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Faith and medicine

• Superstitious Folly

Last thing I'd want is a doctor who prayed for me. Most people disagree.

Dr. Suki Tepperberg, a family physician in Dorchester, Mass., has concerns about those who put too much faith in God’s will. One of her patients, a Jehovah’s Witness who has diabetes and hypertension, believes her illness is in God’s hands and she sometimes eats destructively, harming her health. Tepperberg is worried that, while this woman could take better care of herself, “she believes God really is the ultimate decision-maker.” In her review of the literature, Powell found several studies suggesting that praying with a sick person can sometimes impede recovery; one study concluded that the risk of a bad health outcome doubled, perhaps because patients believed God would protect them or that their illness was some kind of divine punishment.

Claudia Kalb, Newsweek: Faith & Healing

Earlier: Duke MANTRA study: prayer doesn't cure and The Lord is my dietician.

Richard Evans Lee
November 09, 2003 •
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I thought that the Claudia Kalb's "Newsweek" article 'Faith and Healing' left a false impression of Jehovah's Witnesses' beliefs. The article said: "Other experts worry, however, that faith can sometimes interfere with a patient's journey through illness. Dr. Suki Tepperberg, a family physician in Dorchester, Mass., has concerns about those who put too much faith in God’s will. One of her patients, a Jehovah’s Witness who has diabetes and hypertension, believes her illness is in God’s hands and she sometimes eats destructively, harming her health. Tepperberg is worried that, while this woman could take better care of herself, 'she believes God really is the ultimate decision-maker'." Although it's true Jehovah's Witnesses believe the complete cure for sickness and death will only come about through God's future kingdom, they are not in any way fatalists. They also regard life with respect. Most seek high-quality medical treatment and act responsibly toward their own and their family's health concerns. This woman's (reported) attitude is not typical and may be a mistaken impression on the doctor's or reporter's part.

Posted by: Gloria | November 18, 2003 8:22 AM

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Feel free to share your feelings about Faith and medicine. Please stick to the theme of the entry. Disagreement is fine. Homophobia, racism, and kindred expressions of hatred will be deleted. This site is one of my hobbies. I genuinely enjoy hearing from people and hate moderating or killing comments. Forthright disagreement is fine as long as it is civil.
My thanks,
Richard

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