The Religion of Psychology
by David M. Tyler
The problem with humanistic psychology’s view of man is not just ignorance, but blindness; willful blindness. In the religion of psychology man refuses to look beyond himself to the real God. Truth, as humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers believed, lay within man and must be drawn out via therapy. “And God said,” is not the foundation of man’s religion, but “I say.” God’s Word does not guide men. Man’s words guide him. He is not fallen. He is not “futile,” as Paul said, in his speculations and thoughts. His reason is not clouded, marred and twisted by sin. His highly evolved brain is dependable and can reason and think accurately. Psychological therapies and techniques can enhance his inborn capabilities.
The Religion of Psychology: Turning Sin Into a System
The futility of the religion of psychology is that although man is the problem, it still seeks its answer in man. Psychology believes man is good and not fallen. The evil that is obvious to all comes from “the system” or environment. This is all part of man’s self-deception and desire to be like God. The Bible states that man is a sinner and therefore, evil proceeds out of his heart. It is a heart problem. When man, a sinner, substitutes a do-it-yourself religion he does so by turning sin into a system; evolution, psychology and so on. It is part of the running, hiding, covering up and shifting blame we saw in Adam and Eve. They were guilty and thus they ran from God and hid among the shrubs and trees. Today we hide behind an abundance of psychological labels and excuses.
The Way Sinners See Themselves
The religion of psychology’s definition of man is idolatrous. Its doctrines, all specifically condemned by Christ, revolve around the religious pursuit of self-righteousness, self-centeredness, self-satisfaction, self-promotion, self-esteem and so on. Self-denial, essential to a proper relation to Christ, is a heresy and destructive to one’s mental well-being. When man displaces God and places himself at the center, his new religion, he makes it impossible to truly understand himself. The humanistic-psychology perspective is the way sinners see themselves. It is the point of view that fallen human nature provides. It exalts self while at the same time abandoning man’s true self. His true self is who he really is as defined by God.
The Religion of Psychology: Man-Centered
God made man. Even in his rebellious activity man will manifest, in a deformed way, the image of God. He will seek to create a paradise on earth, exercise dominion and worship and so on. Man, even in his depravity, seeks a religious faith apart from God, a faith that is man-centered and hostile to God.
The religion of psychology worsens and furthers mankind’s fall and therefore, intensifies and increases his depravity. It does away with accountability to God. Idols are man’s own creation and therefore can be met on his terms. They are safe, predictable and we control them. Idols do not threaten us like God. They are the means that make it possible for us to avoid coming face to face with God and His truth. We are the center of our lives, autonomous architects of our own future.
Incurably Blind
Replacing God and doing away with accountability has terrible consequences. Man imagines that he has an accurate perception of reality when in fact he has become incurably blind. Having replaced God with self makes it impossible for sinners to gauge the depths of their sin. Even when their conscience torments them, their spiritual disintegration, suppresses their guilt. Sin is called sickness and is open to healing if only the right technique is used.