Evangelicals claim to cure HIV, people die.

gawker

This sort of thing really gets to me. A large Evangelical Christian church in the UK has been caught telling people suffering from HIV that God can cure them. It turns out at least 6 people have died due to being told to that God has cured them.

I know my local evangelical church has "healing nights" and "miracle nights" every now and then, preying on the ill and desperate. It sickens me to know that this kind of thing is going on today. I once went to a healing evening, a few years ago, when a Christian friend of mines invited me. I thought it would be an interesting sight if nothing else and wow, it was nuts. Absolutely nuts. They were speaking in tongues over people who were suffering from arthritics and even cancer and proclaiming "God is in the house to make miracles tonight." Of course, donations were encouraged, and I did not hear of any miracles being performed.

I know there would be cries of "religious freedom", but is there no way this sort of thing could be made illegal or even regulated? If any group got HIV patients to stop taking their meds, I'm quite sure getting tax-free status like these guys have would be the least of their worries...

Here is a link to the video and news story: http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16117269

Gregor Samsa

I suppose something more innocuous like believing that God had a hand in developing antiretroviral drugs just doesn't bring in the same cash.

seamus

No doubt they will justify this by claiming, "God did cure the HIV, but not the pneumonia".

amacachi

I have to be honest, as loathesome as it is I sometimes find it hard to find sympathy for those who believe them. Their families left behind, yes.

Galvasean

I think this cropped up in Hazards of belief a while ago.
It's pretty sad that in this day and age there is seemingly nothing the law can do to prevent obvious snake oil merchants from exploiting and harming vulnerable people simply because they call themselves religious.

MagicMarker

That's called manslaughter where I come from.

magicbastarder

or survival of the fittest.

Duke Leonal Felmet

I would be interested to see Antiskeptic's or JC's views on this...

*holds breath*

surely if we can get sued for medical advice they should too

Galvasean

bluewolf wrote: »

surely if we can get sued for medical advice they should too

They were following orders from God.

Sue God.

Mistress 69

Galvasean wrote: »

They were following orders from God.

Sue God.

Just try and deliver the summons...:D

Duke Leonal Felmet

Funny how quiet antiskeptic has been on this...

Sarky

Not really all that funny though, when one gets right down to it.

the_syco

MagicMarker wrote: »

That's called manslaughter where I come from.

I'd call it incitement to perform acts of violence against their members. I'd actually wonder how they haven't been attacked by members of a deceased persons family.