LtJayson Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Ok, so I have responded and what not since I came, but think it is about time that I throw something out in to the mix. Like I have mentioned (as does my signature) I was a Pentecostal Pastor. Everyone affiliated with this deception knows of the great teaching of "DIVINE" healing. Let's me start by sharing a little story: I have Celiac Disease (intolerance/allergy to gluten - found in wheat, rye, barley and oats that prevents me from correctly absorbing nutrients and if I do eat something with gluten, the list of problems could take up the entire bandwidth haha). When I was involved in this stuff, I had a friend who ran the local Christian Coffee Shop which was attached to the "Healing Rooms of Ashtabula." (If you haven't heard of the healing room movement, do some research...funky stuff man!). Anyway, he was dead set against me accepting the fact that I had this disease. He wanted me to come in to pray with him and his "team" of deliverance ministers (since, of course, if I was ill it was caused by sin in my life and a demonic presence in my body). I finally gave in, went to see him (had to make an appointment to pray you know). He prayed over me, made me confess things that I had done in the past (even if they were "under the blood" so to speak - including any sexual encounter that I had at ALL [he even had me repent for masturbation from the time I was a teenager on up! - teenage boys, um...all I can say is, that took a LONG time LMAO], etc.) He did his mumbo jumbo, and said I was healed. Of course, I believed it. I waited a few days, and tried eating pizza. Of course, I did this in front of my youth group that I was pastoring at that time to show them the awesome "power of god." Long story short, I was having weird trouble, but refused to believe it had anything to do with my Celiac Disease. I made up an excuse that it was an ulcer from work, etc. Finally, I was so weak, I would get to work at 7AM, and be falling asleep at post by 745AM. I contacted a doctor, had some tests run to see if I was anemic, etc...he called back with the news that - GET THIS...I (of all people) had CELIAC DISEASE! GO FIGURE! For almost one year, I had poisoned my body, literally, and caused some lifelong damage, simply because I BELIEVED I was healed. This fake "healing" almost cost me a friendship and relationship with two of my best friends in the world, as they just saw it as the pentecostal side of me coming out to preach to them (they are agnostics as well). We didn't talk for months and I even missed the birth of my precious "neice" so to speak. All because of this craziness. Today, I suffer more in my body than I ever did because of the destruction to my body that I caused. Do I blame the minister? Not completely - he was following what he was taught. Do I blame me - somewhat...I knew better, logic didn't fit, but hey, it was god right? I DO blame the religiosity that I was so engrained in. Ok - the point... (I do have one, I promise) I was wondering how many people were in a similar situation or hurt by this teaching? I cannot believe that I was so stupid to believe it...but, I was! Anyone else out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ogilvy Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 i used to hate it when i'd be at a ladies meeting and if you had a headache or anything, they'd insist on praying over you, everyone putting a hand on you, other hand up in the air, and praying in tongues. i would stand there, all tensed up, knowing that any minute now when it was over, they would be expecting me to announce that the headache or whatever was gone, which would not happen. i guess they were amateurs! it made me not want to ever admit if i had anything wrong, because it was so awful getting prayed over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted April 24, 2008 Super Moderator Share Posted April 24, 2008 I recommend the book "The Faith Healers" by the Amazing Randi. Faith healing is a total sham. At the big healing revivals people who can walk are put in wheelchairs. Magician's methods are used to obtain and transmit information about the marks. It's another one of those "God can't lose" propositions in that when people do get better, or the placebo effect comes into play, God gets the credit. When the healing prayer fails, it simply wasn't God's will - he has a plan. It's a dangerous lie to foist upon the ill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LtJayson Posted April 24, 2008 Author Share Posted April 24, 2008 It's another one of those "God can't lose" propositions in that when people do get better, or the placebo effect comes into play, God gets the credit. When the healing prayer fails, it simply wasn't God's will - he has a plan. Not to mention that if it fails, it is somehow YOUR fault! YOU were in sin...YOU didn't have enough faith. Could not be that GOD does not exist or have any part in the mankind thing :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen_Richard_Webb Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why?! Man, that is just cruel, self centered and damn wicked of them to believe that THEY have the power to call upon a supernatural force that they don't even know exists to "heal" someone based on THEIR faith AND THEN MAKE you engage in a potentially life crippling activity to demonstrate THEIR own power - not the power of the "so-called" source from which they were supposedly praying to. Lets face it, they are modern day sorcerers with no power or will of their own. These idiot assholes can do no good at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraphicsGuy Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I was wondering how many people were in a similar situation or hurt by this teaching? I cannot believe that I was so stupid to believe it...but, I was! Anyone else out there? As I am so fond of telling my story, here's the sum up again: Hurt by the teaching of divine healing? Fuck yeah...for 20 years I suffered from severe depression, suicidal tendancies, bipolar-like cycling, obsessive sexual behaviors, and a host of other things. I prayed to Jesus for 18 of those years for healing because I suspected something was wrong with me. I wasn't sure if I was just messed up or if I was simply more "evil" than most other people or if I just wasn't as strong as most other people. The problem I had basically left me "stuck" at 18 years old mentally and emotionally. I wasn't capable of moving beyond that it seemed. Anyway, the time finally came the end of February 2007 when I said, "NO MORE!" to prayer and all the religious grovelling and I finally went to a doctor. Turned out that I had a hormone imbalance (low testosterone) basically since puberty. Ten days into treatment my depression simply went away and I have been normalizing ever since that time. I pretty much became an entirely new person, especially since I "aged" about 20 years in a span of months. I often still feel like I'm "growing up" as I learn who I am day by day. I deconverted July 2007. Lost/left my family August 2007 (due to deconversion). Have been struggling on ever since. So, "divine healing"/Xianity really has a special place in my heart. I fucking loathe it and will verbally assault almost anyone I hear talking about it. It stole 18 years of my life, mentally and emotionally damaged (abused) me, and caused all sorts of issues and circumstances that I am still paying for in some ways. Seems like I need to vent this load of shit every so often, so thanks for the opportunity once again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GlitterSno Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Jay, As you well know, one of the churches that we both attended, was really big on the divine healing bullshit. My mother was diagnosed with cancer, had a tumor about the size of a grapefruit. I was told that if I marched into her hospital room with enough faith, that the tumor would disappear. Well, I prayed and prayed. She died a week later. So, guess who was feeling guilty for not having enough faith? You guessed it. This is such a damaging doctrine that causes so much mental anguish AND physical distress. You end up taking the wrap for a god that just sits on his ass and does nothing while you suffer because of his laziness/lack of compassion.....but remember, JESUS LOVES YOU! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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