Four Christian MPs have written to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in an attempt to overturn its ban on claiming that ‘God can heal’.
Last month the ASA told a group of Christians in Bath that they could not continue to make any claims in their advertising which state or imply that, by receiving their prayer, people could be healed.
The Christians, from many different churches in the Bath area, have been praying for the public outside Bath Abbey for three years, regularly offering to pray for people who are sick to receive healing.
But atheist Hayley Stevens took offence at the group’s adverts, complaining to the ASA that the claims by the Christians could 'not be substantiated'. Her complaint was upheld and the ASA ordered the group to stop stating on their website or in literature that God can heal.
The group, called ‘Healing On The Streets Bath’, were specifically banned from using their leaflets which stated: "Need healing? God can heal today! We believe that God loves you and can heal you from any sickness."
Letter
David T C Davies (Con) has written a letter challenging the ASA's decision, and Christian MPs Gary Streeter (Con), Gavin Shuker (Lab) and Tim Farron (Lib Dem) have written to the ASA asking them to produce "indisputable scientific evidence" that prayer does not work, otherwise they will raise the issue in Parliament.
The letter to the ASA reads:
Rt Hon Lord Smith of Finsbury
Chairman, Advertising Standards Agency
21st March 2012
We are writing on behalf of the all-party Christians in Parliament group in Westminster and your ruling that the Healing On The Streets ministry in Bath are no longer able to claim, in their advertising, that God can heal people from medical conditions.
We write to express our concern at this decision and to enquire about the basis on which it has been made. It appears to cut across two thousand years of Christian tradition and the very clear teaching in the Bible. Many of us have seen and experienced physical healing ourselves in our own families and churches and wonder why you have decided that this is not possible.
On what scientific research or empirical evidence have you based this decision?
You might be interested to know that I (Gary Streeter) received divine healing myself at a church meeting in 1983 on my right hand, which was in pain for many years. After prayer at that meeting, my hand was immediately free from pain and has been ever since. What does the ASA say about that? I would be the first to accept that prayed for people do not always get healed, but sometimes they do. That is all this sincere group of Christians in Bath are claiming.
It is interesting to note that since the traumatic collapse of the footballer Fabrice Muamba the whole nation appears to be praying for a physical healing for him. I enclose some media extracts. Are they wrong also and will you seek to intervene?
We invite your detailed response to this letter and unless you can persuade us that you have reached your ruling on the basis of indisputable scientific evidence, we intend to raise this matter in Parliament.
Yours sincerely,
Gary Streeter MP (Con)
Chair, Christians in Parliament
Gavin Shuker MP (Labour)
Vice Chair, Christians in Parliament
Tim Farron (Lib-Dem)
Vice Chair, Christians in Parliament
An e-petition protesting the ASA’s decision has been signed by 2,500 people.
Source
Resources
Christian Concern: Religious Freedom