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

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severity is subjective <strong>and</strong> can only be measured by <strong>the</strong> person who is experiencing <strong>the</strong><strong>phenomena</strong> <strong>of</strong> suffering. Faith is intricately linked with suffering as both are invisiblehuman experience which are also linked with healing <strong>and</strong> <strong>spiritual</strong>ity in some form withinall cultures.Faith is a <strong>the</strong>ological concept where <strong>the</strong>re is acceptance <strong>of</strong> over-arching truth withoutempirical pro<strong>of</strong> ( c.f. Stacey 1977, Gaunton 1997), as <strong>the</strong> author <strong>of</strong> Hebrews 11 puts it „<strong>the</strong>substance <strong>of</strong> things hoped for, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> evidence <strong>of</strong> things not seen.‟ Such faith is notalways religious. Although faith <strong>and</strong> religious beliefs are closely linked, it is possible that aperson who has doubts about his religious beliefs may have faith in some things such asherbal medicine (Stacey 1977). The experience <strong>of</strong> an illness, suffering <strong>and</strong> pain or diseaseis also inextricably linked by respondents with faith. Christianity has clear statements <strong>of</strong>faith in <strong>the</strong> format <strong>of</strong> creeds which guide <strong>the</strong> majority <strong>of</strong> denominations <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir belief.Credally-based Christian denominations claim that truth is truth <strong>and</strong> practise this truthwithin <strong>the</strong> principles <strong>of</strong> orthodoxy, some developed relatively early in <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> church (Young 1993). This is illustrated in <strong>the</strong> comment from respondent 2 <strong>and</strong> in <strong>the</strong>statement on <strong>the</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> faith below.Respondent 2 (URC)Gifts <strong>of</strong> healing do not operate in isolation from o<strong>the</strong>r gifts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Holy Spirit. The healerwill almost certainly need to operate gifts <strong>of</strong> faith, whilst working <strong>the</strong> gifts <strong>of</strong> healing. Thisis also stated in 1 Corinthians 12. If a person, for example, have a cancer, which could beterminal, <strong>the</strong>y would need to get <strong>the</strong> word <strong>of</strong> God for <strong>the</strong>ir situation. They would need toknow for certainty in <strong>the</strong>ir own heart what God is saying to <strong>the</strong>m, that He will for example,carry <strong>the</strong>m through <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> prayers may need to have <strong>the</strong> same—<strong>and</strong> you may find that <strong>the</strong>195

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