A 17-year-old girl died after a "faith healer" prayed for her healing and her parents pulled the plug on her life support machines. Against the wishes of the medical staff in the hospital, the parents of 17-year-old Debra Barker stopped her hospital respirator because they believed she was healed. Debra had been in a coma for three days after a tragic accident in which she was thrown from her car. Evidence showed the passengers of the car had been drinking.
Debra's pastor, Stephen Johnson, said that her parents asked Reverend Jesse Thomas, a faith healer who had just preached at their church, to come to the hospital to pray for their daughter. Reverend Thomas, Pastor Johnson and Debra's parents entered the hospital room at approximately 1:00 in the afternoon. After Reverend Thomas prayed for Debra, he said she was healed-he felt warmth flow through his hands onto her forehead. Debra's parents, "in faith," pulled the plug to the respirator without the permission of the hospital staff. Debra died 12 minutes later.
1.) Was Reverend Thomas an evil man? Why or why not?
2.) Did Debra's parents make a mistake?
3.) Where does faith come into the healing process? Since the prayers were sincere, why didn't God heal Debra?
4.) What lessons can we learn from this "news story"?
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