Psych Meds a Sin?

Appreciation

I love, appreciate, and respect Tony Miano. I am thankful for his example in evangelism. 

Introduction

A couple of days ago, Tony was a guest on the G220 Radio, a podcast hosted by my friend Mike Miller and his friend Ricky Gantz. On this podcast, Tony argues against Christians taking psych meds, asserting that use of such medications undermines the sufficiency of Scripture. Tony seemed to be saying that for a Christian to use psychiatric medications is a sin.

In response to a question I raised on the livestream, Tony was (helpfully) crystal clear that disagreements on the use of psych meds is not a first-order issue. However, it seemed like the use of psych meds was still being presented as somewhat analogous to an error regarding church government or the ordinances: where disagreements between genuine Christians might exist, yet there are some who must be biblical and some who must be unbiblical in their practices.

Taking psychiatric medications (or allowing one's child to take psych meds) may be wise or unwise in a given situation, but the taking of such meds cannot be called a sin for three reasons: the definition of the sufficiency of Scripture, the distinction between spiritual replacement and physical tool, and the dire circumstances in which one may be involved.

Definition of the Sufficiency of Scripture

The first reason that taking psych meds is not necessarily a sin involves the definition of the sufficiency of Scripture. The definition of scriptural sufficiency is based on passages such as 2 Timothy 3:16-17,

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (ESV)

Scripture's sufficiency is well-summarized in the Abstract of Principles, which declares that Scripture is "the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience." For saving knowledge, for faith, and for obedience to God, the Bible is sufficient. The Bible is not sufficient (nor does it claim to be sufficient) for absolutely every aspect of practically navigating God's creation. If your hiking guide, helicopter pilot, or heart surgeon tells you that the only training he received for his job was reading his Bible, then you would be rightly concerned; if you want to teach your teenager to do his Algebra or to drive an automobile, then you had better seek some books and experiences outside the Bible. It may be the case that if you want to make strident statements against medical practices or pharmacology, extra-biblical research is needed as well.

Distinction between Body and Soul

The second reason that taking psych meds is not necessarily a sin involves the distinction between body and soul. The argument against psych meds would claim that the meds are being sought not just as a means to navigate this physical world in a particular way, but that the meds are meant to minister to a person's soul in a way that only Scripture can do.

IF psychiatric medications are being used as a spiritual replacement for repentance and sanctification (and Tony indicates that, in his own experience, that's how the medications WERE being used), THEN taking psych meds IS a sin. HOWEVER, it is not NECESSARY to use medications as a SPIRITUAL REPLACEMENT. Instead, medications could be a useful PHYSICAL TOOL to deal with symptoms in order to set the stage for addressing deeper, spiritual needs. If a person has a pounding headache that is distracting him from prayer, it is no sin for him to take some Tylenol before praying. If a person is having panic attacks–including rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, and nausea–it is no sin for him to take a psych med to help deal with the panic attack symptoms before moving on to address the spiritual issues of anxiousness that might be the root of the attacks.

Dire Circumstances

The third reason that taking psych meds is not necessarily a sin involves the dire circumstances in which one may be involved. If a person is involved in self-harm and suicidal tendencies, then that person desperately needs direction toward Christ and discipleship. However, if the patterns of thought and tendencies are so severe that she is in immediate danger from herself, then psychiatric medications may be a helpful step in preserving physical life until the needed spiritual work may be done. To label psych meds a sin, causing shame to those who permit their use, may take away a helpful tool for keeping someone alive long enough to hear a needed gospel word.

Conclusion

The act of taking psychiatric medications (or allowing one's child to take psych meds) cannot simply be labeled as sin due to the definition of the sufficiency of Scripture, the distinction between spiritual replacement and physical tool, and the dire circumstances in which one may be involved. We need to be careful not to call an action a sin, when the Bible has not called that action a sin: to do so may be a true violation of scriptural sufficiency. This matters to Christians who are at the end of their rope, and who are seeking tools to help get them (or their children) to a place where their thoughts are coherent enough to allow them to receive the instruction from God's Word that they ultimately need.