Pentecostal Minister Convinces HIV patient to stop taking medication

[RainDog]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/24/pentecostal-minister-hiv_n_3806693.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

video at link.

Pentecostalism is a branch of evangelical Christianity that allows ministers to obtain a degree by mail, with no need to actually study history or science or anything else of the sort. They have recently been able to start one college, after more than a century in which their leaders were credentialed by mail-order propaganda.

They are literalists who think speaking in tongues, prophecy, and divine healing are demonstrations of god on earth. They differ from fundamentalists in this respect, but share similar homophobic, sexist and, especially, anti-intellectual beliefs and traditions.

Dr. Tim Lahey was treating an HIV patient who seemed to be winning the battle against the disease -- he was taking medicine regularly and his immune system was strong. But his health quickly plummeted after a religious advisor convinced him to stop treatment.

Lahey shared the tragic story of the decline in his former patient's wellbeing with HuffPost Live's Josh Zepps.

"He was a success story, but because of the advice of a fringe Pentecostal minister and the congregation, he decided to stop his HIV therapy and we really had to watch him progress toward AIDS and nearly to death nowadays because he declined modern medicine thinking a miracle was just around the corner," Lahey said.

..."I have this intuition that the fact that my patient is a gay man suffering with HIV is, I worry, influencing the advise he's getting, that people with less controversial illnesses like diabetes are less likely to be advised to stop taking life-saving treatments and that in some way the ambivalence about his lifestyle could be leading to this deathly advice," he said.

[Warpy]

1. Why hasn't that Pentecostal SOB been arrested for attempted murder?

We know how those loons feel about gay people.

I can think of no other motivation for this hideous story.

[RainDog]

2. That's the dr's concern

That the minister so hates homosexuality that he is urging the person to die because it's better to be dead than homosexual.

If someone talks someone else into killing him or herself - is that attempted murder? And how would someone prove it?

I just really feel sorry for anyone who expects to receive useful life counseling from anyone who holds the beliefs of such a group.

This, combined with the fundamentalist brought up on charges of crimes against humanity for urging the "kill the gays" bill in Uganda - maybe the knowledge that such actions are considered criminal by others who give a shit about humans, no matter their orientation - and, actually, that includes pentecostals - maybe this will cause politicians to distance themselves from these hate group religions.

[2ndAmForComputers]

3. Nothing will happen to that evil fuck because IOKIYR.

(Slightly different from the better-known acronym. You'll figure out what it stands for.)

[cbayer]

5. I wouldn't think that is an option.

The patient is an adult and wasn't forced to stop treatment. There seems no question that the minister is clueless at best and malicious at worst, but I don't think he has committed a crime.

[Warpy]

6. It should be

Using god to bully a person into suicide certainly should be punishable by law.

[cbayer]

7. Using anything to bully someone into suicide might be punishable.

Cyberstalking comes to mind.

But then, one has to consider whether the person is actually being "bullied" or is a competent adult who is actively participating in the process.

This reminds me more of those who seek out alternative treatments for serious diseases because they have been had by a huckster. Steve Jobs did that and regretted it, and, unfortunately, it happens all too frequently.

[cbayer]

4. Tragic. I hope the patient involved gets away from this church

and this minister and gets back on track with his treatment.