Religion and deaf people

[sillygeezer10]

Hello,I'm a New Zealand Deaf person. I want to ask questions about regarding your religion's attudite to deaf people, ranging deep to not so deep. Some people say that since the earliest times people thought deaf people were stupid and unable to know anything pertaining to religious matters, so they shunted them in proceedings of religious rites like praying or praising or holding priestly office or offering of breads or crackers. In other words, being deaf was the worst possible curse in early religions, so today, according to a Espoical website, deaf people is the 4th largest unreached people in the world, with 2.4% or 2.5% of the world population of deaf people being christians. So I ask you, is it due to evil attudites in high religious places or just plain ignorant people that cause deaf people to be ignored? How many deaf christian/atheists you know apart from me? Do your church or university have sign language interpreters? Have you had deaf friends who is un converted? How do you feel about deaf people in general? Do you feel deaf people is plain nitwits?
Be honest with your opinions whether you're christian or atheists or pagan. Fire away!

 

[Pah]

My cousin has a deaf daughter and my unease around her is becuase I am unable to communicate with her.

Churches today should have more of an outreach toward the deaf but that would require staff to support that section of the congregation. As weak an excuse as it is, perhaps money is the limiting factor in many smaller churches.

 

[Ardhanariswar]

how does it feel to be deaf? what do you hear? well, dont answer that. but is it a silent buzz?

can you speak?

 

[Lightkeeper]

I believe that nature compensates us for our losses, so a deaf person can be very much sharper than a hearing person. I have not heard in any of the churches I have attended that there are any feelings against deaf people and feel quite sure that a deaf person would be given any assistance that they needed.

I have never personally known a deaf person, however have had older relatives who are hard of hearing. I agree that the communication angle is frustrating. I think we should all be taught sign language in the early grades, so we can communicate with everyone.

 

[Bastet]

Well, I'd have to be stupid to think that deaf people are nitwits, since I was myself profoundly deaf from birth through to early childhood. After several operations, the last at age 11, my hearing is now within the normal range.
I really can't comment on any church's attitude towards the deaf, since I haven't been to church (except for a funeral and a baptism), in something like 23 years lol. I agree there should be more resources, and, as much as I'd like to think it wasn't, I'd be pretty certain that money does play a part in there not being any. While I'm sure there are those who would gladly volunteer their time to sign during church services, until someone actually puts their hand up for it, and until someone admits that they want/need it, it may not be something that is given priority.