Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern Medicine

by Paul Offit

Hardcover, 2015

Call number

201 OFF

Collection

Publication

Basic Books (2015), 272 pages

Description

"In Bad Faith, acclaimed physician and author Paul Offit gives readers a never-before-seen look into the minds of those who choose to medically martyr themselves, or their children, in the name of religion. Never afraid of controversy, Offit takes a stark and disturbing look at our surprising capacity to risk the health and safety of children in service of our beliefs. He tells the story of two devoted Christian Scientists who are shocked and heartbroken when their infant dies of a treatable disease; of orthodox Jewish parents who risk infecting their babies with herpes during an unsterile circumcision ritual; and of a man who believes his faith can cure his son's diabetes and, when that tragically fails, tries to raise him from the dead. The tangled relationship between religion and medicine may appear to afflict only certain pockets of America, but this phenomenon reaches much further -- whether you are seeking treatment at a Catholic hospital or trying to keep your kids safe from diseases spread by their unvaccinated peers, you'll likely encounter these issues"--Provided by publisher.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member aulsmith
Since I already knew a lot about this topic, I found it hard to get through all the stories of needless suffering. However, if you're not familiar with the crazy things people can do in the name of religion, this would be a good place to start.
LibraryThing member bness2
The cases discussed in this book are unbelievable. People are capable of believing the most unbelievable things. If Jesus were alive today I think he would have a few words for Christian Scientists, Jehovah's Witnesses and other faith healing cults about common sense. If medicine has a treatment
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for something, use it, when there is no treatment then prayer may be your only option, but making prayer the only option, period, is presumption.

Ultimately, Offit's main concern is for children. Parents in these cults are essentially martyring their own children for their religious beliefs, and such should not be allowed. Amazingly, many states have religious exemptions to protect parents who adhere to these religious beliefs from prosecution for medical neglect of their children. This is wrong and we need to change it.
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Pages

272

ISBN

0465082963 / 9780465082964

UPC

884738669933
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