Letitia Stein covers the interesting topic of prayer as a physical health device, detailing the practice of Christian Scientists to promote prayer over conventional medical treatment.
The church does not require its members to forgo medical treatment entirely, but does encourage the idea of prayer as a healing device, much as Jesus Christ was presumed to do.
This has become an issue to many health care providers and doctors, as they worry that many parents will encourage their children to opt out of health care instead of gaining access to the proper facilities. In some cases, the children may become very ill and die, and it is not up to the federal government to PREVENT treatment of children merely due to a religious belief.
Another conflict in this debate deals with the idea of spiritual healing, or "faith healers." This falls along the same lines of prayer, and in my opinion, is no safe alternative to actual medical facilities and treatment.
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