“Diversity of Faith” Prof. James A. Beckford Department of Sociology

Diversity of Faith Concepts Diversity Case-studies: Jehovah’s Witnesses Scientology Chaplaincy Religious discrimination

Concepts Culture Spirituality Religion Faith community

R P Sloan, E Bagiella & T Powell “Religion, spirituality, and medicine” The Lancet vol 353 February 20, 1999:

Religious diversity Number of faith communities Number of religious organisations Number of individuals who combine different religious identities

Breatharianism “Breatharianism is physical perfection. Man came into physical existence a perfect Breatharian. The breath of life supplied all the requirements of animation. God breathed into his nostrils the Breath of Life, and man became a living entity (Gen 2:7). Nothing was lacking, and nothing more was needed. The Breatharian needs air and Sunlight only, and nothing more to sustain his body.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses Founded in 1880s in USA Scripture-based About 6 million worldwide Controversial

Blood transfusions “Avoid serum inoculations and vaccinations as they pollute the blood stream with their filthy pus.” (Awake! 1929)

Current policy of JWs “For Bible-based reasons, Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusions. But they do accept… medical alternatives to blood.” (Awake! 2000)

Church of Scientology Founded in 1950s by L. Ron Hubbard Spiritual technology Perhaps 1 million worldwide Opposed to psychiatry

Citizens’ Commission on Human Rights Psychiatry: Destroying Religion Psychiatry: Manipulating Creativity Psychiatry: A Human Rights Abuse and Global Failure

Health care chaplaincy Ministry of Health (RHB[48]76) 1948 Patient’s Charter (1992) Your Guide to the NHS (2002)

The Patient’s Charter National Charter Standard One: “All health standards should make provision so that proper personal consideration is shown to you, for example by ensuring that your privacy, dignity and religious and cultural beliefs are respected.”

Your Guide to the NHS “NHS staff will respect your privacy and dignity. They will be sensitive to, and respect, your religious, spiritual and cultural needs at all times… If you need to stay in hospital… your nutritional needs and dietary requirements will be assessed (for medical, religious or cultural reasons).”

Responses to religious diversity Appoint more chaplains Create multi-faith rooms Multi-faith co-ordinators

Tensions around chaplaincy Disputes over access to multi-faith rooms Resistance of patients and relatives to the services of chaplains Exclusion of religious groups deemed unacceptable by chaplains

Ways forward Need to recognise: Importance of religious faith to some Link between faith and collective identity Reality of religious discrimination

Difficulties with religious discrimination Identifying ‘real’ religion Why accord religion any privileges? Some minority faiths alienate majority Lack of statutory monitoring Lack of special legislation

Questions for discussion How does religious diversity affect health and healing? How can you measure the association between faith and health? Is it only minority faiths that challenge some medical treatments? How does religious diversity affect health care chaplaincy?