Christians, Respect People with Developmental Disabilities

New York's Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities will now become the State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, leaving Rhode Island with the only state agency that still uses the word 'retardation' in its title. Using 'People with Developmental Disabilities' in the title is an example of People First Language, and it is hoped that the services offered will reflect the idea of putting the person (with the disability receiving services) first.

Though they are political in that they are used by state agencies to describe who receives certain state services, the terms 'developmental disability' and 'intellectual disability' are not simply the new politically correct terms for 'mental retardation'. For one, the term 'developmental disability' describes an array of disabilities. But, even more so, I think I could pretty much say as fact they exist because of the slanderous and hurtful way people began using the words 'retardation' and 'retarded'.

However, the term 'retardation' may have a similar history. Remember, the terms 'idiot', 'moron', and 'feebleminded' were once valid medical terms to describe what the still medical term of 'mental retardation' is today. But what we've done to those words, we've done to the word 'retarded'. They've become terms to describe something we despise and see as the lowest form of human characteristic- low intelligence. Gasp! Heaven forbid, we be seen as 'stupid', 'moronic', or 'retarded'!

So, I suspect, rather strongly, that once the terms 'developmental disability' and 'intellectual disability' become commonplace, it will be a common theme to hear 'developmentally disabled' or 'intellectually disabled' thrown at one another on the playground, imported into the stand up comic routines, or cursed at our remote controls when we can't get them to work. I'll use these new terms, but I don't think another term is what we need. What we need is respect for people with this particular disability- then we won't need to keep changing the words used to describe it every 30 years.

Respect people with developmental disabilities. Am I just moralizing? Expecting the world to follow my opinion of what is 'right' and 'wrong'?

I don't expect the world to follow anything 'right'- though sometimes they do, as is evident in the State of New York's attempt to be respectful of people with developmental disabilities. The Law of God (the 'right') is written on man's heart (Romans 2:13-15), and sometimes the unregenerate human follows it. But, by nature, man is also a sinner who can be expected to do what sinners do- sin or the 'wrong'.

But, Christians, those who've, by God's grace, repented of sin and trusted in Christ for forgiveness, have a new nature, and can now be expected to do what Christians do- 'right'. It is right to respect those with developmental disabilities. Love thy neighbor. Take care of the weak. Defend the cause of the poor and the needy. You know the verses. Christians are expected to do these things- not for our salvation, but as evidence that we've been made new creatures.

Who are these people to be respected, these people with developmental disabilities? Out of what theme are they to be respected? People with developmental and intellectual disabilities are men, women, and children who've been created in the image of God, who've been separated from their Creator by sin, who've been purchased back by Christ at the Cross, who, when called to repentance and the forgiveness of sin are justified and have the hope of eternal life free of sin, sickness, disability, and death through Christ's resurrection, and have the same new nature as and belong to the exact same Body as every other Christian. Sound familiar? Sound like you?

Who are these people to be respected? Your brothers and sisters. Out of what theme? The Gospel.

By nature, the Law of God is written on our hearts. Through the work of Christ at the cross and the regeneration and sanctification of the Holy Spirit, Christians can now do this Law naturally.

Christians, respect people with developmental disabilities.