26.03.07
Miracle cure
We had a newspaper type wotsit through the door over the weekend. But instead of a newspaper it was a rag purporting to tell us the good news about the munificence of god and his minions in dealing with believers. Not too unusual but this was notable for the claims it contained.
The headline was “Aussie Cured of Aids”. Well apart from the poor capitalisation of AIDS the claim deserves to be taken seriously. Surely? Someone’s found a cure for AIDS? We need to know more about this.
The effect was caused apparently by fervant prayer by his friends and local church goers. Surely it was god who effected this remarkable change.
Now I don’t have a problem with people trying to witter on about their religion to me but to push false claims like this is a pretty lowdown sort of thing. Sick people are potentially weak, frightened and desperate. Hardly a state of mind conducive to a rational decision making process.
And just how munificent is this god? He’s an aussie bloke who by his own admission was a prodigal child type who returned to the church only upon discovering his HIV status. But what about the millions of poor africans with the same problem? The majority of them are fervantly religious too. So why is this waster from down under allowed to get better but not these hordes who probably deserve more? A sign of an unjust and capricious deity maybe? Or just a manifestly untrue claim by people using underhand tactics to recruit gullible or desperate folk?
If I sent out literature saying that I’d cured arthritis I’d be asked for evidence and if I couldn’t substantiate my claim I’d be done for professional misconduct; and rightly so. But because these folk are not licensed healthcare bods they can say what they want and get away scotfree. Sigh.
And anyway the last study I saw that looked into prayer as a treatment showed the reverse effect (IE those prayed for did not do as well as those who weren’t). Perhaps indicative of a dependence mindset rather than an independent one? “You get me better, I’ll lie here and try not to help myself because you’re doing it for me”.
[edit: see here]
Have fun.