Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern Medicine

Offit, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, is well known for his efforts to educate the public about medical fraud (Deadly Choices; Autism's False Prophets). His newest book takes on faith healing. Although the United States has the most advanced medical care in the world, a surprisingly large number of people in the country belong to fundamentalist sects that rely exclusively on the power of faith to heal. According to the author, Christian Scientists and some other Christian evangelicals let their children die of treatable infections rather than take them to a hospital. They also refuse to immunize their children. He also discusses the unhygienic circumcision practices of ultra-Orthodox Jews that spread herpes to newborn boys. Some groups use exorcism to treat mental illness. Using actual case histories to illustrate the needless suffering and deaths that occur as a result of these methods, Offit masterfully points out that the denial of medicine in the name of religion actually rejects the basic teaching of religious faith: relieving suffering, providing hope, and treating others as one would wish to be treated.