The problem of pain

[_MCB]

At this time, I won't add personal details to this. However, the Mormon attitude towards children with disabilities is disgusting. It is as if they want to punish their parents. If you could share some anecdotes I would appreciate it. I might share my own extensive experience.

[_MrStakhanovite]

What is the Mormon attitude about children with disabilities?

[_harmony]

One of my visiting teachers is a DD woman. She grew up in my ward. The ward has always treated the family and her with loving care.

I don't know where you're coming from, but my experience with my ward's treatment of people with disabilities has never been negative. It is actually one of the most consistently favorable things about my ward.

[_Some Schmo]

At this time, I won't add personal details to this. However, the Mormon attitude towards children with disabilities is disgusting. It is as if they want to punish their parents. If you could share some anecdotes I would appreciate it. I might share my own extensive experience.

The biggest disability I had as a kid was being mor\mon, and yeah, the church treated me like crap.

[_MCB]

Apparently, it is evidence of the imperfection of the parents. Again, God punishes people for their sins by allowing them to have imperfect children.

I remember one grandmother whose grandchild's parents were apparently hopelessly troubled, and they decided to release her for adoption. The grandmother was not in good health, and could not parent. The people who attempted to adopt her were emotionally abusive, and tried to immediately re-make her in their image. She was overweight, and they imposed a very restrictive diet on her. The grandmother was very upset that hurt was piled on top of hurt, further damaging the child with a bad placement.

The people attempting to adopt her said "God has been good to us, and we want to share the blessings with a child in need." I guess the family did not recognize that this was Mormon-speak.

Harmony, your ward is probably a very good one. Maybe that is the reason why you have stayed. I understand that they consider Down's Syndrome to be an exception. The autism spectrum disorders are apparently not.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Hello,

I always perceived DD types treated with kindness and respect by Mormons.

Very Respectfully,

Doctor CamNC4Me

[_Themis]

Apparently, it is evidence of the imperfection of the parents. Again, God punishes people for their sins by allowing them to have imperfect children.

Apparently I missed this teaching growing up in the church. Perhaps you could show where the church teaches this. I remember lessons from the New Testament teaching against this in SS.

[_Inconceivable]

At this time, I won't add personal details to this. However, the Mormon attitude towards children with disabilities is disgusting. It is as if they want to punish their parents. If you could share some anecdotes I would appreciate it. I might share my own extensive experience.

Not really sure what you are refering to. You'll need to explain.

In my experience, I've witnessed children with/disabilities (and their parents) have always been treated with an abundance of love, understanding, care and respect within the Mormon society. Those with ADD/HD don't seem to fall into this category though. I dunno.

Referring to the church doctrine, special needs children are labeled as more special, closer to the celestial than all of us that apparently have all of their faculties to make choices etc. We are taught that it is a blessing from God to have these innocent children in our care.

In or out of Mormonism, this is the feeling of many parents with special needs children.

[_MCB]

Those with ADD/HD don't seem to fall into this category though. I dunno.

Referring to the church doctrine, special needs children are labeled as more special, closer to the celestial than all of us that apparently have all of their faculties to make choices etc

OK, so it is more specific to behavioral problems then. Thank you for your clarification. So probably it has more to do with unconditional "free agency," in that if a person has a behavioral problem, they can choose to not have one-- allied to the homosexuality issue?

[Guest]

Apparently, it is evidence of the imperfection of the parents. Again, God punishes people for their sins by allowing them to have imperfect children.

Apparently I missed this teaching growing up in the church. Perhaps you could show where the church teaches this. I remember lessons from the New Testament teaching against this in SS.

I would agree.

The church worships Joseph Smith, yet none of his actual children had the presence of mind to even join the Mormon church. How imperfect is that? No one has ever made a big stink about that.
-- edited to add - ..but they do keep it a dirty little secret.