Faith healers dangerous for public health, Amsterdam alderman claims

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.

Read Another Article

Mother of malnourished baby denies sect-related negligence
Families in deadly ritual are Al-Arqam follower

Related News Articles Topic(s): Faith Healing • Homosexuality / Lesbianism / Bisexuality / Transgenderism Related Tags / Keywords: Amsterdam • Faith Healing • HIV • homosexuality • lesbianism • Pentecostal • Yvette Lont Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates Subscribe to Religion News Blog [What is this?] Get Religion News Blog's headline by Email [What is this?] Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults: ApologeticsSearch.com: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs. CounterCultSearch.com: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support. Find Related Religion & Spirituality Books at Amazon.com Faith Healing Possibly related... or Most Popular Religion News Articles RNB Roundup: religious political correctness in England; more religion news Amsterdam’s gay Christmas features Mary in drag Dutch Christian Civil Servant Fired For Opposing Gay Marriage Scotland’s gay marriage discussion stirring controversy among faith groups Twin Cities Gay Pride Fest Cannot Bar Evangelist Ban of evangelist at Pride festival is sought Prop 8, Mormonism, and the Other Fight for Alternative Marriage Baptists’ large military presence colors gay debate A gay Muslim, tested by faith and family Raelian lesbians attack Pope and Catholic Church

Search Religion News Blog