The truth on being saved.

[Avatar4321]

He also said:

John 6:47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.
John 5:24 I can guarantee this truth: Every believer has eternal life.
John 3:15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,

^ How I rest assured of my future.
And you can tell if a man is saved by the fruit he produces through the Holy Spirit. And if his beliefs are rooted in Christ.

Hi Jeri.

belief never saved anybody ..

Maybe not. But Faith does.

 

[daws101]

Gods word teaches this( bottom line) --Those who endure till the end will be saved.---
Not one of us has reached the end.
There would be 1 of 2 requirements by a mortal man to know if another is saved--
1) He would have had to see ones name written in the book of life.-- he has not.
2) He would have to be able to read anothers true heart---he cannot

Thus no mortal alive knows if one is saved-- here is a prime example.

On TV Mr Joel Osteen says--say these 3 lines of prayer and you are born again( saved). about 1000 in audience, 10,000 plus on tv--He doesn't know 1/10th of them--now they all say these 3 lines and go through life thinking they are saved--yet some are workers of iniquities who walk the broad and spacious path. and I believe that as much as he had no clue about the workers of iniquity he told were saved, he has no clue about any just as no mortal does. He is elevating himself into Gods [position by teaching those are saved as any teacher who does I believe is a teacher of darkness( 2 Corinthians 11:12-15)

And Jesus saved two men dying on a cross with him that he did not know.

My reading of the Bible is different. Only one of the thieves was saved. Rather then give my analysis of the various biblical passages, I offer the following from a Christian website:

“Remember this story of the two thieves when considering what path you are on. Both were guilty, both sinners deserving punishment, however only one ended up with Christ in Heaven when he died. Ultimately, there is only one choice we can make that matters in this life. Do we believe or do we not? We are all sinners, all guilty, all deserving punishment. Do we believe in Jesus or do we not? So I ask you, which one are you?”

The Two Thieves - Which One Are You? | Christian Sentry

what if you're neither?

 

[daws101]

He also said:


^ How I rest assured of my future.
And you can tell if a man is saved by the fruit he produces through the Holy Spirit. And if his beliefs are rooted in Christ.

Hi Jeri.

belief never saved anybody ..

Maybe not. But Faith does.

again that's bullshit..
faith has never stopped a murder or cancer or war (it has started many) faith has destroyed more cultures than it could ever save...

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

So GOD made you to test you?

Yeah, okay, that's almost makes sense.

No, God created you in His own image to have a relationship with Him here upon the earth. To have dominion over every creature upon the earth, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, every creeping thing. To enjoy all that he had created for you because he delighted in you. The first Adam fell into sin separating mankind from God and therein God sent His Only begotten Son Jesus Christ to redeem what Adam had lost through his fall. Which is why Jesus is referred to as the "second Adam". All who accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and believe he died on the cross for our sins ( even the sin of Adam we are all born with ) and accept that pardon are reconciled back to God through Christs pardon at the cross. Now you are able to walk as Jesus did and live holy unto the Lord which is what God desires of each of us, Editec. As he said to Abraham, I am the LORD God, walk before me and be thou perfect. Genesis 17: 1

 

[daws101]

So GOD made you to test you?

Yeah, okay, that's almost makes sense.

No, God created you in His own image to have a relationship with Him here upon the earth. To have dominion over every creature upon the earth, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, every creeping thing. To enjoy all that he had created for you because he delighted in you. The first Adam fell into sin separating mankind from God and therein God sent His Only begotten Son Jesus Christ to redeem what Adam had lost through his fall. Which is why Jesus is referred to as the "second Adam". All who accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and believe he died on the cross for our sins ( even the sin of Adam we are all born with ) and accept that pardon are reconciled back to God through Christs pardon at the cross. Now you are able to walk as Jesus did and live holy unto the Lord which is what God desires of each of us, Editec. As he said to Abraham, I am the LORD God, walk before me and be thou perfect. Genesis 17: 1

is it possible for any of you to answer questions without proselytizing?

 

[Avatar4321]

belief never saved anybody ..

Maybe not. But Faith does.

again that's bullshit..
faith has never stopped a murder or cancer or war (it has started many) faith has destroyed more cultures than it could ever save...

Bold claim. Of course you can't support it.

I know of people who didn't murder themselves because of faith. When they were at their lowest point, so much so that they had the gun in their hands, they stopped because of faith and divine intervention.

I know people who have been healed miraculously through faith.

How many wars haven't happened? Countless im sure but wars that don't happen rarely make history.

Read the story of Alma Smith who was shot at the Haun's Mill Massacre sometime. Then tell me faith doesn't save people.

 

[Avatar4321]

So GOD made you to test you?

Yeah, okay, that's almost makes sense.

No, God created you in His own image to have a relationship with Him here upon the earth. To have dominion over every creature upon the earth, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, every creeping thing. To enjoy all that he had created for you because he delighted in you. The first Adam fell into sin separating mankind from God and therein God sent His Only begotten Son Jesus Christ to redeem what Adam had lost through his fall. Which is why Jesus is referred to as the "second Adam". All who accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and believe he died on the cross for our sins ( even the sin of Adam we are all born with ) and accept that pardon are reconciled back to God through Christs pardon at the cross. Now you are able to walk as Jesus did and live holy unto the Lord which is what God desires of each of us, Editec. As he said to Abraham, I am the LORD God, walk before me and be thou perfect. Genesis 17: 1

is it possible for any of you to answer questions without proselytizing?

If you don't want to hear proselytizing, then i would recommend not being in the religion section of the forum.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Saved from what? Sounds like I was born guilty. Sounds more like God's fault than mine. Maybe he should either lighten up, or stop being so judgmental.

You were born guilty, Vandal. Which is why the "second Adam" came to redeem what the "first Adam" lost for you! The First Adam was given the opportunity to have a relationship with God - the very reason he was created - he fell into sin through the woman God gave him being deceived and he fell as well. Jesus is referred to as the second Adam because when he died on the cross for your sins and shed his blood? He did that to redeem you and give you back what the devil stole from your first father - Adam - Adam and Eve are the mother and father of all creation - there was no one before Adam and Eve. They are the first.

So Jesus says to you, Vandal. I died that you might have life and life more abundantly. I didn't come to this earth to judge you but rather to give you back what the devil stole from you through Adams sin. I have come to redeem you and give you back all the devil stole from you through Adam. I have come to not only redeem you but heal you, deliver you from all oppression of the enemy, redeem your family, give you authority over the devil so that you can put him under your feet - ( Luke 10:19 ) I have come to restore you to a relationship with God the Father so that you can walk as I have walked upon the earth and live a holy life and not only have I come to do that for you but also to give you my Holy Spirit who will empower you to be my witness unto the farthest parts of the earth so that what I have done for you - you can go tell others about and then they too can hear this good news and be restored to the father and where I am you shall be also! What wonderful new is that? Jesus said, Be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. Before the cross you didn't have the opportunity to be baptised by the Holy Spirit and walk in the fullness of the power of the Holy Ghost as Peter, Paul, James, Stephen, Timothy, all who follow Christ and walk as he did - will do in their normal every day lives... But now you do have the opportunity and Jesus says, Come unto me! You who are heavy laden! Weary! Burdened! My yoke is light! Learn of me! You are invited to come unto Jesus, Vandal. That is his invitation to you! Do not look at the world and those false teachers who profess to know Christ but live like the devil! Do not look to those who are setting a bad example of Christ before your eyes but turn your eyes upon Jesus and realize that he does have a remnant of believers that walk closely with him and obey him. The world will tell you this walk is not possible but I tell you it is not only possible but the only life to have because truly no other life satisfies as the life hidden in Christ does. No other life. I pray God's best for you, believe God's best for you and know without a doubt God could not love you more right now then if you were already His redeemed most holy saint walking the earth. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Amen.

 

[daws101]

Maybe not. But Faith does.

again that's bullshit..
faith has never stopped a murder or cancer or war (it has started many) faith has destroyed more cultures than it could ever save...

Bold claim. Of course you can't support it.

I know of people who didn't murder themselves because of faith. When they were at their lowest point, so much so that they had the gun in their hands, they stopped because of faith and divine intervention.

I know people who have been healed miraculously through faith.

How many wars haven't happened? Countless im sure but wars that don't happen rarely make history.

Read the story of Alma Smith who was shot at the Haun's Mill Massacre sometime. Then tell me faith doesn't save people.

as always you're talking out your ass.

christianity and the destruction of indigenous cultures
Christianity and colonialism are often closely associated because Catholicism and Protestantism were the religions of the European colonial powers[1] and acted in many ways as the "religious arm" of those powers.[2] According to Edward Andrews, Christian missionaries were initially portrayed as "visible saints, exemplars of ideal piety in a sea of persistent savagery". However, by the time the colonial era drew to a close in the last half of the twentieth century, missionaries became viewed as "ideological shock troops for colonial invasion whose zealotry blinded them",[3] colonialism's "agent, scribe and moral alibi."[4]
Christianity is targeted by critics of colonialism because the tenets of the religion were used to justify the actions of the colonists.[5] For example, Toyin Falola asserts that there were some missionaries who believed that "the agenda of colonialism in Africa was similar to that of Christianity".[6] Falola cites Jan H. Boer of the Sudan United Mission as saying, "Colonialism is a form of imperialism based on a divine mandate and designed to bring liberation - spiritual, cultural, economic and political - by sharing the blessings of the Christ-inspired civilization of the West with a people suffering under satanic oppression, ignorance and disease, effected by a combination of political, economic and religious forces that cooperate under a regime seeking the benefit of both ruler and ruled."[6]
Edward Andrews writes:
Historians have traditionally looked at Christian missionaries in one of two ways. The first church historians to catalogue missionary history provided hagiographic descriptions of their trials, successes, and sometimes even martyrdom. Missionaries were thus visible saints, exemplars of ideal piety in a sea of persistent savagery. However, by the middle of the twentieth century, an era marked by civil rights movements, anti-colonialism, and growing secularization, missionaries were viewed quite differently. Instead of godly martyrs, historians now described missionaries as arrogant and rapacious imperialists. Christianity became not a saving grace but a monolithic and aggressive force that missionaries imposed upon defiant natives. Indeed, missionaries were now understood as important agents in the ever-expanding nation-state, or "ideological shock troops for colonial invasion whose zealotry blinded them."[3]
According to Jake Meador, "some Christians have tried to make sense of post-colonial Christianity by renouncing practically everything about the Christianity of the colonizers. They reason that if the colonialists’ understanding of Christianity could be used to justify rape, murder, theft, and empire then their understanding of Christianity is completely wrong. "[7]
According to Lamin Sanneh, "(m)uch of the standard Western scholarship on Christian missions proceeds by looking at the motives of individual missionaries and concludes by faulting the entire missionary enterprise as being part of the machinery of Western cultural imperialism." As an alternative to this view, Sanneh presents a different perspective arguing that "missions in the modern era has been far more, and far less, than the argument about motives customarily portrays."[8]
Michael Wood asserts that the indigenous peoples were not considered to be human beings and that the colonisers was shaped by "centuries of Ethnocentrism, and Christian monotheism, which espoused one truth, one time and version of reality."[9]



JUST FOR YOU THE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE : he Mountain Meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the Baker–Fancher emigrant wagon train at Mountain Meadows in southern Utah. The attacks culminated on September 11, 1857, with the mass slaughter of most in the emigrant party by members of the Utah Territorial Militia from the Iron County district, together with some Paiute Native Americans.
The wagon train—composed almost entirely of families from Arkansas—was bound for California on a route that passed through the Utah Territory during a turbulent time period, later known as the Utah War. After arriving in Salt Lake City, the Baker–Fancher party made their way south, eventually stopping to rest at Mountain Meadows. While the emigrants were camped at the meadow, nearby militia leaders, including Isaac C. Haight and John D. Lee, made plans to attack the wagon train.
The militia, officially called the Nauvoo Legion, was composed of Utah's Mormon settlers (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS Church). Intending to give the appearance of Native American aggression, their plan was to arm some Southern Paiute Native Americans and persuade them to join with a larger party of their own militiamen—disguised as Native Americans—in an attack. During the militia's first assault on the wagon train, the emigrants fought back and a five-day siege ensued. Eventually fear spread among the militia's leaders that some emigrants had caught sight of white men, and had likely discovered the identity of their attackers. As a result militia commander William H. Dame ordered his forces to kill the emigrants.
By this time the emigrants were running low on water and provisions, and allowed some approaching members of the militia—who carried a white flag—to enter their camp. The militia members assured the emigrants their protection and escorted them from the hasty fortification. After walking a distance from the camp, the militiamen, with the help of auxiliary forces hiding nearby, attacked the emigrants. Intending to leave no witnesses and to prevent reprisals to complicate the Utah War, the perpetrators killed all the adults and older children (totaling about 120 men, women, and children). Seventeen children, all younger than seven, were spared.
Following the massacre, the perpetrators hastily buried the victims, leaving the bodies vulnerable to wild animals and the climate. Local families took in the surviving children, and many of the victims' possessions were auctioned off. Investigations, temporarily interrupted by the American Civil War, resulted in nine indictments during 1874. Of the men indicted, only John D. Lee was tried in a court of law. After two trials in the Utah Territory, Lee was convicted by a jury, sentenced to death, and executed.
Today historians attribute the massacre to a combination of factors, including war hysteria about possible invasion of Mormon territory, and hyperbolic Mormon teachings against outsiders which were part of the excesses of the Mormon Reformation period. Scholars debate whether senior Mormon leadership, including Brigham Young, directly instigated the massacre or if responsibility lay with the local leaders in southern Utah.
Mountain Meadows massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
THAT'S JUST TWO EXAMPLES THE LIST IS ALMOST ENDLESS...
PLEASE NO RATIONALIZING...

 

[daws101]

no, god created you in his own image to have a relationship with him here upon the earth. To have dominion over every creature upon the earth, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, every creeping thing. To enjoy all that he had created for you because he delighted in you. The first adam fell into sin separating mankind from god and therein god sent his only begotten son jesus christ to redeem what adam had lost through his fall. Which is why jesus is referred to as the "second adam". All who accept jesus christ as the son of god and believe he died on the cross for our sins ( even the sin of adam we are all born with ) and accept that pardon are reconciled back to god through christs pardon at the cross. Now you are able to walk as jesus did and live holy unto the lord which is what god desires of each of us, editec. As he said to abraham, i am the lord god, walk before me and be thou perfect. Genesis 17: 1

is it possible for any of you to answer questions without proselytizing?

if you don't want to hear proselytizing, then i would recommend not being in the religion section of the forum.

so the answer is you're incapable of forming original ideas on the subject matter...

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

I would prefer daws101 stay, Avatar. The Love of Christ compels me to say that because truly these are the ones Christ came for. I will tell you another thing I have noticed about some people who have been the most difficult cases - they make the most glorious saints. I think about Paul. I think about Augustine who had a son out of wedlock with a woman he was living with before he gave his life to Christ and had a true conversion of his soul. The list is endless and the worse they are the more I feel the love of God compelling me towards them. I didn't always feel that way. Now I do.

 

[emilynghiem]

Dear KJW and Jeremiah:
I believe that Jesus is Justice for all, as the Messiah or Message for all humanity.
thus I believe in Universal Salvation but on God's level not in the way we think so limited.

We think in linear time and space, while God's mercy and love transcends all that.

I know what keeps us FROM God's grace and salvation is
UNFORGIVENESS the one blasphemy, against the Holy Spirit, God cannot overcome.
We must FREELY choose to ASK God's help with forgiveness before his will can be done.
Otherwise God will not override our free will if we do not ask help to forgive.

I believe all humanity will eventually submit and admit we need God's/divine help
to forgive that which we cannot let go on our own. Our minds are too conditioned
to remember and hold grudges or biases, forgiving one thing but hating another.
We will ALWAYS have our biases toward one person/group more or against another.
Only God through Christ can express love equally and inclusively for all people without
these biases we have as humans. So our love is not perfect, but together, joined in Christ, collectively God's will and love can cover and include all humanity. Just not by ourselves.

As for the steps of salvation, each of these require letting go and forgiving in order to receive, but at three different levels:

1. first is to receive a child of God who represents God's love and forgiveness

all people I know who have any knowledge of God laws and love have started out
by receiving others. especially since this is about RELATIONS with God that are reflected in our RELATIONS with others. if we forgive, God forgives us. Where we do not let others in but cut them out, God cuts us out. We learn that we get what we give in RELATION with others, thus we learn about our RELAtIONSHIP with God through Christ

2. second is that once we receive a child of God we also receive Jesus

secondly to make the commitment ourselves to embrace responsibility for Jesus or Justice by conscience, where we live by the laws ourselves, where we agree to follow this

3. finally we call upon the name of the Lord in order to be save

through this relationship then when we ask forgiveness and mercy we receive it

Since humanity is body mind and spirit. We receive in spirit, then we commit our minds, and then it becomes manifested throughout the body. Collectively all humanity as body/mind/spirit becomes one in harmony as represented by God/Christ/HolySpirit

===================================================

Gods word teaches this( bottom line) --Those who endure till the end will be saved.---
Not one of us has reached the end.
There would be 1 of 2 requirements by a mortal man to know if another is saved--
1) He would have had to see ones name written in the book of life.-- he has not.
2) He would have to be able to read anothers true heart---he cannot

Thus no mortal alive knows if one is saved-- here is a prime example.

On TV Mr Joel Osteen says--say these 3 lines of prayer and you are born again( saved). about 1000 in audience, 10,000 plus on tv--He doesn't know 1/10th of them--now they all say these 3 lines and go through life thinking they are saved--yet some are workers of iniquities who walk the broad and spacious path. and I believe that as much as he had no clue about the workers of iniquity he told were saved, he has no clue about any just as no mortal does. He is elevating himself into Gods [position by teaching those are saved as any teacher who does I believe is a teacher of darkness( 2 Corinthians 11:12-15)

FORGIVENESS
that is the key to receiving SALVATION by GRACE

it starts in the SPIRIT
then transforms the MIND
then manifests in the BODY

thoughts, words, actions
spiritual, mental, physical

 

[Avatar4321]

I never suggested he leave. Just that it seems imprudent to complain about proselyting when you voluntarily enter a religious forum.

BTW daws. My ass doesn't talk. If it did, I'd probably smell really bad. And your cut and paste job really didn't address anything I said about faith.

Faith has and does change the lives of countless individuals.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

is it possible for any of you to answer questions without proselytizing?

if you don't want to hear proselytizing, then i would recommend not being in the religion section of the forum.

so the answer is you're incapable of forming original ideas on the subject matter...

I can talk to you without proselytizing. Just be sincere in what you'd like to discuss, Daws. That is all I'm asking. I don't want to argue with you or debate about things that do not factor in to the eternal scope of things. If that sounds reasonable to you. If you sincerely doubt something than state it plainly and I'll give you an honest answer if I know it and if I don't I'll tell you, I don't know. - Jeri

 

[Vandalshandle]

"You were born guilty, Vandal. "

Sorry, Jere. I'm not buying it. It goes against my concept of justice to be found guilty before I was born because of something Adam did (who I don't believe existed anyway).

 

[emilynghiem]

belief never saved anybody ..

Maybe not. But Faith does.

again that's bullshit..
faith has never stopped a murder or cancer or war (it has started many) faith has destroyed more cultures than it could ever save...

Hi Daws: the issue is forgiveness vs. unforgiveness

Unforgiveness on both sides of a war/conflict is what keeps it going and escalating
(you are right in a way, that NO amount of religious prayer or ritual can end that, WITHOUT forgiveness behind it)

FORGIVENESS HAS CURED CANCER
and diabetes, schizophrenia, rheumatoid arthritis

The effect of forgiveness on accelerating the healing and recovery process has been shown

FALSE FAITH HEALING fails where there is no deep spiritual change from real forgiveness

TRUE spiritual healing has even cured sick people like the Son of Sam
who became a totally different and positive person after he got rid of his demonic sickness

Yes, it has cured people of otherwise fatal disease, saved lives and ended cycles of abuses
that collectively cause war

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

"You were born guilty, Vandal. "

Sorry, Jere. I'm not buying it. It goes against my concept of justice to be found guilty before I was born because of something Adam did (who I don't believe existed anyway).

Okay. I believe you are being sincere about that, Vandal. Something I have always admired about you is your honesty. You are more honest than some people who tell me they're saved. I admire that about you. I think I should go and if Daws wants to discuss something I will find it later. I hope you have a good day today, Vandal. - Jere

 

[daws101]

I would prefer daws101 stay, Avatar. The Love of Christ compels me to say that because truly these are the ones Christ came for. I will tell you another thing I have noticed about some people who have been the most difficult cases - they make the most glorious saints. I think about Paul. I think about Augustine who had a son out of wedlock with a woman he was living with before he gave his life to Christ and had a true conversion of his soul. The list is endless and the worse they are the more I feel the love of God compelling me towards them. I didn't always feel that way. Now I do.

THE DIFFERENCE IS i NOT ONE OF THOSE CHARACTERS.....A LEAST YOUR DELUSION IS A GENTLE ONE....
I expect if god existed he would accept me for who I am, if for no other reasons than I gained a wisdom in life that conformists like yourselves could never hope to gain..and to shake up your religious complacency by questioning it..

 

[daws101]

I never suggested he leave. Just that it seems imprudent to complain about proselyting when you voluntarily enter a religious forum.

BTW daws. My ass doesn't talk. If it did, I'd probably smell really bad. And your cut and paste job really didn't address anything I said about faith.

Faith has and does change the lives of countless individuals.

dodge....it was a direct answer to your question...also I knew what your answer would be...denial..

 

[daws101]

Maybe not. But Faith does.

again that's bullshit..
faith has never stopped a murder or cancer or war (it has started many) faith has destroyed more cultures than it could ever save...

Hi Daws: the issue is forgiveness vs. unforgiveness

Unforgiveness on both sides of a war/conflict is what keeps it going and escalating
(you are right in a way, that NO amount of religious prayer or ritual can end that, WITHOUT forgiveness behind it)

FORGIVENESS HAS CURED CANCER
and diabetes, schizophrenia, rheumatoid arthritis

The effect of forgiveness on accelerating the healing and recovery process has been shown

FALSE FAITH HEALING fails where there is no deep spiritual change from real forgiveness

TRUE spiritual healing has even cured sick people like the Son of Sam
who became a totally different and positive person after he got rid of his demonic sickness

Yes, it has cured people of otherwise fatal disease, saved lives and ended cycles of abuses
that collectively cause war

you'll understand when I say your info is bias and false
btw I survived leukemia...

Faith Healing
Other common name(s): spiritual healing, laying on of hands

Scientific/medical name(s): none

Description
Faith healing is founded on the belief that certain people or places have the ability to cure and heal—that someone or something can eliminate disease or heal injuries through a close connection to a higher power. Faith healing can involve prayer, a visit to a religious shrine, or simply a strong belief in a supreme being.

Overview
Available scientific evidence does not support claims that faith healing can cure cancer or any other disease. Some scientists suggest that the number of people who attribute their cure to faith healing is lower than the number predicted by calculations based on the historical percentage of spontaneous remissions seen among people with cancer. However, faith healing may promote peace of mind, reduce stress, relieve pain and anxiety, and strengthen the will to live.

How is it promoted for use?
According to proponents, there is little that faith healing cannot do. Many religious sects claim faith can cure blindness, deafness, cancer, AIDS, developmental disorders, anemia, arthritis, corns, defective speech, multiple sclerosis, skin rashes, total body paralysis, and various injuries. Certain religious groups, for instance, believe that illness is an illusion that can be healed through prayer, either for oneself or by trained practitioners.

What does it involve?
Faith healing can be practiced near the patient or at a distance from the patient. When practiced from afar, it can involve a single faith healer or a group of people praying for the patient. When near to the patient, as in revivalist tent meetings, the healer often touches, or “lays hands on,” the patient while calling on a supreme being. Faith healing can also involve a pilgrimage to a religious shrine, such as the French shrine at Lourdes, in search of a miracle. Some groups train and use their own practitioners to heal sick persons through prayer.

What is the history behind it?
Faith healing is believed to have begun even before the earliest recorded history. In the Bible, both God and holy people are said to have the power to heal. In Medieval times, the Divine Right of Kings was thought to give royalty the ability to heal through touch. Through the years, up to and including the twentieth century, there have been numerous reports of saints performing miracle cures. Today, a number of religious groups practice some form of faith healing.

What is the evidence?
Although it is known that a small percentage of people with cancer experience remissions of their disease that cannot be explained, available scientific evidence does not support claims that faith healing can actually cure physical ailments. When a person believes strongly that a healer can create a cure, a “placebo effect” can occur. The placebo effect can make the person feel better, but it has not been found to induce remission or improve chance of survival from cancer. The patient usually credits the improvement in how he or she feels to the healer, even though the perceived improvement occurs because of the patient’s belief in the treatment. Taking part in faith healing can evoke the power of suggestion and affirm one’s faith in a higher power, which may help promote peace of mind. This may help some people cope more effectively with their illness.

One review published in 1998 looked at 172 cases of deaths among children treated by faith healing instead of conventional methods. These researchers estimated that if conventional treatment had been given, the survival rate for most of these children would have been more than 90 percent, with the remainder of the children also having a good chance of survival. A more recent study found that more than 200 children had died of treatable illnesses in the United States over the past thirty years because their parents relied on spiritual healing rather than conventional medical treatment.

Although there are few studies in adults, one study conducted in 1989 suggested that adult Christian Scientists, who generally use prayer rather than medical care, have a higher death rate than other people of the same age.

Are there any possible problems or complications?
People who seek help through faith healing and are not cured may have feelings of hopelessness, failure, guilt, worthlessness, and depression. In some groups, the person may be told that his or her faith was not strong enough. The healer and others may hold the person responsible for the failure of their healing. This can alienate and discourage the person who is still sick.

Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences. Death, disability, and other unwanted outcomes have occurred when faith healing was elected instead of medical care for serious injuries or illnesses.

While competent adults may choose faith healing over medical care, communities often become concerned when parents make such choices for their children. This concern has sparked organizations to work toward creating laws to protect children from inappropriate treatment by faith healers.

Finally, a few “faith healers” have been caught using fraud as a way to get others to believe in their methods. These people often solicited large donations or charged money for their healing sessions.

Faith Healing