Priest questioned faith after son's autism shock

[Guest guest]

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_objectid=17212811 & method=full & siteid=50082 & headline=priest-questioned-faith-after-son-s-autism-shock-name_page.html Priest questioned faith after son's autism shock Jun 11 2006 Bevan, Wales on Sunday A PRIEST last night told of his crisis of faith after hearing his

four-year-old son had been diagnosed as severely autistic.Reverend Gillibrand, who has a parish in rural Carmarthenshire, spoke of the "hell" on discovering the truth of little Adam's condition as a TV documentary prepares to tell the family's heart-breaking story."I was pushed to my physical, mental and spiritual limit," said Rev Gillibrand."I found myself asking all the questions you'd expect, like 'Why us?' and 'How can things like this be allowed to happen'?"Rev Gillibrand says news of his son's condition came as a double whammy, while he and his teacher wife Gillian finally knew what was wrong with their boy, there followed a "profound sadness." "It hit me that what Adam had was for life - he was never going to improve, never get better," said Rev Gillibrand."All at once I realised that all the things you plan as a dad for your children - going to college, getting a good job, settling down with someone, all those hopes and dreams - weren't going to come true." Adam, who turned 13 last Sunday, was diagnosed at the end of 1997 at an early years diagnostic centre at Sunderland House School in Nottingham."We were referred there by the health service after knowing for years there was something different about our son but not quite what," said Rev Gillibrand. "We saw from fairly early on his eye contact wasn't as another small child's should be and that he barely spoke at all. But from the minute you hear the word 'autism' it's the start of a very steep learning curve."He added that with the forms taken by Adam's autism - he has no sense of danger, is difficult to control, has an obsession with electrical wires, pipes and tubing - that family life has become incredibly difficult."You get an awful lot of prejudice, people saying 'can't you control your son'? because they just see a naughty child who behaves badly," said Rev Gillibrand, who also has a nine-year-old son, ."But I can't blame anyone for not knowing about autism because public awareness of it needs to be raised - but I just try to remember those who looked at him with kindness instead." Having learned to accept his son, who also suffers attention deficit disorder, the way he is, Reverend Gillibrand says there still needs to be more support for other families suffering in similar situations."Access to respite care is very important and very scarce," he said. "We had to fight for the

very good support we got and there needs to be proper investment made to help prevent others from the strain we went through." __________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

>>>>"Access to respite care is very important and very scarce," he said.

Wow, a refrigerator dad and a fatalist one at that.

That attitude reminds me of the guy who spent his time in the reeds floggin' himself across the back in one of those Scarlet Letter-type novels.

Priest questioned faith after son's autism shock

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_objectid=17212811 & method=full & siteid=50082 & headline=priest-questioned-faith-after-son-s-autism-shock-name_page.htmlPriest questioned faith after son's autism shock

Jun 11 2006

Bevan, Wales on Sunday

A PRIEST last night told of his crisis of faith after hearing his four-year-old son had been diagnosed as severely autistic.

Reverend Gillibrand, who has a parish in rural Carmarthenshire, spoke of the "hell" on discovering the truth of little Adam's condition as a TV documentary prepares to tell the family's heart-breaking story.

"I was pushed to my physical, mental and spiritual limit," said Rev Gillibrand.

"I found myself asking all the questions you'd expect, like 'Why us?' and 'How can things like this be allowed to happen'?"

Rev Gillibrand says news of his son's condition came as a double whammy, while he and his teacher wife Gillian finally knew what was wrong with their boy, there followed a "profound sadness."

"It hit me that what Adam had was for life - he was never going to improve, never get better," said Rev Gillibrand.

"All at once I realised that all the things you plan as a dad for your children - going to college, getting a good job, settling down with someone, all those hopes and dreams - weren't going to come true."

Adam, who turned 13 last Sunday, was diagnosed at the end of 1997 at an early years diagnostic centre at Sunderland House School in Nottingham.

"We were referred there by the health service after knowing for years there was something different about our son but not quite what," said Rev Gillibrand.

"We saw from fairly early on his eye contact wasn't as another small child's should be and that he barely spoke at all. But from the minute you hear the word 'autism' it's the start of a very steep learning curve."

He added that with the forms taken by Adam's autism - he has no sense of danger, is difficult to control, has an obsession with electrical wires, pipes and tubing - that family life has become incredibly difficult.

"You get an awful lot of prejudice, people saying 'can't you control your son'? because they just see a naughty child who behaves badly," said Rev Gillibrand, who also has a nine-year-old son, .

"But I can't blame anyone for not knowing about autism because public awareness of it needs to be raised - but I just try to remember those who looked at him with kindness instead."

Having learned to accept his son, who also suffers attention deficit disorder, the way he is, Reverend Gillibrand says there still needs to be more support for other families suffering in similar situations.

"Access to respite care is very important and very scarce," he said. "We had to fight for the very good support we got and there needs to be proper investment made to help prevent others from the strain we went through."

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

wow- i wouldn't want to go to his church- depressing.

" he was never going to improve, never get better "

this is a man of faith?

of course if you say " my child will never go to college " then it will be

true.

Don't try anything new, give up all the time, be depressed, don't have any

dreams, hold on to the past, keep asking " why me? " .

I'd really be curious to see if he tried anything biomed. My son is

constantly doing things I thought I would never see. But, I believe that

anything could happen.

Maybe it's the New York in me, but I don't have " profound sadness " . I'm

thinking FU!

Who cares " why " . I want to know " how " . How do I make him feel better? How

do I get him to stop stimming? How do I get rid of the yeast? How do I get

him to eat more foods? How can I get him to sit through a Yankee game? How

do I teach him to have a conversation? How do I stop him from repeating

curse words?

" Why me/Why him " doesn't matter. It's me. It's him. It's you. We're in

gym class and you got picked for the team. Game on. No time to ask why-

you are about to get hit in the head with the ball. zzzzzzooooom.... here

it comes- watch out.

It just bothers me that this guy is a reverend in a church and is supposed

to preach to people about life. I would love to see the documentary they

are making.

[Guest guest]

Yep that suffering mentality had me wondering too how this guy helps

other folks. Hey get over it and move on...your kid needs you is

what I wanted to yell to the guy.

Yep our son was very severely affected by his autism....given that

DX and we were told " think about institutionalizing him for the sake

of your other child. " He was only two for christ sake. Talk about

depressed.

But thank the lord we shook that off. Took about the twenty minute

drive home. We knew we couldn't give up on our son, he deserved

more. Now when we see that doc, and he sees our son and how far

he's come I wonder if he's thinking about what he did to us back

then.....doubt it the putz.

But onward and upward and no I'm not looking forward to this

doomsday documentary. Perhaps someone will slap this guy upside the

head and he'll see the light.....lets hope so for his child's sake.

CG ;-)

>

> wow- i wouldn't want to go to his church- depressing.

>

> " he was never going to improve, never get better "

>

> this is a man of faith?

>

> of course if you say " my child will never go to college " then it

will be

> true.

> Don't try anything new, give up all the time, be depressed, don't

have any

> dreams, hold on to the past, keep asking " why me? " .

>

> I'd really be curious to see if he tried anything biomed. My son

is

> constantly doing things I thought I would never see. But, I

believe that

> anything could happen.

>

> Maybe it's the New York in me, but I don't have " profound

sadness " . I'm

> thinking FU!

> Who cares " why " . I want to know " how " . How do I make him feel

better? How

> do I get him to stop stimming? How do I get rid of the yeast?

How do I get

> him to eat more foods? How can I get him to sit through a Yankee

game? How

> do I teach him to have a conversation? How do I stop him from

repeating

> curse words?

>

> " Why me/Why him " doesn't matter. It's me. It's him. It's you.

We're in

> gym class and you got picked for the team. Game on. No time to

ask why-

> you are about to get hit in the head with the ball.

zzzzzzooooom.... here

> it comes- watch out.

>

> It just bothers me that this guy is a reverend in a church and is

supposed

> to preach to people about life. I would love to see the

documentary they

> are making.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

This article never said that's how he feels today, I got the

impression he was talking about when his son was first dxed.

Debi

> >

> > wow- i wouldn't want to go to his church- depressing.

> >

> > " he was never going to improve, never get better "

> >

> > this is a man of faith?

> >

> > of course if you say " my child will never go to college " then it

> will be

> > true.

> > Don't try anything new, give up all the time, be depressed, don't

> have any

> > dreams, hold on to the past, keep asking " why me? " .

> >

> > I'd really be curious to see if he tried anything biomed. My son

> is

> > constantly doing things I thought I would never see. But, I

> believe that

> > anything could happen.

> >

> > Maybe it's the New York in me, but I don't have " profound

> sadness " . I'm

> > thinking FU!

> > Who cares " why " . I want to know " how " . How do I make him feel

> better? How

> > do I get him to stop stimming? How do I get rid of the yeast?

> How do I get

> > him to eat more foods? How can I get him to sit through a Yankee

> game? How

> > do I teach him to have a conversation? How do I stop him from

> repeating

> > curse words?

> >

> > " Why me/Why him " doesn't matter. It's me. It's him. It's you.

> We're in

> > gym class and you got picked for the team. Game on. No time to

> ask why-

> > you are about to get hit in the head with the ball.

> zzzzzzooooom.... here

> > it comes- watch out.

> >

> > It just bothers me that this guy is a reverend in a church and is

> supposed

> > to preach to people about life. I would love to see the

> documentary they

> > are making.

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Jesus Christ cried out for our benefit and not His own. He is the Savior of the world.

Mk 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Ps 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

You're not seeing double Jesus repeated Psalm 22 to send a message to the faithless that His sacrifice was true and acceptable to God. If you read further in Psalm 22 you will see an uncanny similarity to the actual events of Calvary. Psalm 22 was prophetic as was Isaiah 53.

Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Jesus the Christ said this:

Jn 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Re: Priest questioned faith after son's autism shock

I think this man is being very honest in a very human emotion. TheBible is full of men just like him who questioned and doubted. Moses was so scared and afraid of his task to go to Egypt and get theIsraelites that he questioned God until God was fed up with him. (Exo3-4.) 's baby was sick and he knew God was going to take hisson's life. He didn't sit around praising God, he wailed and didn'tbathe or eat for days. Not very seemly for the King of Israel (2 2.) the Baptist, who was allowed to baptise Jesus Christ,spent his last days in prison, doubting who Jesus really was (Luke 718-24). Now this was a man who Jesus said none greater than hadlived. (Matt 11:11) And Jesus Himself, said on the Cross, "Why haveYou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34) If Jesus Christ can ask why, if the Baptist can doubt, if the manafter God's own heart, and if the leader of Israel can all question,doubt, and be sad, how much more so for the rest of us? It's ateachable moment when we reach these points in our lives. That's whenGod says to me, "Aha, so you're finally ready to learn!"Debi

[Guest guest]

on 6/12/06 12:38 AM, Debi at fightingautism@... wrote:

This article never said that's how he feels today, I got the

impression he was talking about when his son was first dxed.

Debi

But, if his son was doing very well, don't you think they would put it in the article?

the title is about him losing faith. wouldn't he have found his faith if his son was doing well or had recovered? that is how I read it.

[Guest guest]

Yes, which furthers my point that in time of profound suffering if it

is all right for Jesus to ask " why have You forsaken me? " then how

much more so will mortal man, including a priest after his son's dx.

Debi

>

> Jesus Christ cried out for our benefit and not His own. He is the

Savior of the world.

>

> Mk 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice,

saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My

God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

>

> Ps 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so

far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

>

> You're not seeing double Jesus repeated Psalm 22 to send a message

to the faithless that His sacrifice was true and acceptable to God. If

you read further in Psalm 22 you will see an uncanny similarity to the

actual events of Calvary. Psalm 22 was prophetic as was Isaiah 53.

>

> Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:

yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

>

> 5: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our

iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his

stripes we are healed.

>

> Jesus the Christ said this:

>

> Jn 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal

life: and they are they which testify of me.

>

>

> Re: Priest questioned faith after son's autism shock

>

>

> I think this man is being very honest in a very human emotion. The

> Bible is full of men just like him who questioned and doubted.

>

> Moses was so scared and afraid of his task to go to Egypt and get the

> Israelites that he questioned God until God was fed up with him. (Exo

> 3-4.) 's baby was sick and he knew God was going to take his

> son's life. He didn't sit around praising God, he wailed and didn't

> bathe or eat for days. Not very seemly for the King of Israel (2

> 2.) the Baptist, who was allowed to baptise Jesus Christ,

> spent his last days in prison, doubting who Jesus really was (Luke 7

> 18-24). Now this was a man who Jesus said none greater than had

> lived. (Matt 11:11) And Jesus Himself, said on the Cross, " Why have

> You forsaken me? " (Mark 15:34)

>

> If Jesus Christ can ask why, if the Baptist can doubt, if the man

> after God's own heart, and if the leader of Israel can all question,

> doubt, and be sad, how much more so for the rest of us? It's a

> teachable moment when we reach these points in our lives. That's when

> God says to me, " Aha, so you're finally ready to learn! "

>

> Debi

>

[Guest guest]

I got that ignorant speak again today. Was at an appointment and

someone was telling me that Allie needs me to stay healthy because

she'll need me a lot longer than my other kids. I said, " Why? Allie's

gonna go to college, drive a car, and do everything my other kids

will. " She didn't say a word.

Debi

>

> And never say,

>

> " My child won't go to college! " You never know.

>

> Barb

>

[Guest guest]

on 6/12/06 11:41 PM, Debi at fightingautism@... wrote:

I got that ignorant speak again today. Was at an appointment and

someone was telling me that Allie needs me to stay healthy because

she'll need me a lot longer than my other kids. I said, " Why? Allie's

gonna go to college, drive a car, and do everything my other kids

will. " She didn't say a word.

Debi

Good for you!

I think there is a time on my son's IEP that we have to fill in

" expected diploma " . I'm going to put " regents " .

They will probably all gasp in the room.

[Guest guest]

that's why we left my grandson's school in Atlanta-they told us his IQ would never rise above 50. Screw them!! maurinechristine zichittella-heeren <christine@...> wrote: on 6/12/06 11:41 PM, Debi at fightingautism@... wrote: I got that ignorant speak again today. Was at an appointment andsomeone was telling me that Allie needs me to stay healthy becauseshe'll need me a lot longer than my other kids. I said, "Why? Allie'sgonna go to college, drive a car, and do everything my other kidswill." She didn't say a

word.DebiGood for you!I think there is a time on my son's IEP that we have to fill in"expected diploma". I'm going to put "regents".They will probably all gasp in the room. __________________________________________________