Faith Healing

Faith healing is a phrase that some Christians use when referring to spiritual healing.  Proponents of faith healing believe that God physically heals people through the power of the Holy Spirit. Faith healing often involves "laying on hands" and intercessory prayer.  The Catholic Church believes healing can occur because of the intercessory prayer of a saint or a person that has the gift of healing. Physical healing has been credited to many saints of the Catholic Church. Indeed, it is the most common reason for conferring sainthood status on an otherwise spiritual person.

Patients who have a life threatening disease that is untreatable by normal medical methods may seek faith healing. There are also religious groups that believe that all illness and disease can and should be healed by faith healing. These groups often refuse conventional medical treatment.  However, while most Christians believe that spiritual healing does occur, they do not believe that it should replace conventional medical procedures.  Rather, faith healing is seen as something that complements the practice of medicine.

Faith healers are not uncommon. They use Christian methods and Shamanic tools that work for people of all backgrounds and spiritual beliefs. Although faith healing has not been scientifically proved, there are many anecdotal stories of people miraculously healed from incurable diseases, eyesight restored, and legs that walk again.

Of course, in modern times there have been many faith healers who have been unmasked as frauds. Their apparent healing miracles were found to be elaborately staged stunts using paid confederates planted in the audience.

The practice of faith healing presents ethical problems for the medical profession when a patient refuses medical treatment for themselves or members of their family. In addition, legal issues can arise, especially when a minor child is involved.  Occasionally, legal authorities have taken custody of children from their parents to allow for medical treatment in life threatening situations.

Some medical professionals believe that faith healing is nothing more than a placebo.  They believe that when faith healings do occur, they are really just examples of spontaneous remissions that can occur, with or without prayer.