Mother of girl who died after faith healing attempts posts on site that calls doctors dangerous

The mother of an 11-year-old town of Weston girl who died after her family tried to heal her illness through prayer had participated in a Web site that shares stories of miracle cures for everything from brain tumors to worn vehicle tires.

The Web site is operated by Pensacola, Fla.-based Unleavened Bread Ministries and declares “These are America’s Last Days.” The Web site promotes the teachings of its founder, David Eells, who believes that God has sole authority over healing.

Faith Healing
The term ‘faith healing’ refers to healing that occurs supernaturally — as the result of prayer rather than the use of medicines or the involvement of physicians or other medical care.
But while faith healings do take place today just as they did in the early Christian church, the teachings of some churches, movements and individuals on this subject amount to spiritual abuse.
Legitimate churches and movements do not equal using drugs or receiving proper medical attention with unbelief, insufficient faith, or otherwise sinning against God.

Commentary/resources by ReligionNewsBlog.com

“I am not condemning those who use doctors or medicine,” Eells wrote on one part of the site, AmericasLastDays.com. “I am offering the good news that Jesus has already healed you almost 2,000 years ago.”

Leilani Neumann, mother of Madeline Kara Neumann, posted at least two messages on AmericasLastDays.com — a Feb. 28 testimonial about realizing her vision of sharing the Holy Spirit with another woman, and an undated poem about overcoming unspecified struggles in her life.

Madeline Kara Neumann died on Easter Sunday after her parents were unable to revive her. Everest Metro Police Chief Dan Vergin said the Neumanns thought they could heal her through prayer.

On his Web site, Eells reported that the word pharmacy was derived from a Greek word that means “witchcraft” or “sorcery.” In addition, he wrote that based on federal statistics, “doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners.”

Eells did not respond Wednesday to the Wausau Daily Herald’s request for an interview.

One part of the site includes a variety of links to stories of prayer healings.

One woman wrote that she refused to see a doctor when she was hemorrhaging blood because she knew God would heal her, despite her husband’s repeated efforts to take her to a doctor. The woman reported that after days of intense pain and weakness she overcame the bleeding and recovered.

“I wanted to write this because it’s the anniversary of the healing, and also to say that since then my children and I haven’t been to any doctor, and we don’t take any medications, either,” she wrote in February. “We even told the dentist that we won’t be going back.”

• Original title: Girl’s mother posts on site that calls doctors ‘dangerous’

Source

(Listed if other than Religion News Blog, or if not shown above)

Religion News Blog posted this on Friday March 28, 2008.
Last updated if a date shows here:

   

More About This Subject

AFFILIATE LINKS

Our website includes affiliate links, which means we get a small commission -- at no additional cost to you -- for each qualifying purpose. For instance, as an Amazon Associate, Religion News Blog earns from qualifying purchases. That is one reason why we can provide this research service free of charge.

Speaking of which: One way in which you can support us — at no additional cost to you — is by shopping at Amazon.com.