A Missouri pastor, Rick Morrow of Beulah Church in Richland, sparked outrage and controversy when he suggested in a sermon that autism is the result of “demonic” forces. His remarks triggered a wave of criticism and led to a petition for his removal from the Stoutland Schools Board of Education.
Pastor’s Controversial Statement
During a sermon, Morrow declared that autism is a creation of “demonic” forces and claimed that autistic people can be “healed” by casting out these demons. In his address, posted on the church’s social media page, he said: “If it’s not demonic, then we have to say God made them that way. Well, my God doesn’t make junk. God doesn’t make mess-ups.”
Backlash and Petition for Removal
Following Morrow’s inflammatory comments, a petition was initiated, calling for his removal from the Stoutland Schools Board of Education. The petition garnered significant support from the community, reflecting widespread outrage at his statements.
Pastor’s Defense and Clarification
Despite facing mounting criticism, Morrow doubled down on his original remarks during an interview with KY3. He suggested that the controversy had arisen due to a misinterpretation of his words, emphasizing that he didn’t mean a literal Hollywood-style demon. Instead, he described it as an “evil presence,” asserting that his intentions were not to paint a grotesque picture.
Pastor Morrow’s Words
Morrow said: “When I say a demon, you people want to, like I said, they want to get that Hollywood description of what a demon is – this nasty, so ugly and, and that’s not the case. It’s just an evil presence. It’s just the presence of evil.”
Pastor Morrow’s Resignation
As the controversy continued to grow, Morrow decided to resign from the Stoutland Schools Board of Education. While his resignation was seen as an attempt to defuse the situation, the debate around his views on autism and demons remains a contentious issue within the community.
Neurodivergence Is Natural
Neurodivergence is a natural and intrinsic facet of human diversity that reflects the vast range of neurological variations that exist within our species. Just as we celebrate differences in physical attributes, like height, skin color, or hair type, we should embrace the diversity of neurology – something that Pastor Morrow, evidently, does not understand.
The Internet Responded
Morrow’s words were shared across social media and people were largely critical. One person said: “I’m a pastor and this guy is theologically mistaken and morally mistaken. It’s not possible to be demon possessed without willfully inviting the demon into yourself.”
A Demonic Pastor
Another person wrote: “This is only if you assume that having autism is demonic or a mistake. My son is autistic and he is perfect the way he is. God has a purpose for him just the way he is. This pastor is the demon.”
An Autistic Person’s Opinion
Autistic people gave their opinions too. “I am autistic and I think I am just fine the way I am and I think people like this guy are the demonic [ones],” one person said, echoing the aforementioned commenter.
God Allowing Everything to Happen
Another individual wrote: “This pastor claims God doesn’t make mistakes and autism is a force of demons – so why doesn’t God stop the demons? In the end, he has to admit that God is allowing everything to happen for a reason and this pastor doesn’t have a clue why.”
Stopping the Devil
A fair few people echoed the aforementioned commenter. One such individual said: “He’s basically proving there isn’t a God with his argument. If God is all-powerful and all good then why can’t he prevent the Devil from making kids autistic?”
False Beliefs About God
Others discussed the harmful nature of Morrow’s words. One person said: “How many people, especially children, has he hurt with his false beliefs about God? Perhaps he needs to actually read his Bible.”
Babies Are Born Autistic
Some people put Morrow’s beliefs down to ignorance and a lack of education. “This man needs an education. Babies are born autistic. This is ridiculous,” one person said. “Sounds like this guy needs to go back to school, to be honest,” another echoed.
Creating Someone So Willfully Ignorant
Others pointed out Morrow’s ignorance in other ways. “Well apparently his deity messed up badly when it came to creating someone so willfully ignorant,” one person said. “Well I think his brain is smooth and his opinions are junk,” another wrote.
A World Obsessed With Conformity
Some people discussed the way society seemingly feels threatened by autistic people. “Why do so many people feel so threatened by autistic people? Can we not have a world so obsessed with conformity that we don’t treat neurodivergent people like they have leprosy? Exactly what are they doing ‘wrong?’ Or should I say ‘we’ as I am autistic,” one person said.
A Personal Story
The commenter continued: “My father was the same way but with the religion left out. It just broke his brain that [I] wouldn’t go in the little box he tried to stuff me in so he decided to show me how disappointed he was, going so far as to declare in so many words that I wasn’t as good as my siblings.”
A Maddening Situation
Others expressed their frustration at Morrow’s remarks. One individual said: “It is absolutely maddening! He doesn’t say the one thing that is true – if you believe in God, you have to believe he made this [terrible person] as well.”
Church vs. Cult
Christians found Morrow’s words to be less than desirable too. One wrote: “Pastors, like this moron, are the reason Christians, like myself, have a bad rap right now. Hopefully enough people see this and realize his ‘church’ is nothing more than a cult and quit going.”
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