From: leet@ims.com (Lee Thomas)
Subject: Re: 10k Christians perform miracles ever so quietly
Followup-To: sci.skeptic
Organization: Integrated Measurement Systems, Inc.
	<BRUCE.92Oct6144017@suprenum.uxb.liv.ac.uk>
	<1992Oct7.181004.4613@desire.wright.edu>
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 16:38:47 GMT

>>>>> On 7 Oct 92 18:10:04 EST, sbishop@desire.wright.edu said:

Sue> In article <BRUCE.92Oct6144017@suprenum.uxb.liv.ac.uk>, bruce@uxb.liv.ac.uk (Bruce Stephens) writes:
>>>>>> On 6 Oct 92 07:37:29 GMT, alanrw@cs.man.ac.uk (Alan R Williams) said:
> 
>> The program was fairly horrific.  The "believers" threw a disabled man
>> out of his wheelchair and were generally maltreating him all because he
>> insisted that he still could not walk and they claimed that if he had
>> faith then he could!  In the end the police had to be called to rescue him.
> 
> I thought that was terrible too.  But to be fair, it did seem to be a
> very small proportion of the audience; for the most part it was
> believers crippling themselves voluntarily by getting up from their
> wheelchairs.

What "program" was this?  I can think of several televised "healing
ministries" that would fit the bill, alas.  I'd like to get the name,
date, and any other information I can, because I want to expose these
people for the flaming frauds and accomplices to negligent homicide
that they are.  (Pardon me while I go calm down.)  This snakepit is
generally called the "Word of Faith" movement, and its relation to
Christianity is like the relationship between astrology and astronomy.
I'd better stop before I get *really* upset.

Sue> My personal experience with 'believers' has been fairly horrific.
Sue> When my very devout mother was dying of terminal cancer, some of
Sue> her church group showed up and very accusingly told my sister and
Sue> me that she would be healed if we would only 'believe and pray
Sue> for her'.  We were extremely exhausted and grieving for our poor
Sue> mother and these total strangers (!) were intimating that the
Sue> reason she was dying was because we didn't have faith!

This story makes me ill, and I'd like to have a few moments alone with
said "church group" to discuss their actions.  (Make that "several
hours alone".)  I wish I could say I'm surprised, but the current
president of the Christian Research Institute just recently failed to
prevent a very similar occurrence.  (A woman refused cancer treatment
because her "church group" told her that by having enough faith she
could be healed.  Her daughter wrote to CRI, and Hank Hanegraaff wrote
a long letter to the woman, pleading with her to accept medical
treatment.  The woman died, the church held the funeral, and the
preachers at the funeral claimed that the woman would rise from the
dead!!!  When this didn't happen, the preachers blaimed the
congregation for their lack of faith!  This makes me furious ...  I'd
like to nail 95 theses or so to the doors of "Faith" churches with a
pile driver.  Christianity needs another man with the vocabulary of
John the Baptist to label these people for what they are - they
CERTAINLY aren't Christians, I'll tell you that!)  Sue, I'd like to
tell you how tremendously sorry I am for what happened to you, but I
realize how it would sound, coming from yet another "believer".

I'd like to get full documentation on any similar stories, and
permission from the senders of the documentation, so I can send it to
CRI and get a movement started to decry these people, and if
necessary, prosecute them.  This has gone far enough.
--
Lee Thomas,  leet@ims.com      | "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and
Integrated Measurement Systems |  Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto
9525 SW Gemini Dr.             |  them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned
Beaverton, Or 97005            |  you to flee from the wrath to come?"
(503) 626-7117, ext. 1558      |  - Matthew 3:7                          THUMP!