Preventative Medicine

I was amazed to read in the Daily Mail last week about a GP who is under investigation by the General Medical Counsel for giving spiritual advice to a patient which he felt was appropriate and helpful to the patients condition. In light of the fact that a health professional is taught to treat patients holistically and that part of the need could be spiritual it seems bizarre to me that giving advice about the spiritual needs of the patient in addition to general medical advice is out of order. In my view it could be highly appropriate. When did we ever decide that it was wrong to offer someone the one thing that would help them.

Christianity deals with evil, pain, suffering as to the reason, source and outcomes. Christ the founder stated profusely that he came 'to give us life'. He died to deal with the guilt and consequences of evil (in principle and personally). Those who accept His invitation enter into life as God intended it. Not a problem free life but life lived in the conscious knowledge of a great God who is in control. A God who is over all and arranges our circumstances for our ultimate development of character and for His glory.

Please could we leave people free to listen, think and decide for themselves rather than become a nanny state that decides what we are exposed to and tries to control what we believe.