I came across an African lady a while ago who was in training to be a faith healer, hoping to set up her own christian-type church.
Because I was interested she eventually demonstrated the routine she goes through to cast out demons from some poor confused soul--it was chilling and terrifying, made every hair on my skin stand up, mostly because I could see the total belief and commitment she put into what I could clearly see was a well-rehearsed performance.

I wouldn't want to be a believer on the receiving end of that, it was enough to put anyone over the edge of sanity.


Back to the sport motif, I had the same physical reaction the first time I saw, in person, the NZ rugby team performing a haka:

[www.youtube.com]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2011 03:48PM by Stoic.

Now this one is interesting--the haka gets a response in kind from Tonga:

(the haka, BTW, is nowadays a show of respect towards one's opponent)

[www.youtube.com]

I trained with the Bi- Aura Foundation. Everything is regulated by the BCMA , the CMA - and the course is equivalent to an A- level by OU credits. There were GP's , medical doctors and NHS Nurses on the course. All results are given to the NHS. There are extremely strict guidelines and certainly has nothing to do with religion. I have never claimed to be a faith healer- Brian erroneously wrote that about me in his dossier .

I don't have a problem with faith---we'd all of us be in a sorry state without any faith or hope at all. Despair is the state of being without hope--- abandoned, lost in darkness.

I do have a problem with anyone who claims to be able to 'heal' another, through some magical transfer of faith or hope from the stronger to the weaker person.
The faith and hope of another is useless to me---only the faith or hope that I have in my heart is motivational to me. What someone else chooses to call their particular brand of hope and faith is also immaterial to me. I don't feel the need to label mine----or idolise and worry about it-----just so long as I can feel it when I need it.


Honest medical personnel are clear about their role---they remove, if they are able, the obstacles to health.
Health is a state of homestasis or balance in the body.

[en.wikipedia.org]

A good medic aims to remove obstacles in order to allow the body to heal itself and allow it to return to a state of homeostasis. An honest medic aims to facilitate this natural process----no honest medic would claim to be able to do the 'healing' himself.




The haka works for those performing it by firing up the natural physical systems of the body to prepare it for fight or flight, for action---it fires up the adrenaline (US: epinephrine) response. The wording of this particular haka, the Ka Mate, is a clear expression of faith and gratitude in the natural processes of the body, it is a celebration of being alive and active--- nothing at all about casting out of demons or other airy fairy notions:

[en.wikipedia.org])

The "Ka Mate" haka generally opens with a set of five preparatory instructions shouted by the leader, before the whole team joins in:

"Ka Mate"
Leader:
Ringa pakia!...................... Slap the hands against the thighs!
Uma tiraha!....................... Puff out the chest.
Turi whatia!....................... Bend the knees!
Hope whai ake!.................. Let the hip follow!
Waewae takahia kia kino!... Stomp the feet as hard as you can!

Leader: Ka mate, ka mate ........ I die, I die,
Team: Ka ora' Ka ora' .............. I live, I live
Leader: Ka mate, ka mate......... I die, I die
Team: Ka ora Ka ora ".............. I live, I live

All:
Tçnei te tangata pûhuruhuru ...................... This is the fierce, powerful man
Nâna i tiki mai whakawhiti te râ ................. Who caused the sun to shine again for me
A Upane! Ka Upane!................................... Up the ladder, Up the ladder
Upane Kaupane"........................................ Up to the top
Whiti te râ,!............................................... The sun shines!
Hî!............................................................ Rise!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2011 07:29PM by Stoic.

You've hit the nail on the head ( as usual! ) with your post Stoic. The healers I work with hope to facilitate and encourage a persons own healing process. I am certainly not against conventional medicine- used it myself on several occasions! Whatever a persons belief may be , there is room for both. I'm for whatever makes a person better.
The ' faith healing' that takes place in certain institutions ( and I'm not limiting myself to the Christian Religion) - that encourages superstition and rules out any proper medical analysis is in my mind abuse.

Hello,

I only asked as I had read about it on the JCs forum in a thread where Dave was quite dismissive of it. I certainly haven't read about it in a dossier.

Stoic,

It seems there actually are people out there who genunely believe in faith healing. Take Marvin Andrews for example. This is a guy who was clearly not doing it for the money. He was earning thousands of pounds playing for Rangers. He was practicing faith healing at his local church during that period, without earning any money from the church. This was a guy who was even willing to put his whole career on the line. I have no explanation as to how this guy was able to continue playing despite his injury. This is something which amazed our club doctors. This was an injury which required surgery and would normally have put a player out for months.

I thought the Haka was just something which was used to intimidate opponents!

I have never claimed to be a faith healer. Your list of names is copied verbatim from the dossier. Mistakes and all.

Quote
hello
I have never claimed to be a faith healer. Your list of names is copied verbatim from the dossier. Mistakes and all.

Those list of names were actually taken from the cruise manifest, nice try though.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2011 11:53PM by Apollo.

Well Apollo- I see it like this.
Both Malcolm and Verity have said that you've spoken to them. You've also spoken to someone ' highly respected ' on the jcs.xjcs forum- who disclosed to you that they thought Joe was gay. ( Is that right?) Certainly Malcolm and Verity have publicly confirmed that they have had contact with you. Your initial reason for not speaking to me , is that ' you were still figuring out who you could trust.'
Errant bimbo- I may be . However, I'm not malicious- you wouldn't have to disclose your identity- you could withhold your number. A short blast of a Scottish accent.
I'm insulted that having given three other people the time of the day over the telephone- to you- I'm completely untrustworthy. Why is Verity much more trustworthy than me? ( Rhetorical question)
I have been publicly blamed by Dave as being the ' mystery person'. Perhaps you could do the gentlemanly thing and state publicly that this isn't me. Not just for Dave's sake, but for Joe and Sheila too.
Your last PM to me was gossip. I found it insulting and invasive. Please don't PM me.
I would like to see the best for all the JC's- including Dave. I thought that the recommendations that Rick Ross gave were excellent.

I don't like your MO- Apollo. Brian- I like. He has Aspergers- like my daughter, so I understand his condition. You have no excuse. Your last pm's to me I found threatening and controlling.