There are some cases where people have been charged with crimes for this. For example, sects that refuse cancer treatment for children in favor of prayer have been charged with child endangerment/neglect/abuse or the like.
In a more general sense, though, I don’t think any religion promises that you’ll always get everything you want. If they’re following the New Testament, at the very least, they have Matthew 26 in which Jesus prays that “this cup pass from me” where the cup is usually interpreted as a reference to his eventual crucifixion.
If a religious leader made an actual prophecy, that might be comparable to the psychics, though.
Well, when Harold Camping said the world was going to end back in 2011, a number of people did the usual dumb things: quit their jobs, sold property, etc. (Not very many, but some.) Meanwhile, a lot of people donated money to him for billboards, a nationwide bus tour, etc.
People actually were harmed…but could it really be legally actionable? If I tell you, “Quick, sell all your IBM stock” and you do, and it suddenly goes up, not down, can you sue me? (Ah…purely hypothetical example, I assure you!) I would think all predictions of the future should automatically be understood to be guesses…even the ones that end with “The Bible guarantees it.”
In the U.S., for First Amendment reasons, I would be very leery of making religious leaders responsible for their religious pronouncements. (Meanwhile, I wish we could be more active in taking away their tax-exempt status when they make overtly partisan political declarations.)
I’d be happy with licensing and competency regulations for psychics. If you can’t pass a simple test of your abilities, you have no business selling your services to the public. Works for doctors, lawyers, hairdressers, taxi drivers, etc.
Plus this means that psychics would be run out of business, which is the real net benefit of this reasonable plan.
Well, “the weathermen” predicted a major rain storm for my local region today, which is a highly relevant and important thing here in drought-stricken California. So, there being no appearance of on-coming rain in the skies around here today, this would seem to be a big deal of major importance. So can we all sue the weathermen now?
Tricky, since much of what they actually do is blither. “I sense sorrow, yes, there is sadness in your voice…” Deanna Troi crapola. Any one of us could pass that “test” of our “abilities.”
I’m comfortable with strict limits on what they can get away with: no medical or legal advice, and don’t allow their victims to run up huge debts. After that, it’s like playing the lottery: you do it for fun, not with any realistic expectation of a concrete outcome.
Did the weatherman say “There WILL be a major rain storm…”, or was it more like “There is a major rain storm headed your way” (doesn’t mean it will ever make it that far, or it might veer off), or “There is a 90% chance of severe rain”, or variations on those themes?
Many Psychics do not claim to have power over the outcome merely the knowledge to interpret. Psychics basically charge for their time and efforts more than anything. Churches accept money and tithes and in many churches how much someone gives will determine how much attention they will get from religious leaders in a time of need. Some churches and other religious institutions sell products related to prayer and worship that could easily be interpreted as paying for prayers (at the very least it is no different from the merchandise available in any good psychic shop).
Plenty of people do it with expectations of a concrete outcome. And they’re paying good money for it. These people are vultures who prey on the naives, and should be sued into oblivion for promising things they’re unable to deliver.
(For the record, they don’t put disclaimers over here, and I certainly read and heard a large number of them promising actual results).
I kinda support this, but then again I kinda don’t.
Some of the more scammish psychics and spiritual advisers belong in prison, you know the ones that tell a client OMG I see very bad juju in your future! I need ten thousand dollars from you to get a clearer picture or your children may DIE!
BUT on the other hand I am a firm libertarian leaning freedom lover and if you choose to be so foolish as to give your life savings to a person who claims they can divine the future, well it is your life and your consent and all that.
I guess at the end of the day is someone wants to bankrupt themselves believing a scam artist, why should laws be passed restricting everyone to save them from ruin?
If some guy ruined his health drinking six two-liter bottles of soda a day, should I have to show ID and have my soda purchasing be limited because of his stupidity?
Bold mine, more correctly the prayer of Jesus boils down to this '(Father), Yet not as I will, but as you will. ', So here Jesus did get what He requested, that the Father’s will prevail over His own.
Now there are scriptures about prayers going unanswered, I believe entire psalms dedicated to this, but this reference is not one of them
This is common in some churches and a gifting of the Holy Spirit as expressed by Paul that is transferable to other believers.
Any psychic worth her crystal ball makes her predictions unfalsifiable.
“Your loved one wants you to know he is safe on the Other Side. Don’t grieve too much. Get another dog.” How are you gonna prove you are being lied to?
