You may or may not have heard about this story. The Advertising Standards Authority has ordered a Christian group in Bath to stop claiming that prayer can heal certain medical conditions, as it could discourage people from seeking essential medical treatment.
A group of Christian MPs, led by Gary Streeter MP, has written to the Advertising Standards Authority to protest about this, demanding that the ASA produce “indisputable scientific evidence” that prayer does not work.
I have written to Gary Streeter MP as follows.
Dear Gary Streeter MP,
I am writing to congratulate you and offer you my wholehearted support following your recent letter to the Advertising Standards Authority (or the Advertising Standards Agency as you so rightly called them).
I thought one paragraph in your letter was particularly persuasive:
“You might be interested to know that I (Gary Streeter) received divine healing myself at a church meeting in 1983 on my right hand, which was in pain for many years. After prayer at that meeting, my hand was immediately free from pain and has been ever since. What does the ASA say about that? I would be the first to accept that prayed for people do not always get healed, but sometimes they do.”
This reminds me of an occasion when, on my way into my local branch of WH Smith to purchase a National Lottery Scratchcard, I was whistling the tune of “I’m Going To Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair” from the musical South Pacific. I purchased the National Lottery Scratchcard and upon scratching off the silver panels with a two pence coin, I was stunned to discover that I had won ten pounds! I quickly realised that this could only be because I had been whistling the tune of “I’m Going To Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair” from the musical South Pacific.
I have tried it again since, without success. However, as you say, “prayed for people do not always get healed, but sometimes they do”. Similarly, whistling “I’m Going To Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair” from the musical South Pacific doesn’t always guarantee a National Lottery scratchcard win, but sometimes it does.
I am therefore going to start advertising my services to other purchasers of National Lottery Scratchcards. I will charge them five pounds to accompany them to their local branch of WH Smith to purchase a National Lottery Scratchcard, and while doing so, I will whistle “I’m Going To Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair” from the musical South Pacific.
If the Advertising Standards Authority (or Advertising Standards Agency as you so rightly called them) raises an objection to my advertising then, like you, I will call upon them to provide indisputable scientific evidence that my method does not work.
I trust I will receive your full support on this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Daniel Drummond Harvey
If anyone would like me to accompany them to their local branch of WH Smith to purchase a National Lottery Scratchcard, while whistling “I’m Going To Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair” from the musical South Pacific, please let me know.
Daniel Drummond Harvey 