Social Justice and the Current Mental Health Crisis

Social Justice And The Current Mental Health Crisis

In today’s world, mental health is a hot topic. Everywhere we look, we see “suicide awareness month”, “domestic awareness”, or other hot button topics that often make the news. In today’s world where young people die by suicide at an almost unseen rate, the CDC reports that suicide rates are up 36% from 2000 levels. Depression currently affects 10% of adults and is the leading cause of disability. WHO reports that 1 in 13 of us suffer with anxiety, but only 1/3 of those suffering ever receive treatment. These statistics truly create a bleak picture of mental health in the modern world.

As a mental health professional, it is my responsibility to promote healing and peace within the people I serve. Many of us work long hours, for little pay, while spending much of our resources to maintain up-to-date training, insurance, and licensure requirements in order to help others. To see a client move from depressed, anxious, suicidal, or all of the above to healing and peace is our greatest reward and the reason we do what we do.

In this short article, I would like to explore ways that our current, and extremely popular social justice movement has impacted mental health in the world. This article is in no way meant to be an exhaustive discourse on the effects or philosophies of the social justice movement, but a brief overview of how Marxism/social justice has impacted our current mental health crisis. Also, by way of introduction, modern day Marxism often goes by other names, “social justice”, “woke”, and “progressivism” to only name two. For the remainder of this article, I will use the term Marxism to refer to all of the above, as this is the origin of the current terms. When mentioned by media, Marxism (social justice) is often preceded by the phrase “the science says” or “experts agree”, or “the vast body of knowledge indicates”, in order to bolster credibility but with no real substance to back it up. By way of disclosure, much of this article will be based on 62 years of life, personal study, and observations made. I will give a brief overview of Marxist thought in the areas of race, religion, sexuality and gender, and the sanctity of life debate and how Marxism has affected the current mental health crisis for each. Before beginning, I realize that all of these represent emotionally charged debates, each eliciting strong emotions on both sides. This article is not intended to be a blatant attack on either side, or intended to show disrespect to individuals as the subject of this is blog post is a particular ideology rather than individuals or personalities.

Race

Over a half a century ago, Martin Luther King had a dream that his grandchildren would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. We have truly come a long way from the goal of civil rights goal of being judged by our character to being almost entirely about the color of our skin. In today’s economy, it is a shame, not to be immoral, violent, or criminal, but simply to be born white. Children are taught at a young age, that all white people are racist and hate anyone that is not like them. It is no wonder that we are seeing an entire generation of self-loathing white children, full of hate directed inward simply because they were born white. This has become so prevalent that in recent news, a white woman, Rachel Dolezal, portrayed herself as black in order to be accepted in the current social justice world. Racial self-hatred is only part of the picture, but in light of the hatred and castigation of white people, especially vulnerable children and adolescents, merely because of their race, it is not surprising that children today are in a mental health crisis. Shame is a hallmark of trauma and other mental illnesses. This shame and self-hatred is instilled in small children in the name of social justice.

While white children are often victims of this destructive ideology, black and brown children often fare little better, and are taught to hate white children. This anger and resentment are often manifested in depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and other mental and physical illnesses later in life as a result of years or decades of the chronic release of stress hormones due to the paranoid belief that all white people are out to get them. As mental health professionals, we realize that years of hate and resentment ultimately result in mental illnesses. I routinely work with inner city teens of all races and often see black and brown teens that hate white children solely due to what they see and hear from the news media and Hollywood personalities. If there’s a glimmer of hope, it is that I also often see black and brown children that see through the damaging Marxist philosophies and simply refuse to participate, choosing instead to base their opinion of others on their own observations and often teaching by their parents.

While I cringe for fear of being called a racist as I write these words, I’m also saddened to see the damaging effects of what I refer to as “Marxist racism” that has infected our society with such effectiveness. One of the primary tools of Marxist propaganda is name calling to discredit anyone that refuses to participate in the madness. This fear of being discredited, called names, or ostracized has silenced most people of all races from speaking out against this form of racism and hatred. I fully expect to get hate mail over this post, and for making note of the harmful effects of this ideology on the mental health of the world. As I do, I will continue to help facilitate healing among white, black, and brown children and adults with equal love and compassion. Much of my life has been spent in inner-city Memphis alleys, under bridges, and in ghetto slums providing aid to the underprivileged, mostly black and brown. I have no need to defend myself in this area.

Religion

Karl Marx referred to religion as “the opiate of the people”. As a mental health practitioner, I realize fully what this means. An opiate closes the mind and dulls the senses, while facilitating an escape from reality. Marxist philosophy says there is no God, no afterlife, and no accountability to anyone but ourselves. This narcissistic viewpoint, while claiming to be atheist, does nothing to negate God, but to the contrary, puts mankind in the place of God and puts man in God’s very throne. Does this sound familiar? Remember satan in the garden of Eden. The serpent told Adam and Eve that God knew that if they ate the fruit, they would become like God himself, in effect, becoming their own little gods. Not much has changed and Marxism, like most other pagan religions, is still promoting the idea of dethroning God and becoming gods ourselves.

I routinely work with clients who are suicidal, either in ideology or in actions. Many of these hurting and vulnerable people go as far as self-harm, cutting, scratching, or burning themselves. Head banging and hair pulling are also common self-harm behaviors. When assessing these clients I always ask “Do you have any spiritual beliefs that help you cope when things get rough?”. Inevitably, with very few exceptions I’m told “no” to this question. Children in the public education system are taught that they evolved from apes and are nothing more than highly evolved animals. With Karl Marx echoing in the background, children are taught that faith in God is for the uneducated and simple minded, and that this world is all there is. What is even more ironic is that as our children are taught they are simply smart chimps, academia is trying to figure out why they act like animals. Is it really a wonder why teenage pregnancy is skyrocketing, violent crimes are continually rising, and intelligence scores are decreasing? As prisons are overflowing, antisocial behaviors continue to rise and Marxism is still alive and well. As social justice becomes increasingly influential in society, and in particular, in the home, the mental health crisis becomes increasingly dire. We are experiencing the natural consequences of rejecting God and embracing Marxist philosophies.

Sexuality and Gender

Another victim of social justice that has had a significant impact on today’s mental health has been our very biological identity, instilled by God himself. For social justice ideology, no concept or undeniable fact of science is untouchable or irrefutable. Imagine for a moment the birth of your first-born child. Imagine the hopes you have for them and how much you love and adore them. Now imagine their innocent minds being invaded by the enemy, telling them that God made a BIG mistake in how they were born. Your sweet little girl was born in the wrong body and is actually a boy! No, wait a minute! She’s not a boy, at least all of the time. Sometimes she’s a girl, but not all of the time. Sometimes she/he isn’t either a boy or a girl. They’re some kind of hybrid with no particular gender at all! Sound confusing? If this sounds confusing as an adult, imagine the confusion to a young to a young child’s mind, hearing adult voices telling them to explore their gender and your sexuality. Imagine the confusion, the anxiety, and depression as they begin to doubt the reality of their own gender. Imagine, if you will, your child’s confusion when they see Hollywood “stars” proclaiming their new found gender or identity as “whatever”! This is postmodernism, and social justice at it’s finest. As an older man, I can imagine only a few years ago someone telling me that their fine young son was actually their beautiful daughter. As parents today tell the story of how their 5 year old son realized that he is actually a 5 year old little girl, and is now undergoing genital mutilation and chemical puberty blockers to prevent him from becoming a huge mistake as a boy, I can’t help but be shocked. What’s more shocking is the pride they present as they tell the story of how they’re having their son’s penis amputated and beginning hormone injections so he can grow breasts as they give him a girl’s name - this, supposedly to help him better evolve into the girl he was meant to be. This is the point where children, adolescents, and adults suffering from gender confusion hit the proverbial brick wall. No lie or Marxist propaganda can negate what we instinctively know. We are what we were born by God’s sovereign choice. Every chromosome in our bodies screams male of female. Our reproductive systems, our bone structure, our musculature, and our facial features all clearly understand that we are what we were meant to be – male or female. When society lies to children and attempts to deceive them with tales they know to be lies, serious mental illness is sure to become a part of societal fabric. Severe depression, anxiety, and suicidality are all part of this lie. Peer reviewed research bears this out. Members of LGBTQ are among the highest population of suicidality, depression, anxiety, and self-harm, but when Marxist college professors are forced to discuss this inconvenient reality, it is usually explained by ostracism, homophobia, and transphobia by others that are not accepting of their reality. I often wonder if this lie is believed by anyone or if students just go along to avoid being punished for not noticing ‘the emperor’s new clothes”.

The same concepts and ideology hold true for homosexuality and other deviant sexual lifestyles. The common Marxist strategy is that it is either accepted and embraced as normal, good, and wholesome or it is disagreeable by “haters” and “homophobes”. Disagreement is further explained by academia and media as the “uneducated”, or as a past president noted regarding those that disagree with Marxist philosophy “clinging to their guns and religion”.

Pro-Life vs. Pro-Death

In the Marxist worldview, life is cheap and death is often preferrable (for everyone but the Marxist). Consider past Marxist and semi-Marxist world leaders. To avoid pointless arguments I will not name names, but history is clear. In the Marxist worldview, life is cheap and ending lives is a common way to get what you want, gain new ground, or just make money. The Marxist death industry is no different. Whether the topic is abortion, physician assisted suicide, population control, or euthanasia, the fact that life for the Marxist is cheap is indisputable.

Where abortion is concerned, arguments range from the rights of the mother to the betterment of society but the end result is the same. Every time an abortion is performed someone dies. Abortion – what a clean and sanitized word to describe cold, calculated, and planned murder of an innocent child. I find it ironic that, even within the pro-life community, using the word murder, to describe this atrocity is shunned and avoided. It would seem that there is often more integrity within the pro-abortion movement than within the opposing side. Ardent pro abort proponents will actively and openly march for their right to kill children, often with no guise of ignorance regarding the act. Common arguments range from the life of the “mother” to dehumanizing the baby, making them merely blobs of tissue. All of these arguments have been adequately disproven. All that is left is the murder of an innocent child, although usually not worded so bluntly. As a follower of Christ, I have, at times, been ashamed of my family in Christ, as they shy away from calling abortion what it is, and instead use softer terms to avoid being punished by the social justice warriors.

“Physician-assisted suicide” has been a hot topic for years and is now coming closer to a common reality in this country. It has already become commonplace in more socialistic parts of the world, and is now making its way here. While it is clearly physician assisted killing, it is sanitized and repackaged as “death with dignity”. Imagine injecting someone with poison as “death with dignity”. While this would be laughable if not so sad, this is the tactic of Marxist idealogues making and promoting policy today.

This brings us back to mental health and how this culture of death, brought to us by Marxism, affects the mental health of society. With life so cheap and death so readily available and socially acceptable, it is no wonder why so many young people are questioning the meaning and value of life and opting for harmful and damaging behaviors. If, in fact, as Marxism would suggest, we are merely intelligent animals, and life is so cheap, why bother? We are in an epidemic of suicidality and the question of “why” is still being asked despite overwhelming evidence that, in the absence of God, life is just not worth living.

This has been only a small sampling of Marxist philosophies that are currently shaping our country and our laws. To cover every aspect of Marxism and its effect on mental health would be a major undertaking. My hope is that this small sample will be adequate to help thinking individuals begin to make informed decisions and to see the harmful effects on Marxism in our current society and on the mental health of our world. This blog post may well turn out to be the “death kiss” to my career. If so, it has been well spent, and with no regrets. My conscience, as a mental health professional, is clean, as my focus is, and has been on healing and hope within my valued clients. A goal of this writing is to help encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to be brave, considering the shortness of this life and the accountability we have to our King and Savior. Fear God and serve him without reservation or consideration of the consequences.

Summary

The current mental health crisis has affected most, if not all of us in some way. Most of us have friends or family that are suffering the effects of trauma, divorce, violence, loneliness, and occasionally Covid. The best peer reviewed research suggests that healthy relationships are a primary driver toward wholeness. Healthy relationships imply togetherness, empathy, unity, peace, and harmony. Although the social justice Marxist crowd chants equality and justice, they simply cannot provide what they claim to deliver, and more often than not show little regard for equality, but focus more on divisiveness, division, malice, resentment and anger. Marxism has never, nor will it ever provide a solution to mental health issues, but frequently exacerbates them with a divide and conquer mentality. Marxism, by definition, divides, rather than unites, destroys, rather than builds up, and insures resentment, rather than acceptance. Even with this bleak outlook, there is a positive alternative.

Two thousand years ago, God demonstrated and proved his love and justice toward humanity. As God’s creation, created in his very image, we have rebelled against him and have violated his laws. The punishment for this, as reported in the Bible, is eternal separation from God and eternal punishment. This is justice. We are guilty of willfully violating God’s laws and deserve God’s punishment. God, in his perfect love, made a way for our relationship with him to be restored and to be in relationship with him, rather than suffering the punishment we deserve. Two thousand years ago, God sent his son Jesus to come and live a perfect and sinless life, and then to die a sacrificial death in our place; a death we so deserve. When we turn from our sin against God, and turn to Jesus, trusting in him and his perfect sacrifice, his sacrificial death is applied to our account, restoring a perfect relationship with him. This is the perfect example of the synergy of justice and love.

Comparing Marxism with Jesus brings justice and unity into sharp contrast. Marxism’s goal is division. Jesus unites. Marxism promotes death. Jesus gives eternal life. Marxism promotes resentment. The new nature in Jesus brings understanding and grace. Marxism promotes hatred and anger. Jesus gives love (For God so loved the world). Marxism claims we are nothing more than intelligent animals. The Bible reports that we are God’s greatest creation, made in his image. In short, Jesus is the author and creator of life, love, and unity.