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An investigation into the phenomena and practices of spiritual ...

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in Gooch‟s view that nurses do not need religious belief to be effective pr<strong>of</strong>essionals. Thefact that <strong>the</strong>y do not believe does not detract from <strong>the</strong> truth <strong>and</strong> from <strong>the</strong> belief <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rssuch as Ewles <strong>and</strong> Simnett (2003) <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r health promoters who tentatively promote <strong>the</strong><strong>spiritual</strong> aspect <strong>of</strong> healing.On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r h<strong>and</strong>, many claims <strong>of</strong> healing by religious fanatics have resulted in <strong>the</strong> deaths<strong>of</strong> vulnerable people who are unable to make decisions <strong>and</strong> take actions independently.Many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se cases are outlined in Peters‟ (2008) account <strong>of</strong> healing rituals, children, <strong>and</strong><strong>the</strong> law. Peters (2008:177) claims „Observers from outside <strong>the</strong> General Assemblies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>Church <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Firstborn, a relatively small Pentecostal church whose roots dates back to <strong>the</strong>early nineteenth century, claims that its ineffective healing <strong>practices</strong> has resulted in <strong>the</strong>deaths <strong>of</strong> at least two dozen children.‟The minister or <strong>spiritual</strong> healer does not claim to have medical knowledge or to have anyknowledge outside <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> person seeking healing or <strong>the</strong>ir medical practitioner. Theinterview material shows some people in Black-majority Pentecostal congregations willseek <strong>spiritual</strong> healing in preference to getting a sick note from <strong>the</strong>ir doctor, so that <strong>the</strong>y cancontinue to work. Seeking <strong>spiritual</strong> healing before going to <strong>the</strong> doctor for a medicaldiagnosis means that <strong>the</strong> person has probably made his own diagnosis <strong>and</strong> has engagedwith <strong>the</strong> sicole or illness behaviour in a way that is outside <strong>of</strong> Parsons‟ (1975) fourcomponents <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sick role even if it can fit within some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> later <strong>the</strong>ories <strong>of</strong> illnessbehaviour summarised by Weiss <strong>and</strong> Lonnquist (2005) . The minister or <strong>spiritual</strong> healerwill <strong>of</strong>ten advise <strong>the</strong> person to seek confirmation from <strong>the</strong>ir doctor that <strong>the</strong> condition exists<strong>and</strong> that <strong>the</strong> person is not asking for healing for something that is only in <strong>the</strong>ir mind. Once<strong>the</strong>y have attended <strong>the</strong> doctor <strong>and</strong> have a diagnosis <strong>the</strong>y can <strong>the</strong>n engage with <strong>the</strong> illness171

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