QuackeryI understand full well the importance of guarding against quackery, false medical claims, and the exploitation of those who are weak, ill, and/or fearful. But, I confess that, if the story told in this little article is accurate, it does seem to me more than a little bit over the top:
“Amish Farmer Sam Girod is in Jail. . . . His Enemies Want Him there for Life”
Are federal bureaucrats really so completely without discretion, so utterly incapable of knowing when not to call in the heavy artillery? Have they no tool in their kit more subtle and nuanced than a meat cleaver?
Thanks to Gunnel Troberg for bringing this appalling case to my attention.
People wonder, sometimes, why I’m so untrusting of governments, so reluctant to cede more power to the State.
Read More: http://www.trueactivist.com/amish-farme ... -products/Since October 2015, Amish farmer Samuel Girod, 52, has been facing a 12-count federal indictment and total of 68 years in federal prison. While such harsh sentences are normally reserved for serious and/or violent crimes, Girod – in contrast – stands accused of selling herbal products that he made in his own kitchen.
Girod’s legal troubles started several years prior in 2013 after a disgruntled customer reported his natural products to the state health department in Missouri. These concerns eventually made their way in front of a federal judge who placed an injunction on Girod’s products, banning him from creating more until he met certain conditions. Among these conditions were federally-mandated inspections of his family’s farm in Bath County, Kentucky where Girod lives with his wife, 12 children and 25 grandchildren. When federal inspectors arrived, Girod and others allegedly prevented them from inspecting his workspace, leading to an escalation of the charges Girod initially faced.
Local residents are baffled as to why Girod is facing charges. “I can’t even figure out what he has done wrong,” said Suza Moody, a Bath county resident. “They live at the foot of the cross and the thought of one of them intentionally doing something wrong is outrageous.” A friend of Girod’s, Sally Oh, said that his family is “just devastated. I mean when they brought him out in handcuffs… It was awful.”
The charges against Girod are mostly related to the labeling of his products. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Girod allegedly distributed pamphlets suggesting that his products could be used to treat various medical ailments. The FDA has used this as the basis for its claims that Girod’s products are legally-defined as “drugs” despite the fact that multiple tests have confirmed that the products do not contain such substances.
So, is this a precedent for the FDA to follow and now check into the healing claims the Church promotes for the combination of olive oil and Priesthood power?
Definite QuackeryPriesthood Bearers Can Administer to the Sick
Article of faith
Tell the children that as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe in another type of blessing called administering to the sick. Explain that to administer a blessing is to give a blessing. Read aloud the seventh article of faith and help the children repeat the phrase “We believe in the gift of healing.” Remind the children that healings can take place following such a blessing when it is the will of Heavenly Father.
Priesthood blessings do not heal the sick.
Time the FDA insisted on the Church using a more accurate labeling?
As for Brother Peterson "I understand full well the importance of guarding against quackery, false medical claims, and the exploitation of those who are weak, ill, and/or fearful."
The irony of a stalwart Mormon stating this is not lost on me. I suspect it isn't lost on him either.
For those willing to come on and defend the power of Priesthood Blessings and their ability to heal the sick - please explain why you don't spend every evening, along with your local missionary force, down at the local hospital? Explain why the Apostles aren't traveling the globe healing sick people by pouring olive oil on their heads?