A week ago, IBN-7 telecast a macabre story about a faith healer claiming cure for any disease, performing surgeries with swords, using Handiplast as bandages and making patients drink his blood. Shockingly, quackery is not just a rural phenomenon; it is rampant in the by lanes of our cities, too. Why do people trust quacks, Godmen and the so-called faith healers? Is it the lack of adequate scientific and rational solutions or simply orthodoxy?
In a country where multi-specialty hospitals abound and medical tourism is a growing business, it is a grim fact that lack of adequate healthcare at the implementation level results in quacks exploiting vulnerable masses. However, healthcare and health infrastructure are not the only reasons. The quacks thrive even where doctors are abundant. The problem is political. All political parties shy away from legislating the anti-quackery bill. After all, numbed minds are more easily captured for voting.
So why is it that Indians are easily convinced of miracles? Tricksters in the garb of religious leaders influence city masses as much as their country cousins. Without any knowledge of medicine they say they can cure ailments like cancer, AIDS and what not. While quackery is one dimension of blind faith, faith healing seems to be the most popular one. Look around to notice the mushrooming of divine retreat centers.
The argument in favour of faith healing is that it can’t be written off completely since it could help create an aura of positivity to help cure – along with scientific methods – diseases like cancer. Faith and courage help in healing. It helps body to generate immunological and other mechanism to fight the disease. However, what goes on the name of faith healing is a humbug born of cheating and exploitation.
Faith is a mechanism of the mind. It is born of optimistic resolve undeterred by fear. But when this belief is based on external influences impressed by trickery or blinded by pseudo-sciences, then the owner of such beliefs is weakened psychosomatically. Such a person becomes uni-dimensional and can be easily taken advantage of… and thus be psychologically enslaved! The deadly dimension of blind faith has to be challenged and the liberating dimension of scientific temper must be empowered.
While faith and courage ameliorate, faith-healing is an impediment
“Develop new Dimensions” to become truly free and independent!
Regards
Pravin
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment