PHEasy. There havenāt been any.
Not one.
Every single so-called āverified miracle healingsā has always, always turned out to be āhurr durr, this healing was, derp derp derp, totally 100% real legit 100% verified, hurr durr, because we, like, totally say itās, like, 100% verified, yup yup yup.ā
This is compelling to believers. Less so to people who donāt start with the assumption that everything said is true.
And itās not for lack of trying.
Scientists and researchers have repeatedly tried following up with āverified miracle healings.ā If someone actually had a verifiable way to heal the sick and cure the blind, that would utterly revolutionize civilization.
Always, always, always, always, in 100% of cases, follow up with people supposedly ācuredā has always shown they werenāt. Always.
Throwing away your crutches and staggering four steps across a stage doesnāt show you were healed.
But thereās a really, really interesting thing that came out of these follow ups:
The people who are āhealedā at faith healing, when the next day comes and theyāre still sick, tend to react with deep, deep shame.
They tend to seclude themselves. They tend to withdraw from friends and family. When they see faith healers going on TV bragging about ācuringā then, they almost never speak up.
Two things emerge from interviewing these people:
1. Evangelical religions are almost always strongly authoritarian. Speaking out in contradiction of your preacher is one of the worst offenses imaginable. If your preacher says that up is down and the sky is green, you never, ever, ever say otherwise. To do so is to risk being ostracized, cut off from your friends and familyāor worse.
2. The people who are supposedly ācuredā feel deep shame because all of evangelical faith-healing ideology is all about blaming the victim. If you arenāt healed, it means you arenāt good enough. Your faith is too weak. Your trust in God is too flimsy. Itās your fault you werenāt healed.
Not one.
Every single so-called āverified miracle healingsā has always, always turned out to be āhurr durr, this healing was, derp derp derp, totally 100% real legit 100% verified, hurr durr, because we, like, totally say itās, like, 100% verified, yup yup yup.ā
This is compelling to believers. Less so to people who donāt start with the assumption that everything said is true.
And itās not for lack of trying.
Scientists and researchers have repeatedly tried following up with āverified miracle healings.ā If someone actually had a verifiable way to heal the sick and cure the blind, that would utterly revolutionize civilization.
Always, always, always, always, in 100% of cases, follow up with people supposedly ācuredā has always shown they werenāt. Always.
Throwing away your crutches and staggering four steps across a stage doesnāt show you were healed.
But thereās a really, really interesting thing that came out of these follow ups:
The people who are āhealedā at faith healing, when the next day comes and theyāre still sick, tend to react with deep, deep shame.
They tend to seclude themselves. They tend to withdraw from friends and family. When they see faith healers going on TV bragging about ācuringā then, they almost never speak up.
Two things emerge from interviewing these people:
1. Evangelical religions are almost always strongly authoritarian. Speaking out in contradiction of your preacher is one of the worst offenses imaginable. If your preacher says that up is down and the sky is green, you never, ever, ever say otherwise. To do so is to risk being ostracized, cut off from your friends and familyāor worse.
2. The people who are supposedly ācuredā feel deep shame because all of evangelical faith-healing ideology is all about blaming the victim. If you arenāt healed, it means you arenāt good enough. Your faith is too weak. Your trust in God is too flimsy. Itās your fault you werenāt healed.