MEDICINE AND CHURCH

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 26, 30 December 1925, Page 7

MEDICINE AND CHURCH

MINISTRY OF HEALING THE ATTITUDE OF THE B.M.A. LONDON, Nov. 21. On the initiation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has acted on a minute of the 1920 Lambeth Conference, a committee has been appointed consisting of a number of doctors and clergy whose mission will be to advise the Church on the Ministry of Healing The Bishop of Southwark is to be chairman. In 1920 the Lambeth Conference expressed the opinion that "much good might be done by the appointment of a permanent committee of clergy and doctors to advise the Church in these matters.” The members of the committee are • Medical, William Brown, M.D., D.Sc.; H. C. Cameron, M.D., F.R.C.P.; JW. Carr, M.D., F.R.C.S.; W. McAdam Eccles, M.D., F.R.C.S.; Sir Percival Hartley, M.D., F.R.C.P.; and Sir Maurice Craig, M.D. Clergy, The Bishop of Southwark (chairman), the Dean of St. Paul’s, Rev. Canon Pym, Rev. F. Underhill, Rev. Harold Anson (one time at St. John’s College, Auckland), and the Rev. L. W. Grensted. ... The British Medical Association is understood as not taking any official part in or cognisance of the committee. This was the decision reached at a recent conference, and will be adhered to, it was stated by Dr. Anderson (acting in the absence of Dr. Cox, the secretary). "Individual medical men are at liberty to take what action they think fit, either to accept or decline invitations to serve upon the committee,” he said. "The association will not seek to influence them in any way. The position is that, while not in the least desiring to hamper the Bishop of Southwark and those who will meet with him, we think the time lias not arrived when we can speak authoritatively on behalf of the profession generally on the question of spiritual healing. "There is, we feel, too much difference of opinion among doctors in regard to the subject at present for us to do so. Some believe heartily in spiritual healing, while others are as strongly opposed to the idea underlying it. That being the case, the association’s view is that the only fair and dignified attitude is to allow perfect freedom while taking no official share in the work of the committee. The Archbishop has, we recognise, a perfect right to institute such an inquiry, and we shall await its report with interest.” , , Dr. Otto May, honorary physician and surgeon to University College Hospital, and the author of many medical works, discussing the subject, said: "My own feeling is that the mental state of the patient, particularly in regard to the desire to become well and faith that he or she can be cured, is of great importance. It is uridoubtedly a good factor toward recovery for the patient to have faith in himself and in his doctor, and, I would add, faith in the Almighty as well. At the same time, I cannot find any evidence leading mo to believe in Divine interference with the laws of nature or the ordinary physical and psychological laws.”