Introduction
The modern society has recently discovered the kind of uniformity that exists between religion and science. Many scholars have written articles about the mainstream science and how it is entrenched in the religion (Chapman & Hutton, 2008). Many scholars say that scientists fail to come up with ideas of how healing process works despite the high evidence that is exists. Since discovering that the relationship that exists between healing and religion is difficult, many articles have been written by authors concerning how spiritual healing takes place. This paper will explore the components of healing in the hospital and how they are related to spirituality, the challenges that exists in the process of creating a healing environment in light of the barriers and complexities of the hospital environment and lastly the paper will provide an example of spiritual healing by using a biblical message.
Discussion
Components of a Healing Hospital and their relationship to spirituality
Components of healing hospital can be defined as the activities that are undertaken in the hospital in order to heal a patient. A research carried out by the Harvard Medical School in 2006 indicated that medical attention accompanied by the use of repetitive prayers, words, and the use of phrases result to healing (Chapman & Hutton, 2008). This is so because when inclusive- thoughts fail to be regarded, some forms of physiological changes occur. Some of these changes are; decrease in metabolism, heart beat, breathing rates and reduced blood pressure. These changes are quit different from those that are induced by stress and which are considered as relaxation modes (Cassoli, 2001).
The studies which were conducted by Harvard Medical School indicated that, sixty percent of the cases that are reported to medical professionals are conditions that are most likely induced by stress and the solutions to such problems lies in the use of contemporary effective therapy (Chapman & Hutton, 2008). Most of the people who exhibit positive responses to these therapies are characterized with increased spirituality (Orchard, 2001; pg27). Spirituality in many people is characterized by an expression of energy, power or a force that is perceived as God (Benor, 2007). It is this power, energy or force that enables a patient to recover from a stress condition. The use of the power of God in addition to the application of scientific methodology in nursing has now been considered as an important effort towards healing (Benor, 2007). Another study conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan in 2008 is an example of the relationship between medicine and religion. The study involved 400 patients who visited the outpatient department; the questionnaires used were structured to seek answers on gender ratio, age and the perception of religion in relation to nursing. Qidwai et al 2009 asserts that, “97.5 percent of the people who seek medical services support the use of prayers for healing along with medical treatment.”
Challenges of creating a healing environment
Negative impact on public health
Religious healing if employed without the use of the modern scientific technology is likely to pose negative impacts to health (Young & Koopsen, 2005). This is evidenced by the rise in mortality rates and low life expectancy in children of the communities which ignore modern science. People believe that they can withdraw from medical; treatment and seek spiritual treatment, this lead to serious injuries if such spiritual prayers fail to take action (Chapman Hutton, 2008).
Criticism of faith healing by Christian theology
Most theological studies teach that healing does not take place miraculously. Spiritual healing practice is abused in the modern society (Chapman Hutton, 2008).
Some group of Christians who abuse spiritual healing believe that most spiritual healings are more often linked to devil and his works, however Christians believe that since Jesus died on the cross and He was able to defeat the devil, Christians therefore were granted the power over the devil and as a result this spiritual healing is a gift from God which is granted when they pray with genuine faith. This conflict in the interpretation of spiritual healing makes it difficult it entrench it in the healing hospital.
Fraud
The act of spiritual healing has been interpreted wrongly by some people. It is claimed that spiritual healing is possible because some people owe supernatural power which they use to obtain money from others (Benor, 2007). The fraudsters claim that they can provide personal information to other people by using this super natural power but instead they acquire radio transmissions from their fellow con artists who are off stage analyzing information which they had earlier acquired.
Biblical message
Christians who believe in faith healing say that God heals through prayers by sending the Holy Spirit to lay hands on the patient (Chapman Hutton, 2008). According to Benor (2007), “most of the spiritual healings in the healing hospital are associated with the ministries that were conducted by individuals like Jesus, Paul and Elijah.” Christians believe that healing is a blessing obtained when one has faith in God, Mathew chapter 8 verse 17 reads as “this was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases”. Such teachings has lead Christians to put the faith to God before seeking any medical treatment.
However, it is evident from most healings that are described in the first four books of the New Testament that spiritual healings are better than the modern century medicine. An example is the case of the lady who had blood discharge over 12 years but was not healed the physicians who attended her but Jesus told her to get up because her faith had healed her. This is not a common scenario in the modern world and this makes people to believe in many of the spiritual healings.
Conclusion
Spiritual healing is the therapy that Christians believe results from the power of God. Christians believe that having faith in God is the easiest way to get treatment. However, this kind of healing has not been fully accepted in the modern healing hospital because it is faced with many criticisms. This paper has discussed why Christians believe in spiritual healings and why spiritual healing is faced with criticisms despite being the easier way to get treatment when compared to modern science that is employed in the healing hospital. Finally this paper has considered a biblical quote as an example of the teachings that make people to trust in spiritual healing.
References
Benor, D. (2007). Spiritual healing: Scientific validation of a healing revolution. New York: International Universities Press.
Cassoli, P. (2001). The healer: problems, methods and results. European Journal of Parapsychology; 4 (1): 71-80.
Chapman, G and Hutton, B. (2008). Healing hands. Michigan: W.H Allen Publishers.
Orchard, H. (2001). Spirituality in health care contexts. Philadelphia: J. Kingsley.
Qidwai, W., Tabassum, R., Hanif, R., and Khan, F. (2009). Belief in prayers and its role in healing among family practice patients visiting a teaching hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Medical Science Journal; 25 (2): 182-189.
Young, C. and Koopsen, C. (2005). Spirituality, health, and healing. New Jersey: Thorofare publishers.