On the May 23, 2009 Battle Lines broadcast we discussed the legitimacy of faith healers and miracles of healing. (Due to technical difficulties, the audio is not available.) Our special guest was Dr. Brad Burke, a medical doctor and author of Does God Still Do Miracles? We asked Dr. Burke… Does God still do miracles of healing? Are faith healers for real? We began by defining a miracle. A miracle is a healing that cannot be explained by any natural cause. God intervenes and short-circuits natural processes. For example, cancer that is present one day and absent the next. While Dr. Burke has never seen a miraculous healing, he does believe that God still performs miracles of healing. However, we concur with Dr. Burke that God no longer heals through human agency. We believe that God no longer gives to men the gift of healing. Dr. Burke believes in miraculous healing but not in the gift of healing. What do we make then of faith healers such as Benny Hinn and Todd Bentley? As recently as last summer Todd Bentley led healing services in Lakeland, Florida where tens of thousands of people attended and hundreds claimed to experience healing. World Magazine did a story on Bentley and asked for the names of people who were healed. Bentley submitted 13 names and World followed up on those names.

Of the 13 people, 2 had recently died of the cancer of which they were healed. The cancer of a third had returned. And many others were still suffering from the ailments from which they were supposedly healed (www.worldmag.com/articles/15373). Dr. Burke writes on his website: “Some of the most fascinating and up-to-date medical and investigative research uncover[s] the truth about what is going on in faith-healing services and healing shrines around the world.” And Dr. Burke reports that that research suggests that it is both emotional and psychological factors that are creating physical effects in the subjects of supposed healings. By the power of suggestion and by the incredibly positive and hopeful atmosphere created at healing services, those claiming to be healed are experiencing genuine feelings of increased well-being. But they are not experiencing genuine healing. Check out the audio of our interview with Dr. Burke. Dr. Burke lives in the Detroit area and practices medicine in the Windsor area as a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist. Check out his website: www.bradburke.com.