| The Faith Healers | |
| Author | James Randi (Foreword by Carl Sagan) |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Prometheus Books |
| Publication date | 1987, 1989 |
| Media type | Hardcover/Paperback |
| Pages | 328 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-87975-369-2 and ISBN 0-87975-535-0 |
The Faith Healers is a 1987 book by magician and skeptic James Randi with a foreword by Carl Sagan, that documents Randi's exploration of the world of faith healing, and his exposing the sleight of hand trickery and deceit by its practitioners. James Randi (born August 7 1928 (stage name The Amazing Randi) is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of Paranormal Carl Edward Sagan ( November 9 1934 &ndash December 20 1996) was an American Astronomer, astrochemist, author Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view Prometheus Books is a publishing company founded in August 1969 by Paul Kurtz, who also founded the Council for Secular Humanism and co- founded Committee for James Randi (born August 7 1928 (stage name The Amazing Randi) is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of Paranormal Carl Edward Sagan ( November 9 1934 &ndash December 20 1996) was an American Astronomer, astrochemist, author Faith healing is the attempt to use Religious or spiritual means such as Prayer, mental practices spiritual insights or other techniques to prevent Sleight of hand, also known as prestidigitation ("quick fingers" or léger de main (from the French for "lightness of hand"
In eighteen chapters Randi explores the origins of faith healing and psychic surgery, and critically analyzes the claims made by AA Allen, Ernest Angley, WV Grant, Peter Popoff, Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, and Father DiOrio for his claims of miracles at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in the town of Lourdes. Psychic surgery is a procedure typically involving the apparent creation of an Incision using only the bare hands the apparent removal of Pathological matter A A Allen (March 27 1911 - June 11 1970 was born Asa A Allen at Sulphur Rock Arkansas into the Methodist church Ernest Angley (born August 9, 1921 in Gastonia North Carolina) is an international Christian evangelist based in Cuyahoga Falls Walter Vinson Grant Jr (better known as W V Grant) (born 1946 is an American Televangelist whose ministry has been based in and around the Dallas Texas Peter Popoff (born July 2, 1946) is a German -born US Televangelist known as a Faith healer. Granville Oral Roberts (born January 24, 1918, in Ada OK) is an American neo-Pentecostal Televangelist and is also a Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22 1930 is a controversial Televangelist from the United States. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes or the Domain (as it is most commonly known is an area of ground surrounding the shrine ( Grotto) to Our Lady of Lourdes Lourdes ( Occitan: Lorda) is a town and commune situated in the southwest of the Hautes-Pyrénées department, lying in the first Pyrenean Randi shows how people are tricked with magician's tricks under the guise of religion.
Randi has claimed that the 1992 Steve Martin film, Leap of Faith had "nineteen items that were taken directly from my book, and several instances of the same dialog being used that was quoted in my book. Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an Emmy Award -winning American Actor, Comedian, Writer, Leap of Faith is a 1992 American Drama film, directed by Richard Pearce and starring Steve Martin and Debra Winger "[1]
Nutrition Health Review called this book "a strong indictment of charlatans who prey upon the gullible. "[2] The review continued, "Most painful to the author is his realization that many of the exploited sick continue to believe despite evidence that they have been defrauded. "[2]
Explaining how the victims of fraudulent faith healers fool themselves, the reviewer wrote, "Because each disease has a natural variability, it has 'ups and downs,' Randi notes. When the system is attacked, the illness goes through stages of resistance and temporary retraction. It is upon this phenomenon that the charlatans exploit their sometimes spectacular 'results'. "[2]
See also
References
- ^ Randi, James. The James Randi Educational Foundation ( JREF) is a Fort Lauderdale Florida Non-profit organization founded in 1996 by magician and "Leap of Faith", James Randi Educational Foundation, December 7, 2001. The James Randi Educational Foundation ( JREF) is a Fort Lauderdale Florida Non-profit organization founded in 1996 by magician and Retrieved on 2007-03-11. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty
- ^ a b c "The Faith Healers. - book reviews", Nutrition Health Review, Fall, 1990. Retrieved on 2007-03-11. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty
External links
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