Monday 25th April 2011
Derren Brown is a TV hypnotist. He makes entertainment out of manipulating people's emotions and perceptions: but he is essentially open about this.
The premiss of this documentary is two-fold: firstly, that faith healers (every faith healer? Brown thinks so) are simply manipulative showmen who are out to make money; secondly, that Brown can train anyone to be a faith healer. He's quite exercised about this - and particularly concerned about those who suffer depression when their healing does not appear (or doesn't last), or throw away medication and become ill.
So he recruits a scuba-diving instructor, trains him over a few months, then takes him to Texas. There they see some faith healers at work, and learn a few tricks along the way - the best being the old favourite of leg-lengthening. He practices preaching, teams up with a worship group, does a bit of on-street 'healing', and then runs a public event and does the whole thing for real. At the end, he does a 'reveal' in front of the whole audience - telling people that faith isn't about handing over money to rich evangelists.
Throughout, he's eager to underline that he has no quarrel here with genuine faith, and doesn't wish to undermine it. He wants only to expose charlatans. He and his scuba-diving protégé are also very exercised about doing right by those they work with - to the extent of cutting ties with a Christian PR company which might have got them a much bigger audience, for fear that said company would crash when the truth was revealed. They suffer angst from the deceit they engage in, but remind themselves "we must be hypocrites for a while so that the reality may be shown".
All in all, the presentation struck me as thoroughly responsible and worthy. There are many "faith healers" who are plainly manipulative fraudsters, and the more they are exposed, the better.
But it's rather close to home, too. I've certainly encountered many within my branch of faith who will talk eagerly and in a convinced way about miraculous healing. Long ago, I even encountered people who'd experienced the leg-lengthening thing, though I haven't heard of that stuff for quite a while. But miraculous healing almost never seems to stand up to scrutiny. You'd expect the medical profession to be sceptical, of course, but given how many people believe in healing, you'd have thought that there would be at least a few well-attested, incontrovertible cases. But there aren't. As far as I know, the medical literature has none whatsoever. None at all. Even though there are plenty of Christian doctors - even plenty of Evangelical and Charismatic ones. None at all. None whatsoever. Isn't that odd?
Christian GP Peter May evidently set out some time ago some characteristics of biblical healing miracles, arguing that these form something of a "gold standard" for evaluating whether a miracle has happened.
- The conditions were obvious examples of gross physical disease
- They were at that time incurable and most remain so today
- Jesus almost never used physical means
- The cures were immediate
- Restoration was complete and therefore obvious
- There were no recorded relapses
- Miracles regularly elicited faith
Miracles today? They remain widely discussed in Christian circles. Should we move on?
3 comments:
Hi,
Just found your blog, and immediately knew that I would enjoy reading your thoughts - the title and tag line had me grabbed.
Even better, a post about Derren Brown. On a global scale, it would seem that I am something of a rare breed - A Christian and a huge Derren Brown fan. His shows, similar to the Faith Healer show, are some of my favourite TV moments (check out his Russian Roulette or The Heist... and his live shows are awesome too!)
I really enjoyed the Faith Healer show. Having seen the whole faith healer thing up close and personal, I was as keen as he was to have exposed the sham of the faith healer show.
I am firmly of the opinion that God can heal, but that he doesn't need stage lights and a tenth of your income to make it happen.
I find it hard to hold to an opinion of a God that cannot heal, when I believe the earth is His creation... surely after Mt Everest, a sore back is a walk in the park!
I stress the above because I cannot pull out of my hat a cast iron account of a healing.
I will certainly be back to read more of what you have to say. Thus far I am a big fan.
Hi Tom, thanks for stopping by.
It seems self-evident that if God can't do miracles in our world today, then he's not really God. Then again, perhaps that's more of a definitional problem.
I'm not really wanting to rule anything out - sharp lines make for heated arguments, and I don't doubt for a moment that pastoral sensitive healing prayer can be constructive at times. I wonder if too often we buy into the Faith Healer narrative and do emotional damage along the way. Medical science has wrought many miracles, and I doubt that we celebrate that part of creation enough.
Sad to say, my blogging goes through little spurts of enthusiasm - but I hope there will be worthwhile stuff to come back for, soon.
Andrew
I have often wondered how the stimulation of positive thought that is engaged through corporate prayer, could result in improved perception of pain or discomfort. And if that did play its part, does that take away from Gods healing power?
I tend to think that it doesn't take anything away, and is just one example of how God can work in our world... His world...
I am a big fan of the body's ability to heal itself, given the correct stimulation, and am happy to give God the glory for that healing. After all, who else could you give it to, if not God?
Infrequent blogging is better than no blogging, when you have something to say. I am looking forward to your next post... but don't let me rush you :)
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