A Biblical Response to Mental Health and the Rise of Clinical Psychology: Why the Historical Church Was Enough

Why the Historical Church Was Enough: A Biblical Response to Mental Health and the Rise of Clinical Psychology

Part 1 of 2

I. The Church’s Historical Role in Mental and Emotional Well-Being

For millennia, churches have provided counsel, community, and discipline to help individuals navigate life’s challenges. The pastoral system, alongside scriptural teachings, offered spiritual and moral guidance that helped individuals take responsibility, repent, and grow in faith and character. Christian communities upheld self-governance, reinforcing biblical principles of personal accountability, repentance, and healing through faith.

The effectiveness of this system was reflected in lower rates of mental illness and societal stability, as faith, discipline, and mutual care within the Body of Christ ensured emotional and spiritual resilience. Historically, mental well-being was not viewed as something requiring clinical intervention, but rather as an aspect of spiritual struggle and personal growth. The biblical model relied on pastors, elders, and community support—not medicalized therapy—to bring about true healing.

II. The Rise of Clinical Psychology and the Profit Motive

While psychology as an academic discipline has existed for centuries, its transformation into a clinical industry largely occurred after World War II, with a significant acceleration in the 1960s. The Bobgans highlight how the psychiatric and psychological industries merged with Big Pharma, driven by figures such as the Rockefellers, whose financial interests shaped modern medicine and mental health treatment.

Prior to this, psychology was largely a theoretical field, used primarily for academic study and not for clinical intervention. The application of psychology as a therapy was frowned upon by the medical community. However, corporate and governmental incentives led to the expansion of psychiatric care into mainstream medical practice, creating an industry dependent on endless diagnoses, therapy sessions, and pharmaceuticals.

In the 1960s, the American Psychological Association (APA), in collaboration with state governments and universities, helped establish licensing requirements and insurance billing structures that locked psychotherapy into the legal and medical systems. This shift allowed for massive profits through mental health diagnoses, which were often subjective and inconsistent. By medicalizing emotional and behavioral struggles, the industry created lifelong customers rather than lasting solutions.

The Rockefeller Foundation played a pivotal role in shaping modern psychiatry and psychology in the United States. Their substantial funding and influence were instrumental in the development of psychiatric disciplines and institutions. This financial backing facilitated the integration of psychological practices into mainstream medicine, aligning with the interests of pharmaceutical industries and leading to the medicalization of mental health.

III. Anti-Christian Bias in Psychological Practice

As psychology became entrenched in modern medical and legal systems, it also began reflecting anti-Christian bias, often undermining biblical values. Numerous psychologists have promoted secularist ideologies, disregarding Christian moral teachings, and at times suppressing religious expression in mental health discourse.

This bias is seen in cases where psychologists have:

• Advocated for policies that pressure Christian organizations to conform to secular worldviews.
• Supported practices like transgender surgeries for minors, despite medical and ethical concerns.
• Acted in collusion with political movements to undermine traditional Christian values.

At the federal level, efforts to counteract this discrimination have increased. The 2025 Executive Order on Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias highlights the need to protect religious free speech from targeted suppression. Recent laws also affirm these protections:

1. The 2022 Respect for Marriage Act (Pub Law 117-228) ensures that churches cannot be forced to provide services that violate their beliefs.
2. The 2018 First Amendment Defense Act (S.2525) explicitly prohibits government retaliation against individuals or organizations based on their religious beliefs regarding marriage.
3. Executive Order 13798 (2017) directed federal agencies to uphold religious liberty protections.
4. The Glucksberg Test (2022 Supreme Court Decision) reaffirmed that federally protected rights must be deeply rooted in historical and cultural traditions.
5. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (1993) prevents undue government interference in religious practices.
6. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (1964) prohibits religious discrimination in employment, further protecting Christians from bias.

Psychologists operating under the color of law—misusing legal or medical authority to push secularist views—may also violate federal conspiracy laws. It is a felony for two or more persons to conspire to suppress constitutionally protected rights, including religious free speech.

IV. Legal Ramifications, Federal Crimes, and the Threat to Individual Rights

One of the most dangerous consequences of the rise of psychology as a clinical and legal authority is the ability to force psychiatric evaluations and treatments on individuals, often violating fundamental constitutional rights. The Bobgans emphasize how psychiatric labels and evaluations can be weaponized in legal settings, leading to costly, drawn-out battles for individuals who have never even exhibited symptoms of a disorder.

1. Federal Crimes for Deprivation of Rights

The ability to petition a court for a psychological evaluation—without the individual having been diagnosed or tested—violates due process rights. Under the Fifth Amendment, individuals are protected from self-incrimination, yet psychiatric evaluations often force people into conversations that can be used against them in court or public records.

2. Reputation and Security Clearance Damage

Under federal law, deprivation of rights under color of law is a serious crime:

• 18 U.S. Code § 242 – Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law
  • It is a federal criminal offense for anyone acting under “color of law” (government officials, law enforcement, judges, etc.) to willfully deprive a person of rights protected by the Constitution.
  • Penalties: Up to 1 year in prison if no bodily injury, up to 10 years if bodily injury occurs, and life imprisonment or the death penalty if death results.
• 18 U.S. Code § 241 – Conspiracy Against Rights
  • If two or more people conspire to deprive someone of their constitutional rights, it becomes a separate federal crime.
  • Penalties: Up to 10 years in prison for a standard violation, and life imprisonment or death penalty if death, kidnapping, or serious harm results.

A relevant legal case, United States v. Guest (1966), established that private conspiracies interfering with constitutional rights could be prosecuted under federal law, even when minimal state involvement was present.

2. Psychological Evaluations as a Tool of Suppression

Psychological allegations, even if baseless, can permanently damage one’s reputation, employment opportunities, and security clearance eligibility. Courts and government agencies often view mental health accusations as disqualifying factors, leading to financial and professional ruin—even when no actual disorder is found.

3. Risks of Psychological Evaluations and Legal Precedents

Psychological evaluations, while often presented as helpful, carry significant risks. An important legal precedent was established in Jablonski by Pahls v. United States (1983), where the court found that psychiatrists can be held liable for negligence if they fail to review prior medical records before making a determination. This ruling underscores the inherent dangers of subjective or incomplete psychological assessments and highlights the legal risks of misdiagnosis.

VI. The Call for a Return to Biblical and Self-Governed Healing

The Bobgans make a compelling case that Christian mutual care within the Church is the only true solution to personal struggles. They argue that psychiatry has done more harm than good by pushing secular ideologies and suppressing religious truth.

• Creating a culture of victimhood rather than personal accountability.
• Pushing pharmaceutical dependency rather than repentance and discipline.
• Encouraging sinful conversations rather than godly resolution of struggles.
• Allowing legal systems to exploit psychological labels to ruin individuals unjustly.

The Church has successfully ministered to people’s emotional, spiritual, and social needs for centuries without the intrusion of psychology. The biblical model of pastoral guidance, repentance, faith, and discipline is sufficient, and history proves that it has produced stronger individuals and healthier societies than modern psychological intervention.

Conclusion: A Call for Legal and Social Reform

To protect individuals from unjust psychiatric intervention, legal reforms should be enacted to:

1. Require substantial evidence before court-ordered psychological evaluations can be issued.
2. Ensure that security clearances and employment opportunities cannot be revoked based solely on psychiatric allegations without proven medical necessity.
3. Hold psychiatrists and evaluators accountable for negligence and misdiagnosis, ensuring that legal and ethical standards are upheld.

Ultimately, the biblical model of mutual care, repentance, faith, and godly discipline is the most effective means of emotional and mental healing.

 

Further Reading

• Against Psychotherapy: For the Bible – This book exposes the incompatibility between psychotherapy and biblical Christianity, arguing that the Bible provides all necessary guidance for personal and spiritual struggles.
• Christian Response to Mental Illness – Examines the flaws of the mental health industry and presents a biblical approach to addressing emotional and mental challenges within the church.
• PsychoHeresy – A comprehensive critique of the psychological counseling movement and its infiltration into Christian ministries.

These three books are part of a five-book curriculum used in the course entitled “Does the Church Need Psychology”, a required study at St. Andrew’s Institute of Theology (Priory of Salem, OCC).

 

Disclaimer: This material is offered for educational and moral insight only, and does not constitute legal advice. For any legal matter, please consult a qualified attorney.

In part 2, aspects of fraud, defamation, libel, slander, unethical malpractice, injuries, compensation for damages, and even a tested legal theory on perjury crimes. Students and members of St Andrew’s Institute of Law have access to part 2.