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QUESTION The Perils of Faith-Healing

If anyone is curious, this summarizes eloquently one core reason why I firmly think Charismatic Christianity is a sham.

Rhetoric 7 Mar 13
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The whole list of harms in the article could be reduced to one thing: there are no healing miracles taking place.

I always tell these people to find the nearest children's cancer ward, empty it out, and then get back to me.

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I had a friend who went to a church that had a faith-healing practice (among many other things). I was a skeptic and said, "Do people really get healed?" Her reply was, "Oh, yes, people are healed." My next comment was, "Well, are there people who DON'T get healed?" And her reply was, "Yes, if they don't have enough faith." And I thought to myself, "Sounds like a great system. If you get better, the church gets the credit, but if you don't get better, it's your fault."
My other experience was (same visit, same church) was seeing a set of sheets on sale, spread out in a window display like you'd see in a department store. They were beige sheets with various verses of scripture printed on them. And the price was $100! For a set of TWIN sheets! And this was at least 20 years ago, when $100 was a shocking amount of money. I made some comment about how overpriced the sheets were, and my friend said, "Well, some people would find lying on scripture sheets comforting, especially if they were ill." I tried to hide my skepticism at that remark, but I don't think I was entirely successful.
More recently, that same friend was talking about how god intervened to get her husband a job. I asked, "Why doesn't god get jobs for all of the people in this country who need a job?" I don't remember the specifics of her mumbled reply, but it was something about people who trusted god ir having faith. And I wondered, "Why would you trust somebody who was so some-timey about treating people well?
I'm sorry -- I got way off track here!

No, you're reply was totally on point. The author only goes into faith-healing, but the whole movement has the kinds of problems you bring up. Good points!

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