The Pulpit vs. The Brain: Why Mental Illness Is Not a Sin

Imagine walking into a church on Sunday morning with a broken leg. You are limping, in visible pain, and using crutches. Now, imagine the pastor greeting you at the door, taking your crutches away, and saying, "You don't need these. You just need to have more faith. Your broken bone is actually a spiritual issue."

It sounds absurd, doesn't it? We would never tell a diabetic to put down their insulin and "just pray more." We understand that the pancreas is an organ, and sometimes, organs malfunction.

So why, when it comes to the brain—the most complex organ in the human body—do we suddenly throw medical wisdom out the window?

The brain is the central operating system of your existence. It regulates your heartbeat, your hormones, and your nervous system. And just like a femur can break or a pancreas can fail, the brain can get sick. It can suffer from chemical imbalances, nerve cell damage, infections, trauma injuries, structural irregularities and neurodegenerative diseases, to name just a few.

Yet, in many religious circles, admitting you are struggling with your mental health is treated not as a medical reality, but as a spiritual failure.

The Danger of "Pulpit Medicine"

The stigma against mental health in the church is not accidental; it is often taught. There is a growing and dangerous trend of religious leaders offering medical advice without a shred of medical training.

They frame complex physiological struggles—like anxiety, depression, or trauma—as "sin issues" that can be fixed solely through repentance and scripture.

Perhaps the most high-profile example of this harmful rhetoric comes from John MacArthur, a prominent pastor and author with massive influence in evangelical circles.

In recent years, MacArthur has explicitly denied the existence of mental health diagnoses from the pulpit. During a Q&A session, he stated:

"The major noble lie is there is such a thing as mental illness."

He went further, dismissing specific, clinically recognized disorders:

"There's no such thing as PTSD. There's no such thing as OCD. There's no such thing as ADHD. Those are noble lies to basically give the excuse to, at the end of the day, to medicate people."

Regarding PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), a condition that affects veterans, abuse survivors, and first victims of violent crime, MacArthur reduced it to a simple emotion:

"Take PTSD, for example... What that really is, is grief."

This reductionism is not just factually incorrect; it is deeply harmful. PTSD is not merely "grief." It is a physiological restructuring of the brain where the amygdala (the fear center) remains in a constant state of hyper-arousal. Telling a veteran or an abuse survivor that their flashbacks and panic attacks are just "grief" or a "lack of trust in God" heaps shame upon suffering.

The Harm of Labeling Sickness as Sin

When influential leaders claim that mental illness is a "noble lie," they are essentially telling their followers that suffering is a choice.

This theology creates a dangerous binary:

1. If you are a "good Christian," you will be happy and anxious-free.

2. If you are depressed or anxious, you must be in sin.

This keeps people away from life-saving interventions. I have spoken to countless individuals who stayed off necessary medication for years because they were terrified of "not trusting God enough."

MacArthur has even claimed that medicating children for things like ADHD is "turning your child into not only a potential drug addict, but a potential criminal."

This fear-mongering isolates parents who are trying to do the best for their children, especially when they have exhausted all other alternatives. It demonizes medical tools that help regulate dopamine levels in the brain, allowing children to focus, learn, and function.

A Better Theology of the Body

We need to reclaim a theology that honors the body and the brain.

If we believe we live in a "fallen world" where our bodies are subject to decay, sickness, and death, why would the brain be exempt? Why is the brain the only organ expected to function perfectly 100% of the time?

Struggling with mental health is not a sin. Taking medication is not a lack of faith. Going to therapy is not a rejection of God.

• Therapy helps us untangle the stories we tell ourselves.

• Medication (if and when needed), helps balance the chemistry that keeps our "operating system" running.

• Somatic work helps our nervous system learn that we are safe.

These are gifts. They are tools of common grace.

If you are hurting today, please hear this: Your struggle is a signal that your body needs care, not a sign that your soul is broken. Do not let bad theology keep you from the healing you deserve.

References & Further Reading

1. MacArthur's Comments on Mental Illness:

• Mere Orthodoxy: "Against the Moral / Medical Divide" (July 2024). This article discusses MacArthur's statement that mental illness is a "noble lie."

• Religion Unplugged: "Pastor John MacArthur Denies Existence Of Mental Illness" (May 2024). Includes the quotes on PTSD being "grief" and the denial of OCD/ADHD.

2. The "Noble Lie" Sermon:

• These comments originated from a Q&A panel at Grace Community Church and were widely circulated via YouTube and social media clips in early 2024.

3. Biblical Counseling & The Brain:

• For a counter-perspective within the church that supports mental health, look to resources from The Christian Trauma Healing Network or works by Dr. Curt Thompson (Psychiatrist and Author), who bridges the gap between faith and neuroscience.