Posted on 08/03/2010 10:55:02 AM PDT by inflorida
Christian convert Rifqa Bary is refusing chemotherapy for cancer because she believes that she was cured at a faith-healing event, according to a motion in Franklin County Juvenile Court.
Rifqa was to undergo a year of chemotherapy after her cancer was surgically removed, the document filed by her parents states.
But Rifqa, who is in foster care, was taken to a faith-healing event in Youngstown a couple of weeks ago by Franklin County Children Services, without her parents' consent, according to the document.
A motion to force treatment is to be considered today in Juvenile Court.
Rifqa's attorneys, meanwhile, are asking the court to make "special findings" so that she can obtain an immigration status that will allow her to stay in the country and obtain medical care. Rifqa, a native of Sri Lanka, does not have legal status in the United States, her attorneys have said in court.
An attorney for her parents, Mohamed and Aysha Bary, indicated in April that the family also was pursuing immigration documentation. All parties are under a gag order and cannot comment on any aspects of the case.
Rifqa ran away from home in July 2009, saying her Muslim father would kill her for converting to Christianity. She lived with evangelical pastors in Florida before returning to Ohio to live in a foster home.
That case is to conclude next Tuesday, when Rifqa will turn 18, making her an adult.
Meanwhile, tests have determined that Rifqa has a "rare form of cancer," according to her attorneys' court filings. Her supporters have said she has uterine cancer.
It's unclear whether she is cancer-free at the moment. The Barys' attorney, Omar Tarazi, said in a motion that Rifqa will need a hysterectomy if the cancer returns.
(Excerpt) Read more at dispatch.com ...
“I got two others on this thread who can’t read a Bible in context.”
My, my how nice. I don’t agree with you therefor I can’t read a Bible in context. Who’s context might that be? Yours?
I can’t talk to you. I’m not allowed to talk to omniscient beings.
I missed the part where you gave a shout out to taxcontrol with a hearty “Amen!” and his error in interpreting scripture.
You gave sanction and agreement to his post. I can’t stand it when people misquote scripture as they do it most of time to bolster their lack of understanding, which is dangerous to non-believers and misleading.
But that’s just me.
Honestly, you would make the choice of relying on the laying of hands and nothing else?
That makes no sense.
I would take the laying of hands and medical care, with hopeful prayer to God for healing.
Even out your odds. She is wishing for something that didn’t happen.
Jesus and the Apostles and the elders of the early church all are recorded in the Gospels, Acts etc as performing faith healing. If you truly believe that God does not ordain faith healing, then you deny the scriptures.
Do agree that By Jesus’ stripes she can be medically healed?
That isn’t what the scripture says. Not even close.
Look, we can be friends but taxcontrol is flat out wrong and I don’t say that lightly as no one likes to be told that in such stark terms. But, there it is.
Do you still believe that By Jesus’ stripes she can be medically healed?
You obviously either did not read my response in it's entirety or you have transfered your own assumptions into my response. Did I not say that God has given us the gifts of science? Did I not say that she should monitor her condition?
Yes as I have seen Jesus’s healing power personally.
Good post, BTTT.
I type notes for 3 oncology clinics. People who go to quacks and faith healers seem to eventually return to conventional docs... but by then it’s too far gone.
The schools don’t teach proper science anymore... shoot, there are even test programs out there accepting new medical students who have had no classes at all in the hard sciences.
Just don’t get me going on homeopathy and the idiocy in that particular theory.
Like the people who were drowning and kept refused help from the people in a boat, a rope thrown to them, and ultimately from a helicopter, stating their faith would save them. When they reached the Pearly Gates they asked God why he let them drown. His response was, “What do you mean? I sent a rope, a boat, and a helicopter.”
I have to side with the God healers here. Although I go to the doctor, I pray as well. I never use the common Christian prayer of “giving wisdom or guidance to the doctors” because God doesn’t need a doctor to perform healing. I ask God to perform the healing. He can use doctors if he wants to and often does. BUT, I’m not going to tell Him how to do it. Pet peeve if you will. I know those asking for God to give the doctors guidance mean well, but like I said, I let God decide how to do it. I am against FORCING medical care on anyone who chooses to rely on prayer for healing. It’s their decision. Not the one I would make, but I don’t know the strength of their faith.
Will God change the circumstance that is or will destroy Rifqa or will God change her and those that lover her so the circumstance doesn’t overwhelm her and her those that love her?
I am cutting and pasting this from another website as it would take the rest of the day to compose a compelling argument that I find faith healers offensive.
I find them offensive for the very reason that “IF” and that is a big “IF” they were truly ordained by God to perform the miracle of healing, they would never fail in their efforts. But they do.
Show me that man who has never failed in healing or proclaiming as much only to find that perfection from God never existed.
Jesus and the Apostles never failed in their miracles and they were specific and whole in their works.
If you tell me the man who layed hands on Rifqa healed wholly and has healed everyone else he ever touched, then I should meet him and study him.
Since I have never heard of him, then surely God and Medical Science do not agree on his ordination to perfectly perform acts of healing.
From the following website: http://www.gospelway.com/god/miracles_duration.php
The Bible warns about false prophets:
Matthew 7:15; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 4:1; etc.
The teachings of true inspired men always agreed with Scripture, and their predictions of the future always came true.
False prophets could be distinguished from true prophets, because teachings of false prophets did not always harmonize with scriptures and their predictions did not always come true (Deut. 18:20-22; Galatians 1:6-9; 2 John 9-11).
When the revelations of modern "prophets" are examined, invariably they eventually contradict the Bible and/or their predictions fail.
We earlier cited many examples of this. To demonstrate this to be true in any specific case, simply study their "revelations" according to these principles. Hence, they must be false prophets, not true ones.
The Bible warns about false miracles:
Acts 8:9-13; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Matthew 24:24; etc.
As previously studied, every true miracle always had all the following characteristics:
* There was conclusive evidence that the event really occurred.
* The event occurred instantaneously (or in exactly the limited time period God specified).
* There were never any failures when miracles were attempted (by Jesus or by His apostles after they received Holy Spirit baptism).
* The results always completely and perfectly accomplished the intended purpose.
* So the event was clearly impossible by natural law.
Men who had truly miraculous powers could be distinguished from those who worked false miracles by comparing the characteristics of the works performed.
To prove they were really from God, men with truly miraculous powers were willing to work miracles even in the presence of false teachers, and all their miracles always had all the characteristics of true miracles. False miracle workers were known by the fact their works lacked the characteristics of true miracles. Acts 8:5-13; 13:6-12; 19:11-17; 1 Kings 18:20-40; Ex. chaps 7-12 (esp. 8:17-19); see other examples previously listed.
On close examination, the works of all modern "miracle-workers" are found to lack some or all of the characteristics of true miracles.
We earlier gave examples of this. Again, to demonstrate it in any particular case, simply compare the events people claim are "miracles" to the Bible characteristics.
In practice people will usually refuse to work miracles in the presence of those who don't believe they can do them or those they claim are "false teachers." They rely instead on "testimonies" of those they have "healed." But this simply proves they are false, for men with true miracle power did not so refuse.
We continually hear people who claim they can do or have received miracles today. If these gifts exist today, there should be many examples that have the characteristics of true Bible miracles. But all we ever find are the frauds. So we must conclude that the gifts have ceased, and all those who claim to possess the gifts are false.
Some religious cults in this country would have parents replace medical science with “faith” that their God will intervene and heal some terrible condition that their children or themselves have contracted. Such stories are often in the news and they often shed a bad light on “faith healing.” Death is often the primary repudiation of such beliefs. If a condition is hopeless I see no harm in believing that elves or fairies or Gods can heal it. If the condition is not hopeless then one prays that reason will prevail.
I really just don’t understand the other two posters on this thread.
It makes no sense.
Surely God gave us the medical sciences, the power of discernment and the ability provide what might hopefully be the appropriate treatment.
You are part of that plan as the notes become a valuable tool in the roadmap of therapy.
People should seek every therapy they think will help and I am sure it contributes a better feeling and hope for the future.
But, cancer just doesn’t go away and simply needs to be excised by whatever means the doctor and patient agree on.
Your post is so appropriate.
Rifqa, take the lifeline and get in the boat!
No, once she reaches majority, next Tuesday, she is free to make whatever decision she wants.
I still believe she will find her life shortened for that decision.
If this Shaman were so effective and his work perfect every time, we should all seek out his spiritual counsel and doctors would recommend his work.
But his work is not of God’s perfect ordination.
Trust, but verify.
I think she should be able to make her own decision once she turns 18...apparently in the next week or so. Unfortunately, she’s fallen into the hands of some scam artists who will probably accuse her of having a lack of faith if she seeks a 2nd opinion on good advice.
“The article says she may need a hysterectomy should test prove conclusively she has cancer.”
The article says she may need a hysterectomy if the cancer returns. She has already had one surgery. It’s the follow up chemo she doesn’t want to do.
Isn’t she an illegal immigrant?
And who is paying for all this medicine? US taxpayers?
1)They preach that God is in control and has an ultimate plan for everyone, but then they turn around and pray asking for God to do this or that for their situation. If there is a plan and God is in control, why pray for anything other than understanding and thankfulness?
2)And this is my biggest pet peeve. When a religious person, usually Christian but not always, claims that they escaped great harm or survived a terrible disease because they believed in God (faith) or prayed or something along those lines. Unfortunately, they seem to overlook that there are probably many Christians who also had faith and also prayed and probably did all the same things that they did but suffered terribly or died. If God is really in control and everything happens according to his plan, then it really doesn't matter how much you prayed or believed before or during the event. Just pray for thankfulness after the fact because no doubt, some very fine, upstanding, religious folk have had their lives cut short and it wasn't for lack of praying or faith! It just always sounds so insensitive to other Christians when they do that.
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