I recently read a deeply upsetting story about a daughter who lost her mother after she became involved with a religious group, in my view a cult. The mother sought spiritual healing, joining a church that prohibited seeking medical care, a decision that later cost her life.

According to the church: "We recognise the Holy Spirit as our counsellor according to scripture, and each person in fellowship is at liberty to, and urged to seek God for advice and direction in all areas of their lives.... and the sick should be prayed for with the anointing of oil and laying on of hands, under the direction of the holy spirit."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-19/seeking-spiritual-healing-at-hosanna-excelsis/104704172

Her daughter, who had once been part of the same church, reflects on her loss every day. She left the church at 17, after experiencing how its rules constrained her life, relationships, friends, and limited personal freedoms.

What concerns me the most is the lack of accountability. Religious groups, whether cults or mainstream, operate without facing any consequences for the harm caused. If someone steals a loaf of bread, they are arrested and punished, but when a group’s harmful practices lead to a life being lost, there seems to be no reprimand.

I strongly support religious freedoms, but stories like this leave me heartbroken for the families. Their pain is permanent. I do also believe the problem here lies with society. It's partially our fault. We turn a blind eye to others’ struggles and difficulties and create an environment where vulnerable people seek solace in places that promise life improvement and salvation but ultimately lead to devastating consequences, with the real price paid by those who lose their life and those left behind.

Shouldn't religious people be less concerned about
the physical purity of their own bodies
and be more concerned
about self-sacrifice for the well being of others?

Religious people I thought first and foremost have
always not been concerned with political liberty
but in self-sacrifice for the well being of others.

Therefore depriving others of immunisations for
preventable diseases, and prohibiting medicinal
help and surgery - makes no sense. The law needs
to apply for the health and well-being of all.

Hi Nathan,

"I strongly support religious freedoms" We have had a recent discussion on this, but the statement must have limitation, would that still be correct if one said; "I support religious freedoms, to conduct human sacrifices", of course not. The dangerous side of religion is the control factor, and the use through interpretation of religious scripture to impose controls over people. Religious cults as we call them, do exactly that, control peoples lives through religious interpretation. The woman in your story allowed herself, for whatever reasons, probably rather pathetic ones, to be controlled by a religious cult, using their fundamentalist religious beliefs with disastrous effect.

A paradox of freedom and truth.

For example-

A problem of freedom is people are allowed to do stupid things.
A problem of truth is government are allowed to do stupid things.

Nathan,

There is no reason for you to be concerned about this sort of thing - unless you just want to tell everyone what a jolly nice fellow you are. There is nothing you can do about it; nothing your fellow moaners and groaners on this site can do about it; and it is none of your business.

Adults are entitled to live their lives the way they choose, and there has never been a shortage of cranks, religious and otherwise, like the woman you refer to.

Your liking for posting weird behaviour suggests that you should be attending to your own mental health. Most people would not take any notice of this sort of weird behaviour; they certainly would not think it was worth dwelling on it and rushing into print.

Perhaps you should avoid the ABC, as most other Australians do.

ttbn,

You are the number one thread starter, and the number one comment poster on this forum. Yet, you attack others as "wasting theirs and others time by posting on this forum" according to you, no ones listening, and no one is interested. What does that say about you!

As for your comment; "Your (Nathan) liking for posting weird behaviour suggests that you should be attending to your own mental health." I suggest the only person here with a mental health problem is the silly old octogenarian who constantly post far right diatribes.