Advertising watchdog bans Christian claims of healing
A Christian group has been banned from claiming it can heal people after complaints to the advertising watchdog.
Healing on the Streets - Bath (HOTS) stages regular sessions outside the city’s abbey and says 'scores of people' have been 'physically healed' as a result of its work.But atheist Hayley Stevens, from Wiltshire, took offence to the group’s adverts and claimed it could give terminally-ill people false hope. She complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to say the claims by HOTS could 'not be substantiated' and were 'irresponsible'.
The ASA upheld her complaint, stating that testimonials found on the group’s website were 'insufficient as evidence for claims of healing'.
But Christians have reacted furiously to the decision, saying the ASA is trying to ban the 'basic Christian belief that God can heal illness'.
The watchdog has now told HOTS not to make claims which stated or implied that, by receiving prayer from their volunteers, people could be healed of medical conditions. It was also ruled that the group should not refer to medical conditions in their adverts 'for which medical supervision should be sought'.
HOTS has reacted angrily to the decision and confirmed it will appeal against the findings.
In a statement, the group said: 'It seems very odd to us that the ASA wants to prevent us from stating on our website the basic Christian belief that God can heal illness.
'The ASA has even demanded that we sign a document agreeing not to say this, which is unacceptable to us - as it no doubt would be for anyone ordered not to make certain statements about their conventional religious or philosophical beliefs.'
It also criticised Ms Stevens, describing her as being from a group 'generally opposed to Christianity'.
They added: 'The response to what we do has been overwhelmingly positive, and we find it difficult to understand the ASA’s attempt to restrict communication about this.
'Our website simply states our beliefs and describes some of our experiences.
'We tried to reach a compromise, recognising some of the ASA’s concerns, but there are certain things that we cannot agree to - including a ban on expressing our beliefs.'
Ms Stevens also challenged whether the group’s website and leaflets could 'discourage essential treatment for conditions for which medical supervision should be sought'.
She said: 'I guess I am the only person who can state why the complaint was made and it was not made by a ‘group generally opposed to Christianity’ as HOTS Bath have alleged, not even an individual generally opposed to Christianity either.
Posted by Amanda Hopkins
Extract from http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Your Comments
posted by colin owen on 05-02-2012
When it's against Christianity, one voice carries a lot of weight!
posted by Andrew Holland on 05-02-2012
It seems strange that the ASA will listen to one person who makes a complaint about a group's claims and yet if 1000 Christians complained about a matter which concerns them, nobody would listen. There is definitely an anti-God agenda in this country. And we wonder why the country is going to the dogs!
posted by pauline on 05-02-2012
I'm living proof that Jesus Christ can heal since May 1983--Hallelujah! the government will not stop Jesus' miracles.
posted by jill on 06-02-2012
How sad that this lady can take away hope from people. Some people who claim that God has healed them are those for whom doctors could give no hope. Would she also stop them from visiting doctors on the grounds that sometimes conventional medicine does not heal people either?
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