By Paul W Dennis
There are a number of Christians and Churches in general today that believe that seeking medical attention is demonstrating a lack of faith in God.
The latest, residents together with security officials have rescued a nine-year-old girl on the verge of death from a church in Aguriguri Village, Katakwi District.
A local news daily says that the girl’s mother, Ms Rose Aguti, is reported to have been told by Pastor Richard Asutu, 27, of Save Soul International Ministries to abandon medical treatment and rely on prayers for her daughter to be healed.
For many believers, consulting a doctor is often considered a lack of faith that will actually prevent God from healing you. In groups such as Christian Science, seeking the help of physicians is sometimes viewed as a barrier to using the spiritual power God has given us to heal ourselves.
The logic of these viewpoints is sorely lacking, according to a section of bible theologians.
“If your car is damaged, do you take it to a mechanic or wait for God to perform a miracle and heal your car? If the plumbing in your house bursts, do you wait for God to plug the leak, or do you call a plumber? God is just as capable of repairing a car or fixing the plumbing as He is of healing our bodies. The fact that God can and does perform miracles of healing does not mean we should always expect a miracle instead of seeking the help of individuals who possess the knowledge and skill granted by God to assist us,” a discussion by a bible theologi on GotQuestion.org reads.
Physicians are referred to about a dozen times in the Bible, theologians say, and the only verse that could be taken out of context to teach that one should not go to physicians would be 2 Chronicles 16:12.
“In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians.”
GotQuestion.org reads: “The issue was not that Asa consulted physicians, but that “he did not seek help from the LORD.” Even when visiting a doctor, our ultimate faith is to be in God, not the doctor,”
“God created us as intelligent beings and gave us the ability to create medicines and learn how to repair our bodies. There is nothing wrong with applying this knowledge and ability towards physical healing. Doctors can be viewed as God’s gift to us, a means through which God brings healing and recovery. At the same time, our ultimate faith and trust is to be in God, not in doctors or medicine. As with all difficult decisions, we should seek God who promises to give us wisdom when we ask for it (James 1:5),” the website adds.
