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Do You Believe in the Power of Prayer to Heal?

Discussion in 'News & Current Events' started by Deacon, Dec 10, 2010.

  1. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
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    Dec. 8, 2010


    Parents' trial begins in death of Rhawnhurst toddler who did not receive medical care
    By Joseph A. Slobodzian


    Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer

    A Philadelphia forensic pathologist told a Common Pleas Court jury Tuesday that a 2-year-old Rhawnhurst boy would almost certainly be alive had he received routine medical care before he died last year of pneumonia.

    "This type of pneumonia, this type of bacteria, is preventable through vaccination and treatable with antibiotics," testified Assistant Medical Examiner Edwin Lieberman, referring to the disease that killed Kent Schaible in January 2009.

    Lieberman defended his decision to classify the death as a homicide as a prosecutor began her involuntary manslaughter case against the boy's parents, Herbert and Catherine Schaible.

    There is no mandatory prison term for involuntary manslaughter, but the Schaibles each could face up to 24 years in prison if convicted.

    The Schaibles are members of a church that preaches forgoing medical care in favor of prayer and faith healing. Authorities allege that when their son became ill with fever, cough, diarrhea, and loss of appetite, the Schaibles cared for him at home for almost two weeks, praying for him to get well as he died.

    It's a case in which the jury must discern the boundaries of parental responsibility, religion, and the law.

    "A 2-year-old doesn't have the wherewithal to say, 'Mommy, Daddy, I'm sick. I need to go to a doctor,' " Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore said in her opening statement.

    "A simple visit to the doctor, a prescription, and that little boy could have been with us today," Pescatore said.


    Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/loca...d_not_receive_medical_care.html#ixzz17hqY40Mw
     
  2. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    I absolutely believe in the power of prayer to heal but sometimes God uses other methods to heal us. In the Bible we see spit and mud, pools and rivers to heal - and today we have medicines. I DO believe that God still heals at times to His glory regardless of medicines but I believe that NOT using our medical knowledge to assist in healing is wrong.
     
  3. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    I don't believe in the power of prayer to heal. Prayer does not heal people, God does. I believe that God will listen to the prayers of his children and answer them. He doesn't always answer with a yes.
     
  4. BobinKy

    BobinKy New Member

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    Yes, I believe in the power of prayer.

    ...Bob
     
  5. glfredrick

    glfredrick New Member

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    Yup! But I also believe that God can use the people like doctors, nurses, pharmicists, etc., that He has gifted in the process.

    I've had two "close" examples of healings that were significant. One was a woman in my church who was diagnosed with a fast-growing form of pancreatic cancer. To date, no one has survived more than 6 months with her condition. She had radical surgery, even more radical chemo (they literally killed the woman through the process, then at the final brink brought her back) and we PRAYED day and night. She was in her 30s married, with had 3 kiddos. She is still alive and kicking after 6 years and back to her job as a phys ed teacher in the public school.

    The second was my wife, who one day doubled over in pain, began vomiting, and was wringing wet. We suspected appendicitis and hauled her off to the doc. He confirmed via examination and x-ray. The surgeon was scheduled for the next morning. When we went in, she was feeling pretty good. While we were waiting for the consult, she perked right up. The surgeon did his own checking and said, "I don't see a problem here." He checked some more, ran another X-ray, and there was no sign of a problem, and in fact a comparison of the two X-rays showed the difference from one day to the next. He was rather amazed, as this was fairly cut and dried as a common medical problem, and he was sure that we would be back within the week. That was about 3 years sgo... Yup. We prayed.
     
  6. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    Yes, but "Christian" prayer is no more effective then other forms. I am reading "The Dancing Healers," by Dr. Carl A. Hammerschlag who spent many years in Arizona as a psychiatrist and worked with tribal healers. He makes the point that the Tribal healers send their people to the "white" doctors when they can't help the person.
     
  7. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    While the Bible does tell us that prayer of the righteous "availeth much", the Bible also tells us...

    "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever". 1 Timothy 5:8

    If I'm the defense attorney, that one verse would be all I need.
     
  8. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    James 5:16 would disagree with you.
     
  9. Jim1999

    Jim1999 <img src =/Jim1999.jpg>

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    I believe in healing by faith through God, but I don't believe in faith healers and healing on demand.

    A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.

    Cheers,

    Jim
     
  10. ituttut

    ituttut New Member

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    Yes, if it is God's will, and I believe today God's Will is that His Grace is enough for us. Just because I, or one being prayed for are Christian doesn't mean He will intervene.

    I don't know if the parents are Christians, but know they must read the Bible, or go to a church that teaches from the Bible. However, so many read the Bible, and/or take the word of a preacher. They read without understanding, or listen to those that do not understand His Word. They evidently believe they are still in that Old economy when God was dealing directly with man. They actually believe they are of the earthly Apostles, and part of the Pentecostal period of just asking, and it will be done, viz. John 14:13, and others.

    We know we will die for God has told us so, and nowhere can I find, we today have any part of that Old economy beginning with Mary being selected to carry, and deliver Jesus. And also, according to scripture that period ended when Paul reached Rome.

     
  11. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    If you believed in God, you would believe that Christian prayers are heard and answered. Unfortunately, you don't believe in the God of Heaven, so of course your prayers are ineffective.
     
  12. Alcott

    Alcott Well-Known Member
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    I have never seen any disease or injury healed by nothing but prayer. My answer has to be No.
     
  13. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    Sometimes the answer is yes.
    Sometimes no.
    Sometimes not now.
    And sometimes the answer is, get that kid to the doctor as fast as you can.
     
  14. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    >If you believed in God, you would believe that Christian prayers are heard and answered. Unfortunately, you don't believe in the God of Heaven, so of course your prayers are ineffective.

    I believer that sincere Christian, Mormon, Hindu, Buddhist, shaman . . . prayers will help the person who wants prayers to help.
     
  15. glfredrick

    glfredrick New Member

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    So "sincerity" is the key. Wouldn't that make US god?
     
  16. preacher4truth

    preacher4truth Active Member

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    The prophets of Baal were sincere as they could be, and their prayers for fire from heaven, were declined. Why? Because they had no god. God didn't say, "Oh, look how sincere they are, let me answer them and let's instill some ecuminism here."

    Hinduism, Buddhism, shamanism, _ismism...same thing. There is only One God. The only way to Him is Christ. The only Mediator between us and He, is Christ. Yes, it's exclusionistic in it's very nature. I know it's not politically correct. It's biblically correct.
     
    #16 preacher4truth, Dec 11, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 11, 2010
  17. ituttut

    ituttut New Member

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    Popycock, and believing fairytales.
     
  18. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    >So "sincerity" is the key. Wouldn't that make US god?

    Or because we cooperate with God.

    Prophets of Baal? Consider Moses and the snake priests. Moses and the snake priests did the same thing but Moses did it better or Moses' God was more powerful.

    When a congregation prays for a person's healing . . . some are healed and some are not. The ones who are healed return and thank God. The ones who die do not.

    Went to charismatic church for a couple of months - that's all I could take - one Sunday morning a guy was prayed over for a bad back. In the evening he returned and gave thanks for being cured. Next Sunday he had a bad back.
     
  19. preacher4truth

    preacher4truth Active Member

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    Sorry billwald, but nothing you have said makes much sense to me.

    I must be missing the boat, but it seems way out there to me, and doesn't even connect logically. The snakes and Moses thing doesn't help whatsoever nor prove anything about your former response. Then we go into charismatic churches too.

    I don't follow that at all.
     
  20. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    Don't worry, no one else follows him at all either. Billwald is the longest lived troll on this board. He has admitted to being a troll. I really have no idea why they let him continue on here.
     
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