When backward beliefs persist in the world, how can mankind make progress in the developing world? What should be done?

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by jtur88

lI invite you to look back at the Reverend Mister Oral Roberts, who placed his hands on people suffering from wide ranging afflictions, and by so doing, cured nobody, but but did it on TV convincingly enough to have raked in enough cash to build a great university. He might as well have buried them up their chins in sand.

Toche. Here, you have hit the nail.

Who's to say what's "progress?"

[marieb]

Originally Posted by LauraC

Was the eclipse thing a one time deal or has it been going on for decades/centuries every time there is an eclipse? If it has been going on for a long time, and no kid was ever cured of their disability, you would think the ritual would die out, eventually.

The rituals in Christianity have never died out regardless of how illogical they seem or how pointless, but people have to have hope don't they? People go in their millions to different Christian sites to be cured of illness and disability, and have done for hundreds of years.

Over the past 150 years, about 200 million people have made the pilgrimage to Lourdes and there have been 67 miracles. For those who care, that's a success rate of .0000335% or 1 out of every 3 million.

Since 1978, there have been only four recognized cures. So, if you're thinking of going to Lourdes for a miracle cure, the odds are not stacked very highly in your favour.

I've always had a bit of fancy to visit Lourdes after seeing Jennifer Jones in the Song of Bernadette when I was a child.

The South of France is very, very nice and just think how well you would feel surrounded by all those people who are so much worse off than you!

I'm sorry that's a bit flippant.