Psychics & Faith Healers: Should They Be Outlawed?

[The Wind Breezes]

This stuff makes me absolutely sick. These people are frauds and most of them know it. Not only do they take tons of money from gullible people (we can all be fooled), in the case of faith healers, they cause serious harm and even kill people as a result of serious illness going untreated

But oh, no, we can't make these clearly bullshit practices illegal because it's too hard for politicians to touch anything remotely related to God (not that these scam artists are anywhere close to one if it exists).

Simple poll, yes or no.

[jgoens]

Are they hot?

[Soul_Glo]

The trouble is that there will always be a market for them. Who? Vulnerable people, those who have hit rock bottom, people trying to deal with their grief and trying to connect with the other side, the lonely, the loony and, the people who believe in the paranormal... the list goes on.

[Wakka]

idk car dealerships can steal old peoples money, we dont outlaw them.

[The Wind Breezes]

Originally Posted by Surg_Capt_R

The trouble is that there will always be a market for them. Who? Vulnerable people, those who have hit rock bottom, people trying to deal with their grief and trying to connect with the other side, the lonely, the loony and, the people who believe in the paranormal... the list goes on.

Yes, and it should be illegal for them to prey on those people. There's a market for burglars too...but it's illegal for them to come onto my property and steal my shit. Fortunately my state has gone the extra mile and gives me the right to shoot and kill them should I come across any.

Originally Posted by Wakka

idk car dealerships can steal old peoples money, we dont outlaw them.

Don't get me started on stealerships...

[Soul_Glo]

Originally Posted by The Wind Breezes

Yes, and it should be illegal for them to prey on those people.

Don't get me started on stealerships...

Market includes a customer base. So if the witch doctors were banished where would the customers go? A demand and supply type argument. We can't change everyone's views who believes in this stuff. That would get a bit messy in terms of people claiming their human rights are being infringed...

[Sea-Tac]

I think they’re all a bunch of whack jobs. Many of these believers are the same ones who reject rational science yet believe in an invisible man living someplace in the sky who you can’t see until your dead. If they’re crazy enough to believe in this theology they’ll believe anything and trying to put restraints on these whacks will only meet with resistance.

[evoq007]

The free market should dictate these types of services. The government should not put their hand in the pot anymore to tell people what is and is not legal.

I certainly as a tax payer would not want to pay police or investigative services to enforce a law to outlaw these people. We have many more important problems than this.

[1MOREMOD]

Dumb people should be allowed to spend their money how they wish

[TheWatchGuy]

arent these usually part of a religious group?

be a sad day when the government starts banning religion

[CANGRKE70]

A fool and his money are soon parted...

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by Surg_Capt_R

Market includes a customer base. So if the witch doctors were banished where would the customers go? A demand and supply type argument. We can't change everyone's views who believes in this stuff. That would get a bit messy in terms of people claiming their human rights are being infringed...

This. Case in point, I live in TN off of HWY 127 which has a multi-state yard sale every year in August. This year I decided to get rid of a bunch of my junk. I sold out in the first day. For the net 2 days I continued to dig through my attic for junk that I don't use or need and people couldn't buy it fast enough. I was literally selling stuff before I could set it down on the my "Table of Wares."

People are going to throw away money at useless shit everyday. We may not agree with what they are selling but do we have a right to be upset if we are not the consumer? Yes, it can viewed as ripping people off but only if the individual selling said service seeks out it's potential customers versus allowing the vendor to be sought out by the consumer. Obviously some grey area here, as with everything.

[DYoung]

The difference is psychics and healers are participating in a willing exchange of money for services. Same for car dealers, the transaction is agreed to by both sides. Thieves, not so much.

I don't like what they do (psychics and healers), but outlawing an exchange between willing adults is not a good idea.

Originally Posted by The Wind Breezes

Yes, and it should be illegal for them to prey on those people. There's a market for burglars too...but it's illegal for them to come onto my property and steal my shit. Fortunately my state has gone the extra mile and gives me the right to shoot and kill them should I come across any.



Don't get me started on stealerships...

[Captain Blood]

Atheists waste much taxpayer money on dumb lawsuits. Should they be outlawed?

https://ktul.com/news/local/oklahoma...-atheist-group

https://www.christianpost.com/news/a...etings-226547/

http://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2...ed-says-judge/

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by Wakka

idk car dealerships can steal old peoples money, we dont outlaw them.

Car dealerships steal everyone's money.

[Maynard]

Hey OP, weren't you advocating for natural human extinction recently? With all the safeties like airbags and narcan pens, faith-healers are about the only Darwinian outlet we have, so I'd think you'd be encouraging it. And I bet you are a Virgo, aren't you?

[The Wind Breezes]

Originally Posted by Real Dodger

Atheists waste much taxpayer money on dumb lawsuits. Should they be outlawed?

Which one, atheists or dumb lawsuits? I'm all for eliminating dumb lawsuits, if that's even possible.

Originally Posted by DYoung

The difference is psychics and healers are participating in a willing exchange of money for services. Same for car dealers, the transaction is agreed to by both sides. Thieves, not so much.

I don't like what they do (psychics and healers), but outlawing an exchange between willing adults is not a good idea.

It's an exchange where people are being swindled. They think they're getting one thing, but they get something else. Nobody in their right mind would pay money for these services if they understood it's all bullshit. I'm all for legalized prostitution, drugs, etc, but this is blatant fraud.

Originally Posted by Maynard

Hey OP, weren't you advocating for natural human extinction recently? With all the safeties like airbags and narcan pens, faith-healers are about the only Darwinian outlet we have, so I'd think you'd be encouraging it. And I bet you are a Virgo, aren't you?

I don't know what kind of impression you have of me, but I don't support bad things happening to people who don't know any better, and I certainly don't support people being taken advantage of regardless of how dumb they appear to be. Anyone can be fooled, and smarter people who think they can't are some of the easiest targets.

[Captain Blood]

Originally Posted by The Wind Breezes

a. Which one, atheists or dumb lawsuits? I'm all for eliminating dumb lawsuits, if that's even possible.




I don't know what kind of impression you have of me, but I don't support bad things happening to people who don't know any better, and I certainly don't support people being taken advantage of regardless of how dumb they appear to be. B Anyone can be fooled, and smarter people who think they can't are some of the easiest targets.

A. Alex, I'll take dumb atheists lawsuits in its entirety. (Jeopardy style)

B. China, with its atheists policies, certainly takes advantage of some of its smartest people. State over religion. Though freedom of religion is guaranteed in its constitution.

But to cut to the chase, you seem more like a freedom from religion person, correct?

[The Wind Breezes]

Originally Posted by Real Dodger

But to cut to the chase, you seem more like a freedom from religion person, correct?

I consider myself an agnostic, which means I don't know if there is a god. I just haven't seen any good evidence. Show me the evidence, I change my mind. If you want to believe in jesus, unicorns, or the flying spaghetti monster, that's your business, but don't try to force it on me or into public policy. I support science.

Likewise, there is absolutely no evidence to support psychic powers and it's not for lack of inquiry. Not to mention, magicians and mentalists have shown how everything these people purport to do can be accomplished simply thru trickery. You tell me which explanation is more likely.

As far as china goes, a lot of those people actually are privately religious but that's another story. Simply not believing in god doesn't make you a good or bad person by itself. Understanding the value in treating people ethically, and following the golden rule, will accomplish that, whether you happen to believe in a deity or not.

[jaye944]

I voted no, because there all going to hell anyway,

don't bother... if your gonna ask a question like this, expect answers like mine

peace

[jaye944]

I'm not gonna force you, but I will pray for you

Originally Posted by The Wind Breezes

I consider myself an agnostic, which means I don't know if there is a god. I just haven't seen any good evidence. Show me the evidence, I change my mind. If you want to believe in jesus, unicorns, or the flying spaghetti monster, that's your business, but don't try to force it on me or into public policy. I support science.

[jaye944]

True, but I get my own back, when I go to my dealer
I always take 1 bottle of water for me and also a spare

I kinda think of that as karma

Originally Posted by ASAP

Car dealerships steal everyone's money.