[heavy sigh] Another Senseless Death at the Hands of Religion
| Autopsy: Easy treatment for teen who died in failed 'faith healing' | kgw.com | News for Oregon and SW Washington A 16 y/o boy died because he did not seek/receive medical help for a urinary tract condition that would have been solved with a simple catheter. He refused treatment while believing in faith he would be healed. Would it be safe to say that any church that discourages one from seeking medical treatment in lieu of faith healing is dangerous? A quote from the news story ... "The family belongs to the Oregon City Followers of Christ Church. The church is a fundamentalist Christian denomination that recently made headlines after two members were arrested and accused of using prayer instead of medical care to try to cure their deathly ill daughter."Do you think it would be appropriate for other Christian churches in their community to publicly denounce them and call them to repentance? Would it be appropriate for them to say, what is happening in this church is not part of the teachings of Jesus Christ and his message found in the Bible? What do you think? |
posted by theultrarev at 12:05 AM
Comments on "[heavy sigh] Another Senseless Death at the Hands of Religion"
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loonhaunt said ... (7:29 PM, June 25, 2008) :
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loonhaunt said ... (7:34 PM, June 25, 2008) :
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theultrarev said ... (8:05 PM, June 25, 2008) :
post a commentWe would probably agree that there is some deficiency in how this church is applying the teachings of Jesus.
However I am puzzled as to what you mean that this has no part of the teachings of Jesus.
Many of the great leaders of the past believed in healing. A. B. Simpson prayed for his daughter who had diphtheria or something bad and shunned doctors at least once.
Paul Crouch has told the story of his grandmother many times on TBN. Before she would pray for someone, they first had to "Chase the doctor out of the house." And Paul says that the old timers had a touch from God that we have lost.
Paul Cain has on numerous occasions referred to the "faith of our fathers" when he wanted to trust God alone in a medical matter.
A person could go on for ages with examples from church history.
Surely you do not believe that trusting God is not in the teachings of Jesus.
Hundreds of thousands are dying every year from wrong drugs in hospitals.
That's OK, but prayer isn't?
Or pickup up a staph infection in the hospital that kills them before they can even have surgery.
I know someone that happened to.
That's OK, but prayer and trusting God must be condemned?
N.J. Surgeon's License Suspended After He Removes Wrong Lung
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Can we please see a condemnation for the stupid misguided person who used this doctor.
Surely this churches must condemn this.
Point well taken. Thanks for your comment.
I absolutely believe in divine healing and that we should see more of it in the church than we do, particularly in the US. I've prayed for and seen people healed right before my eyes.
However, can we really make a Biblical case for the discouraging of seeking medical treatment? (I ask honestly, not sarcastically) Certainly there are instances where someone has a word of knowledge or wisdom, a revelation from God, that they are/will be healed and to not pursue medical treatment.
But what about churches that make it a matter of doctrine to discourage seeking medical care to the point where people die of simple treatable illnesses? That seems dangerous to me. It seems to me that puts God in a box. Can't God use doctors too?
What do you think?
Thank you again for you thoughtful comments. If you're in Liverpool, let's have coffee or a pint sometime.