Spiritual healing

Accept scientific basis of treatment

I refer to your front-page report “Medium of abuse” (Star,May 15).

It is distressing to note that spiritual healing has become a big business and a duly recognized “profession” by the people.

Despite the frequent reports of abuses by these spiritual healers, people from all walks of life, from the ordinary man on the street to even top politicians are seeking the assistance of practitioner’s for their ailments. In fact,spiritual healing, is gaining popularity among the people and I hope the Ministry of Health will not introduce it into our hospitals as an alternative treatment.

In this modern era of science and technology, we seem to be going backwards to the time of witchcraft and magic to cure our ailments. If this continues what is going to happen to our dreams of becoming a developed nation by 2020?.

There is an urgent need to change the mindset if the people. We must be thought to think logically and accept only the treatment that has sound scientific principles behind them. The present developed state of the West is due solely to their research and achievements in science and technology. It was this advancement in science and not magic that resulted in putting man on the moon.

The government must monitor the activities of these spiritual healers and take appropriate action to stop it from further abuse. The major thrust is on the people to reject unsound practices which are not based scientific but on weird “spiritual” believes.

It is more important to educate the people to be careful in seeking these alternate forms of treatment. Our education in schools should be more science based and religious teachings should encourage the scientific thinking in all fields including the basis diseases.

Not all diseases are curable and we must accept this basic fact.Malaysians must strive to understand the medical basis of their illness. If we do so, we will not succumb to the false attractions of spiritual healing in our quest for a cure.

Dr.Chris Anthony