We all hear how churches are supposed to be places where all are welcome. If someone with worldly ills walks through the door we are to greet them with open arms. No sin or condition is too big for God or his congregation.That being said, would you (with your young kids in tow) sit next to some one with Tourette's syndrome?
4 comments:
Absolutely we would.
Tourette's is not contagious, so why wouldn't we sit beside someone with it?
also, doesn't tourette's only sometimes manifest itself with the cursing aloud thing we associate it with? i thought it was mostly just irresistible compulsions, but usually just compulsions to tic. yep, i just now looked it up on wikipedia and that's kind of what it said. i guess maybe you're saying it's someone with one of the rare cases where they do shout curses. i think it is something that is definitely treatable and manageable, so all the more reason to reach out and love someone as they deal a really difficult affliction. why? do you know someone with tourette's? and don't say me :)
I knew someone would add that not all people we tourettes swear. 1 point to mrs. edema.
this was just one of those random conversation my wife and I were having one night.
I don't think the church would be as accommodating as is thought. I think that if you did have the type that swears you would find yourself unwelcome pretty fast.
I knew someone who went to a church where a family had a child with tourettes. It wasn't easy for the family, and mostly, they tried to make it easier on the church. But a lot of the church members tried to reach out to the family.
That being said, I think any church that wants to be Christlike would work at making a person (adult or child) with tourettes welcome. It would take work and education of the pastors, leadership, and congregation, but I believe the effort would be made.
I think it is like any other physical, emotional, or neurological challenge. Incorporating someone with special needs into any corporate body always takes special effort, but it is always worth the effort.
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