The Harm

Questionable Oregon City church came under fire a decade ago as well

“Ten years ago I couldn’t express my feelings for what was going on out there, but I can now,” Hass said. “This is child abuse. Pure and simple. There is no other way to say it.”

Hass said he remembered standing in the back of the church listening to the Followers of Christ service. There was no pastor and no sermon, just a series of hymns sung by the congregation. The leader apparently died years ago. An elder in the church told Hass that the followers believe their faith in God will cure the sick.

The question now is, did 15-month-old Ava Worthington die three weeks ago because of her parents’ belief in faith healing? The medical examiner said she died in her parents’ home from an illness that could have been cured with common antibiotics.

In the Bible there are are many passages that talk about faith healing. In the King James Version of the New Testament it says, “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up” - James 5:14 - 5:15.

One church member told us this past Sunday to read The Book of Daniel and the story of how he was thrown to the lions for his beliefs, to understand why the members are not afraid to go to jail. The passage reads, “So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.” - Daniel 6:23.

The power of faith to delude people. How many people have to die before something is done about this cult. Maybe we should test there beliefs, shoot some of them, throw some Molotov cocktails into there church, see if God protects them.