Public service announcement… because as someone who has used mobility aids to help with my POTS and fibromyalgia.
Do not and I mean DO NOT… pray for me…
What seems harmless and may seem like people expressing their care and concern… is actually a form of proselytization.
To proselytize is the act of attempting to convert someone into a religion or different opinion.
While yes, I grew up southern baptist. (Have forever been really questioning though.) It is NEVER okay to try to convince or pray for somebody whom you do not know their belief system.
Especially if it’s someone like me who is disabled and you “pray” for me to be cured 😡
Small story time:
Over the holidays, my chronic illness was acting up but I still wanted to spend time with my family to see the Lights in OC. So for long distances, depending on how much pain I’m in that day. I either use my cane, wheelchair, or braces to help get me by.
Well, not long after getting to OC and stopping for food. Two “Christians” began to try to “help” me and to “pray” my disability away 😑
1. Not very Christian-like to pray for an illness that I will have for the rest of my life to be gone like God can fix that. This gives off the same energy as people who have told me in the past “there are no wheelchairs in heaven”. Not only is this extremely fucked up to tell me. But it leads me to further believe that God doesn’t love those with disabilities and that’s simply not or shouldn’t be the fucking case.
2. Also if I’m struggling, I WILL ASK FOR HELP. I do NOT need anyone’s help unless I SPECIFICALLY ASK. My mobility aid is an EXTENSION of ME. It’s like touching my arm when I hardly know you. DO NOT TOUCH ME OR MY MOBILITY AIDS WITHOUT MY SAY SO. And ESPECIALLY DONT CORNER ME. This does way more harm than good.
Another story time (UNRELATED TO RELIGION):
I went to ANOTHER set of lights in Rehobeth where this time I was in my wheelchair with my best friend’s family. Some guy had the audacity to tell his wife that I didn’t belong there… Wanna know why? Because he said “what was the point in her being here if she can’t do anything” 🤬
Ambulatory wheelchair users EXIST!
JUST BECAUSE YOU DONT OR REFUSE TO SEE US DOESNT MEAN WE DONT EXIST!
Also heaven should ALSO be disability accessible. And if you fucking think, that “yeah, when everyone goes to heaven they are their perfect selves!” “There are no wheelchairs, disabilities in heaven”
Actually sit on a cactus… Rethink and reprocess that line of thinking because I PROMISE YOU there is a deeper line of thinking than just that… The Bible has constantly been retranslated over and over again and if you honestly don’t think that ableist ideas haven’t been written into it, I don’t know what to tell you. it’s one of the MANY reasons why I don’t go to any church anymore or follow ANY group’s train of thought is because of the ABLEIST nonsense I have heard in the past from churches and fucking pastors AND HAVE HEARD RECENTLY AT A FUNERAL OF ALL PLACES!
AND OF YOU WANNA KNOW SOMETHING THATS NOT FUCKING SHOCKING TO ME AT ALL TO PROVE MY FUCKIMG POINT.
Churches are not obligated to follow the rules of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ☺️
What a fucking shocker.
If you were truly Christian you would fucking DO BETTER.