Yoga, acupuncture and meditation are not 'faith' healing. They are specific physical practices whose results can and have been measured by various tests. Faith is not required.
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How do members of other religions explain Christian faith healing?
- Thread starter Lucian Hodoboc
- Start date
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
Or it's just hocus pocus nonsense all around.
Not quite so - Christian faith healing does not have a monopoly on energy work that removes the burden from the patient. I would suggest doing a bit more comparative digging, though when you do, be aware that other practices typically do not pop up with key words "faith healing." Here are a few resources that might get you started on your own research (curiously, the University of Minnesota has a number of well-written pages on several of these practices):
You might also dig into anything with keywords like "chakra" or "energy work" more broadly and find some things interesting to poke around with.
There's a number of reasons you'll hear more about Christian faith healing than other similar practices in other religions.
A. The term 'faith healing' is a bit of a Christianocentric term not utilized by other faiths, even if there's overlap. Just like you could call most religions 'creationism' but the term was coined for and by Christian groups.
B. Living in the US, Canada and Europe and Australia means you're going to be exposed to predominantly Christian input. Predominantly Christian population means predominantly Christian reports. But there is plenty of what you might call 'faith healing' in Native American, Indian and Asiatic cultures that fit the description. I've even witnessed a Japanese Shinto prayer rite where a priestess prayed for healing over someone. I have my doubts about the success of that session, but there are plenty of claims to its success. Still, more Christians means more Christian reports. Especially in English and other 'Western' languages.
C. The unique place of faith healing has in Christian culture as something that should be considered atypical. Miraculous. In many other cultures healing through prayer is just a normal part of the health regimen, not 'miraculous.' So less claims are bothered to be made in general.
A. The term 'faith healing' is a bit of a Christianocentric term not utilized by other faiths, even if there's overlap. Just like you could call most religions 'creationism' but the term was coined for and by Christian groups.
B. Living in the US, Canada and Europe and Australia means you're going to be exposed to predominantly Christian input. Predominantly Christian population means predominantly Christian reports. But there is plenty of what you might call 'faith healing' in Native American, Indian and Asiatic cultures that fit the description. I've even witnessed a Japanese Shinto prayer rite where a priestess prayed for healing over someone. I have my doubts about the success of that session, but there are plenty of claims to its success. Still, more Christians means more Christian reports. Especially in English and other 'Western' languages.
C. The unique place of faith healing has in Christian culture as something that should be considered atypical. Miraculous. In many other cultures healing through prayer is just a normal part of the health regimen, not 'miraculous.' So less claims are bothered to be made in general.
Kelly of the Phoenix
Well-Known Member
Pain is one of the most subjective experiences around. As a nurse, I've had people grimacing for what they call a "3" pain (in a scale of 1 out of 10, with 10 being unbearable) and the people who are casually watching tv and calling that crap a "10". I am required in my job description to believe the patient no matter how much I think they're full of it. Pain is also insanely easy to manipulate (especially in those people where you can't find a verifiable physical source). Heck, ever seen people cry out before the needle even touches their skin?
If faith healing is a thing, why, even in the bible, are the illnesses convenient? I mean, don't you think John the Baptist would've liked his head back on his shoulders? Why must healings always involve subjective stuff?
Plus there was that mud Jesus put on that one guy's eyes.
shamanism is older than christianity. the etymology of the word shows that it is more related to the asian culture than any other.
shaman
all most all indigenous tribes used shamans long before christianity arose.
Just feel like quoting this for emphasis. The outlandish claims often made by what flies under the banner of Christian faith healing is what particularly turns me off about it. When I discuss and read about energy work as practiced in other traditions, the claims are typically nowhere near as bold. The emphasis on deities may or may not be there as well - it just depends on the practitioner and how they interpret the metaphysics.
Faith is a strong healing tool. The knowledge of Medicine is also given of God. Thus both need to be used.
Pray as you might, a compound fracture will not heal if you only use Faith. Finding where the balance lays, is the Key.
As there is only One God and all Faith stems from God, healing in Faith happens accross all Faiths.
Regards Tony
God shows mercy and compassion to all people, regardless of what they believe. It's not as if false or misguided beliefs take anything away from His Majesty.
It's charlantry. The end.
Are there any?
I mean, I've heard plenty of faith healing claims, but I'm not familiar with any where it's been confirmed that anything extraordinary is going on. Any claims I've looked into fell apart when you scratched the surface.
IMO, the time to look for explanations for the phenomenon is after it's been established that there's a phenomenon at all.
I had a co-worker whose uncle was terminally ill and on the verge of death. His condition had taken a sudden turn and they were saying that he wouldn't even last another day. But she (my co-worker) said that she and her family prayed for his recovery, and his condition improved. He lasted a few more weeks after that, and then he died. My feeling is that it probably would have turned out the same either way, with or without the extra prayers.
It seems most of these "faith healing" stories are borderline situations which could go either way.
I've never heard of any with advance stages of cancer being completely cured through the power of prayer. Or when someone is badly injured in an accident and being rushed to the hospital where they end up as a DOA.
It seems most of these "faith healing" stories are borderline situations which could go either way.
I've never heard of any with advance stages of cancer being completely cured through the power of prayer. Or when someone is badly injured in an accident and being rushed to the hospital where they end up as a DOA.
The placebo effect is proven. Thus there would be a measurable result with the use of Faith to aid in healing.
There are recorded stories of rapid healing by Faith. The key here is that it is assisted by the right remedies.
Regards Tony
Erebus
Well-Known Member
Placebo, hoaxes, dumb luck and perhaps the temporary effects of an adrenaline rush. Any combination of those things pretty much sum up how I suspect any successful faith healing might have occurred.
Out of interest, how do you explain cases where faith healing doesn't work?
Lucian Hodoboc
Member
And now you have, but you're probably going to dismiss them as hoaxes without even bothering to investigate them by contacting those people and talking to them.
Sudden Healing- Late End Stage Metastatic Cancer Miracle-Oncologist Speaks Out-All God.wmv
Testimony of Dead Malaysia Cancer Patient Woke Up. Jesus heals.Nothing is impossible with God
There are many relevant (IMHO) cases of people with very bad illnesses recovering after caring people pray for them. But "Faith Healers" are basically circus side show types that take advantage of people at their most vulnerable.
Lucian Hodoboc
Member
It might not take away from His majesty, but it does seem to take away from His fairness. Is it fair for practicing Muslims who pray 5 times a day and obey Allah's commandments to suffer of cancer and die agonizing deaths while unbelievers get healed?
There's a reason testimony is not a strong form of evidence and it has nothing to do with lack of interest in inquiry. I've met people who knew for sure they were seeing alien spacecraft in the sky and I knew for a fact they were seeing the last remains of some paper lanturns releases for a wedding miles away.
I also have an atheist grandmother who had spontaneous remission from 4th stage breast cancer (Or a delayed reaction to treatment, we don't know for sure which.) If she were religious and had people praying over her, it could easily have been considered evidence of faith healing when it was nothing of the sort.
That's why first hand testing and documentation are important. Much less room for perspective bias and memory inaccuracies.
Sha'irullah
رسول الآلهة
Everytime it gets studied it falls flat. Even by Christian studies it falls flat. I am gonna see if I can find a particular study done by Christians that got released, even by Christian standards it is ineffective.
Well done for opening mouth and inserting foot....
According to you, there's no problem with the Son of God being horrifically beaten and crucified for hours until his death for something he had absolutely nothing to do with. God positively approved of his torture, humiliation and death, even though he stayed up all night desperately praying to be saved, to the point he was sweating blood, go figure that one out on the scales of fairness.