Please read this posting from a blog, “Spirituality of Being dDeaf,” first before reading my post.
The concept, “Deafhood,” is spreading across America like a flame. I think it is a good concept but I do have issues with how a person applies that concept to “spirituality.” Notice how the author of that posting mention that the Deaf people ought to worship their Deaf ancestors asking them for guidance and wisdom. And ask them for their blessings on our Deaf conferences. And how we ought to sit/stand around in the letter, “D” to worship the Deaf spirits. To me, it is crazy to even consider that!
I actually enjoyed the Deafhood workshop provided at the Wisconsin Association of the Deaf conference last month. But the application of the Deafhood concept to spirituality is going too far for me. That concept sounds like a New Age movement or like a cult or something.
The Bible can apply to all cultures. Jesus said, “I am the way, truth, and the life. And no man can come to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). The Bible can apply even to the Deaf people. We, the Deaf people, do have our own culture. But we are to be guided by the Scriptures in order to serve our Lord. Firstly, we must be saved through the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible clearly says that there is no distinction between the Jews and the Greeks when it comes to salvation. There is no distinction between the hearing and the Deaf when it comes to salvation. The Deaf people need to be saved only through the blood of Jesus Christ.
The Bible even stated that God made the Deaf people (Exodus 4:11). God has purpose for the deaf people to exist on the earth. I will develop the truth from the Bible about the Deaf people in my posts later on.
I also want to mention one of the comments that were posted on that “spirituality” blog. The commentator stated that there is a Deaf reformation happening right now among the Deaf reformed churches. I disagree with that completely. The Reformation that occurred 5 centuries in the past occurred because of the doctrine of salvation. The commentator misused the word “reformation” to define the leaving of the Deaf churches from their hearing denominations. And I would not call anybody “father” of any reformation until history proves that. Besides there are several Deaf churches in the Independent Baptist circles that I knew left their hearing churches because of hearing vs. Deaf issues. So it isn’t anything new that these Deaf reformed churches left their hearing denominations.
I usually don’t like to criticize others but the blog posting that I read in Deafread truly bothers me so I decide to post this.
If you want to learn about Deafhood, go to www.joeybaer.com and watch some video clips about Deafhood.
Posted by Gary A. Fitts on July 7, 2007 at 4:10 pm
I have read that blog on Deafread. Deafhood does have influences on Deaf churches. You and I attend same workshop at Wisconsin Association of the Deaf. I have met some Deaf people who have uses the term “spirituality” which reminds me of the “New Age Movement.” Whoever wrote the Blog may thought that the Deaf can created their own God. Deafhood was taken out of context. Will it result in a Deaf Cult, a non-mainline Christian entity? During the recent Gallaudet protest, one student was quoted “Gallaudet is our Savior,” but we know that isn’t so. Jesus is our Savior and Lord. As with workshop, there is a differences between Deaf Culture and Deafhood. Deaf Culture applies to the Cultural Deaf whereas Deafhood applies to all such as Hard of Hearing, Cochlear Implants, Oral Deaf, etc. as one Body. The same is true for the Church as one Body in Christ. As for the word “reformation” it can be used in several ways, reformation that happens 490 years ago meant attempt to reform the Church to return to the teaching of the Bible. Martin Luther “throught grace, by faith, we are saved” the word become more general when we talk about the Protestants, in their split from the “universal” Catholic Church. Reformation can also mean “change, different.” The term Deaf Reformation is used to represent change into something different.
The word is used as a describe something similiar that happens but not the same circumstances. Our English language are not be be taken literally but to understand what is meant. Jari doesn’t even claims to be the “Father of Deaf Reformation” I just tease him about it but learned that other people have thought the same thing.
We weren’t Christians until someone tease us at Antioch, Syria and the label remains with us since then. George Washington is the “Father of our Country,” it was not because he lead the Continental Army or wrote the “Declaration of Independent,” he just happens to be our first President, so the rest is history. I can make a comment that Brian Lievens that he is the “Deaf Billy Graham” but that is only my opinion based on my comparison. So Jari being the “Father of Deaf Reformation” is only an opinion and it is doubtful that our next generation of Deaf children will read about him in their Deaf (History) Studies. Yes, it is true that many Deaf left their own hearing congregations because of Deaf vs. Hearing issues. That is nothing new to me. The only differences is that the Deaf themselves actually start their own Deaf denomination, the Alliance of Deaf Reformed and Reformed Baptist Churches (ADRRBC). Deafread is like an open forum and it can be interesting to see how Deaf debate on various issues especially when it involves our faith. Deafhood can be a
positive thing in our Church and our Community. Maybe we should withhold judgements as this attempts by the Deaf reformed is in its formative stages. No one knew then that the 95 theses posted will change the world that we live in now, it remains to be seen how Deafhood impacted our Church and Community.
Posted by Brian Lievens on July 12, 2007 at 10:21 pm
Yes. I do understand how you use the word reformation. But I think highly of the Reformation that Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Zwingli did in the past. I don’t think this “Deaf Reformation” is at the par.
Posted by Gary on September 14, 2007 at 9:24 pm
I would like to add something here…..In 1987, a missionary, who had had “great success” opening the ears of Deaf Africans came into a bible colletge and demanded the Lord wantedd the Deaf students to hear. Hewent so far as to set the Deaf up on the stage (by comparison, scripture shows that Jesus left the crowd, when He opened the Deaf and dumb man’s ears…..He didn’t want an audience).
Nowadays, it’s become a spectacle, sought by heairng people, to “heal” the Deaf, when God told Moses, in Ex. 4:11, that He, Himself, made the Deaf.
Between 1981 and 1988, I spent four years around that Bible college and, during that time, although they tried and tried, they never had one Deaf student, who ever heard anything.
What I see, as sad is that a hearing student, from the same Bible school, started a Deaf ministry in a church, nearby and for about ten years never once reached out to the Deaf in the community. After he left the Deaf fellowship dissolved and had to be rebuilt.