Skip to main content.
Related sites:
Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news
ReligionNewsBlog

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:
Web religionnewsblog.com
Home | Site Menu | About RNB | RNB Store | Cult FAQ | Cult Experts | Apologetics Index | Cult Information Search Engine
Faith Healing, Homosexuality/Lesbianism/Bisexuality/Transg.:

Faith healers dangerous for public health, Amsterdam alderman claims

Religion News Blog, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Oct. 3, 2008 News Translation
www.religionnewsblog.com
  • Article Tools  • Share This Story

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 22628 • Posted: Friday October 3, 2008  


Faith healers dangerous for public health, Amsterdam alderman claims

The City of Amsterdam and the COC — an advocacy group for LBGT men and women — are calling for an investigation by the Netherlands Health Care Inspectorate into healing rituals offered by Pentecostal churches to homosexuals and HIV patients.

Such churches are especially popular among the Antillean and Surinamese communities in Amsterdam. One church mentioned is the Ambassade van God (Embassy of God) headed by Yvette Lont, who was until recently an alderman for the ChristianUnion. She insists that people can be healed from HIV infections and from homosexuality.

This can be dangerous for the public health, warn alderman Freek Hosssel and COC leader Dennis Boutkan in a statement. The healing rituals could result in carriers of the HIV virus not taking their medicines, they say. According to Hossel and Boutkan the healing services could also contribute to the stigmatization of homosexuals. They state that Pentecostal churches such as those headed by Lont should not be able to hide behind the right to freedom of religion. The City and the COC are calling for people to file complaints.

The faith healers make use of the taboo on homosexuality in Surinamese and Antillean communities. Homo-activist Mikel Haman sees a connection between that taboo and suicides amongst young creole men.

- Source: ‘Genezer’ homo’s vormt gevaar, Het Parool (Netherlands), Oct. 3, 2008 — Freely translated by Religion News Blog


Religion News Blog RSS feed Subscribe: Religion News Blog RSS feed  |  Religion News Blog RSS feed Subscribe by topic: Faith Healing, Homosexuality/Lesbianism/Bisexuality/Transg.

Like this story?

Today's Most Popular Articles

Share this

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:




Article and Site Tools

» PermaLink to: Faith healers dangerous for public health, Amsterdam alderman claims
   Need a shorter link? You can remove everything after the final /
» More news articles + news archive on Faith Healing, Homosexuality/Lesbianism/Bisexuality/Transg.
» More religion and cult news

Subscribe (RSS / Email) [What is RSS?]
» RSS News Feed - All Topics: Religion News Blog RSS Feed
» RSS News Feed - Single Topic: Faith Healing, Homosexuality/Lesbianism/Bisexuality/Transg.
» Headlines by Email: Daily Religion News Blog Headlines

More Article Tools
• Bookmark / Tag: Del.icio.us
• Bookmark / Tag: Furl
Save this article
Email this article
Print this article [Temporarily out of order]

More Information
Books about Faith Healing
Relevant books (and other goodies)

About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.

Home
Latest Headlines
RSS news feed [?]
Headlines by Email
News Trackers
Free content for your site
About RNB
Privacy Policy
Contact RNB
Link to RNB
Advertise on RNB
Apologetics Index
Cult FAQ
Apologetics Search Engine
CounterCult Search Engine