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I realize this is a controversial subject even in religion but I'm wondering what you think about faith healing. There are some who are obvious frauds and have been exposed as such but there's still alot of this going on at religious gatherings in various places. As an atheist of course I don't believe it at all but it brings up an interesting question for religious people. Jesus is said to have healed people and even raised someone from the dead but of course he is recognized as the son of God by Christians. It would be a completely different situation if an ordinary human being were able to cure someone of an illness. What do you think about this possibility? Also, what do you think about specific locations where healing is supposed to take place like Lourdes in France? There have been millions of people who have traveled from all over the world to this spot because they believe it has healing powers. I know that if a loved one is ill that people will pray to God for a cure or a miracle. This is very different from an individual who claims to have received this gift from God or a location like Lourdes. Opinions?
I do not believe anyone has "healing power" and if they claim to they are a fraud. Only God can heal. Jesus healed people while on earth, and he extended it to his disciples. But after than no more. Of course I believe one can pray, and ask others to pray for for you if you are ill or injured and ask God to intercede. But any man who claims these powers, even in Jesus name it says in the Bible is going to have to be accountable on judgement day.
Thanks for your reply, I was afraid I was going to suffer the embarrassment of having this topic drop off of the page without a single response. By the way, what is your opinion of places of healing such as Lourdes in France? It's not based on an individual who claims to heal, it's based on historial records which many claim support the evidence of divine healing. I don't believe it as an atheist but millions of people do.
My husband and I have both received healing of some affllictions which I would term"miraculous" through prayer (our own prayer or that of others) Recently, my husband injured his knee and had to see an orthopedist for it. He received a shot of cortisone and that helped quite a bit etc, but he was still in a substantial amount of pain from it. A couple who are part of our eldership (leadership) at church prayed with him about the knee. He was immediately about 90% better and made a fairly rapid total recovery after that. You could say that it would have gotten better without the prayer, but I personally know that there was that IMMEDIATE dramatic difference after they prayed. Another time some years ago, I had an ailment of a kind of personal nature (which is why I'm not gonna detail it here). I had seen the most reputable gynecologist in our city and he had done his best to treat me without success. One night after about three months of this, I read the scripture in the Bible where the woman with an issue of blood presses forward in the crowd and touches the hem of Jesus' garment and is healed. So I myself just simply prayed and asked Jesus if I could "touch the hem of his garment" like she did (only in the Spirit obviously). Then I kinda forgot I had even prayed about until later I realized that the "problem" had resolved that very night and has never returned after all these years. There are other incidences too but I think of these two right off the bat.
And yes, I do believe that certain individuals can indeed have a "gift of healing" if you will. It doesn't emanate from them but rather the Holy Spirit residing in them. Of course, I think all believers can pray for the sick with effective results, but yeah, I think some have a particular anointing from the Lord or ability to do so. I have a llittle more difficulty believing in any particular place having any type of "healing virtue" but I may be wrong. The Bible does mention, was it the Pool of Siloam? where the Jews believed that at certain times an angel troubled the waters and they could be healed then. So who knows...? I don't have any personal testimony or other scripture to support that of a place having healing virtue.
I think it can work sometimes based on one thing (and it is a very effective thing, and I think more work needs to be done to help us utilize its power):
Thanks for your reply, I was afraid I was going to suffer the embarrassment of having this topic drop off of the page without a single response. By the way, what is your opinion of places of healing such as Lourdes in France? It's not based on an individual who claims to heal, it's based on historial records which many claim support the evidence of divine healing. I don't believe it as an atheist but millions of people do.
I think Lourdes in France is a fraud as well. I will post more in a bit. and your welcome.
There is even a term used to describe Christians who believe as I do, that miraculous gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophecy, and healing, stopped being practice early on in the church's history. The term is Cessationists. We believe that the gifts were given for the beginning of the church, and stopped after the death of the last apostle.
When Jesus and the apostles were around they not only healed the sick and injured but they supplied food for the masses and did many other miracles. If these "faith healers" really have power why don't they supply food for the starving children around the world, why don't they perform other miracles, and most telling, why do they collect money for their "miracles?"
That being said, I never say never. There's more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in my philosophy.
Until I know it all (and I'm a long way at the moment), I'm not willing to discount anything entirely.
But the guys in gaudy suits with bad haircuts knocking people over on TV? Yeah, those guys are frauds.
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By the way, what is your opinion of places of healing such as Lourdes in France? It's not based on an individual who claims to heal, it's based on historial records which many claim support the evidence of divine healing. I don't believe it as an atheist but millions of people do.
