Pay for Prayer Treatment?
I want to sign up for the course “Become a Prayer Practitioner in 30 Days.” Better yet, maybe I’ll create a certification program so I can train you to pray for the ill at, let’s say, 50 bucks an hour. There’s plenty of money to go around.
The Christian Scientists apparently can not only heal with a prayer, they are pretty talented in the lobbying department, too. Who knew? They’ve managed to stay under the radar of public scrutiny because, let’s face it, the Scientologists are a whole lot sexier, not to mention weirder, with half of Hollywood on their rolls.
The Christian Scientists have already gotten IRS approval for taking prayer treatment expenses as itemized medical expenses. I wonder if they double dip, taking the payments (or some percentage) as revenue to their non-profit, tax-exempt religious institution.
Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare (the health insurance system for people connected to the military), and the federal employees health benefit system all cover non-medical services, such as prayers, for Christian Scientist patients “who choose to rely solely upon a religious method of healing.”
The church, known for eschewing medical treatment in favor of prayer treatment, says no criminal cases involving Christian Scientist children dying due to medical neglect. That may be true – because the church lobbied hard enough in the 70’s and 80’s to win exemption in 45 states for their faith healing practices. So they don’t mean that no children have died because of the reliance on faith over science. Just that the parents walked free. In fact, 172 children died without medical care because of religious reasons, according to official reports. Amazing how the truth can be bent to one’s will. Don’t try this at home, kids.
And now, they’ve persuaded Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, with the support of Sen. John Kerry and the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, both coincidentally senators from the Christian Scientists’ home state of Massachusetts, to insert this provision that puts ”religious and spiritual healthcare” on the same footing as actual medical care. These guys are good.
But let’s not give in to outrage. Essentially, they’ve laid the groundwork for us! Prayer practioners aren’t regulated by the government, don’t have any specific educational requirements, don’t have to be able to demonstrate any proficiencies, and don’t have to produce any results. You don’t even have to be the member of an organized religion (because that would be unconstitutional…)
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling very spiritual lately.
