Bad faith

when religious belief undermines modern medicine

253 pages

English language

Published Nov. 21, 2015

ISBN:
978-0-465-08296-4
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OCLC Number:
885226473

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"In Bad Faith, acclaimed physician and author Paul Offit gives readers a never-before-seen look into the minds of those who choose to medically martyr themselves, or their children, in the name of religion. Never afraid of controversy, Offit takes a stark and disturbing look at our surprising capacity to risk the health and safety of children in service of our beliefs. He tells the story of two devoted Christian Scientists who are shocked and heartbroken when their infant dies of a treatable disease; of orthodox Jewish parents who risk infecting their babies with herpes during an unsterile circumcision ritual; and of a man who believes his faith can cure his son's diabetes and, when that tragically fails, tries to raise him from the dead. The tangled relationship between religion and medicine may appear to afflict only certain pockets of America, but this phenomenon reaches much further -- whether you are …

1 edition

Subjects

  • Medicine
  • Child welfare
  • Spiritual healing
  • Patient refusal of treatment
  • Religious aspects