Families who subscribe to faith healing are being tried for ‘reckless endangerment’ after their children die from treatable conditions (ie: diabetes, pneumonia).    This article  made me pause for a moment… Sometimes I get the impression that people who strongly subscribe to Allopathic medicine think thoes who seek out CAM therapies are philosophically equivalent to the families in this article (ie: making irrational decisions about their health).

I disagree, but think all parties (supporters of CAM vs allopathic therapies) are at fault for dualistic thinking to some degree.  Sometimes people who pursue CAM treatment can be narrow and refuse to turn to medicine when they really should have, or wont inquire about the evidence behind recommendations, its risks or limitations.  Sometimes medical practitioners will ignore research even if preliminary, shut down patient’s interests or not cultivate their curiosity to explore CAM’s potential.  I like to think this trend is changing with the integration of medicines.

The following statement from the article BLEW my mind:

Parents who believe in faith healing, she said, may feel threatened by religious authorities who oppose medical treatment. Recalling her own experience, she said, “we knew that once we went to the doctor, we’d be cut off from God.”

Yes, a bit extreme.