Religious Radio Advertising

[FSM]

I just heard an ad on a Sydney radio station (101.7) for this mob:
http://yourlocalchurch.com.au/
The ad was exactly as per what is played on that site (warning-autoplay)

I was particularly appalled at the claim of jesus being able to:
- heal the sick
- deliverance for the addicted
and the gobsmacker:
- recovery of sight to the blind!

This crap is bad enough on a website, but on commercial radio?, aren't their laws against this blatant false, misleading, and potentially dangerous advertising?

Dave.

[Ernie]

I observe that a different set of rules apply to religious claims. At a family wedding in an anglican church I recently heard the minister propound “there was no death in the world until the fall of Adam and Eve” and “only marriages that have Christ in them succeed”.


It wasn’t clear what evidence the vociferous vicar was relying on – and the congregation were obviously very happy with these assertions (and some congratulated him on his wonderful sermon). I passed my own thoughts to him in private later on!


I think Mark Twain pointed out the frivolity associated with religion many years ago in his thoughts on miracles and golf scores. Twain observed “If it is a Miracle any sort of proof will answer, but if is a Fact, proof is necessary”.

Ernie

[Mithridates]

@Ernie - Love the Mark Twain quote - that guy was brilliant.

Regarding the advertising claims, this kind of thing is irresponsible and may even result in entirely preventable deaths.

Some time ago I came across results of a study done by an American paediatrics journal (from memory it was called "Paediatrics 101") in 1998, which identified 140 cases where sick children had died due to their parents preferring "miracles" to bona fide medical treatment.

In more recent times I recall a case in Australia where a young girl had some kind of tumor or growth on her neck, and her fundy parents opted to anoint her with "holy oil" and pray over her rather than seek proper medical care.

Sadly, the all-too-predictable outcome was that she died. The medical evidence tendered at the inquest indicated that the girl would most likely have survived if medical treatment had been given as soon as possible.

It's outrageous that religion can get away with this kind of thing when a medical quack making those kind of claims for some untested treatment would likely be facing criminal charges.

Religion trumps everything, even the rights of children to proper medical care when they're ill.

[rayne]

As Hitch famously said: That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.

Religion relies on its members not doing any researching or thinking as a way to continue its long history of generalisations, logical fallacies, half truths and blatant lies to prey on vulnerable people who lap up all the misinformation in the name of trust and faith. Once someone who has been trained not to think, trusts you and has faith in you, you can say whatever you want.