental sin? Surprisingly enough, many people believe this statement to be true. To be clear, I’m talking specifically about children born with a disability. Not those whose disabilities are a result of illness or accident.
This is a hurtful statement. Not only is it shaming, but it also has the potential to push people away from God. After all, who wants to have a relationship with a God who punishes the kids for their parents’ wrongdoing?
If this statement was an antiquated notion I wouldn’t give it a passing thought. Unfortunately, it’s still around today. I’ve had several moms tell me they had loved ones and/or church members share this belief with them. Personally, I’ve had several people enlighten me as well. As a result, it’s a subject that needs discussing.
Is our child’s disability a result of parental sin?
My plan was to take this topic and break it down into smaller chunks. Then explore what the Bible says. Starting first with the Biblical view on children. Then progressing to how God punishes sin. Finally ending with “Does God punish others for our sins?”.
It seemed simple and straightforward enough on paper. But writing it proved to be an entirely different matter.
The roadblock
Every time I sat down to write the arguments against this statement, I kept hitting a roadblock. Not in the sense I didn’t know what to write. More like I was treating the symptoms rather than dealing with the problem itself. Essentially putting a bandage over the situation instead of dealing with the issue itself.
This statement wasn’t about theology, even though it screams it. Practically begging for scripture to refute it. This was exactly how I approached it. However, I realized the heart of this statement isn’t a misinterpretation of scripture. It’s something deeper, it’s called ableism.
The heart and soul of the issue
Merriam-Webster defines ableism as discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities.
It’s not just discrimination on a physical or tangible level. But it also applies to beliefs and attitudes about disability. Some of these ideas have been ingrained in us since childhood. To such an extent we’re not even aware we’re expressing ableist beliefs.
The statement “Your child’s disability is due to your sin” is an ableist statement. Because it’s equating disability as punishment. Punishment from God, no less.
But if you remove the underlying ableist viewpoint, it’s the equivalent of removing the bottom level from a house of cards. The entire assumptiton would then collapses. Without a negative belief about disability this statement can’t exist.
But since it’s cleverly disguised as a religious belief, we focus on God and scripture as the solution. Rather than addressing the innate negative views about disability.
Mind you, it’s not an us versus them matter. Ableism affects us all. It’s prevalent in all societies and cultures. Across all social-economic backgrounds. Often disguised as a medical concern or in this case a religious opinion.
It’s cause and effect
This was my roadblock. Every time I focused solely on the Biblical perspective, I felt I wasn’t addressing the entirety of the issue. I couldn’t ignore the ableist mentality, considering it was the reason behind the statement.
I believe this opinion exists because it’s steeped in ableism. It’s a ’cause and effect’ scenario. Without an ableist outlook, this statement (and many others like it) would not occur.
Think about it, if I won a million dollars, no one would say to me; “You won all that money because God is punishing you for your sin.” No one would say it because it doesn’t make sense. Winning free money isn’t punishment.
In the same vein, remove the ableism behind the statement: “Your child’s disability is a result of parental sin”. Once the negative mindset has been removed, this statement doesn’t makes sense. Because disability isn’t punishment.
It’s important to remember, a child with a disability is made in the image of the Father like any other child. Their bodies are still fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) by God.
Next post…
How does one respond to this statement?
Click here to read more about ableism.