João de Deus (medium)

João Teixeira de Faria (born June 24, 1942), known also as João de Deus ("John of God"), is a medium and psychic surgeon. He is based in Abadiânia, Brazil, where he runs the Casa de Dom Inácio de Loyola, a spiritual healing center where he sees thousands of visitors every week from all over the world.

Biography

Early life

João Teixeira de Faria was born in Cachoeira da Fumaça, Goiás (now Cachoeira de Goiás ^[1]). There are no records of his early life and De Faria has not provided precise details.^[2] His best known biography is The Miracle Man, written by Robert Pellegrino-Estrich, who runs tours to Abadiânia.^[3]

De Faria has no medical training and describes himself as a 'simple farmer.'^[4] He completed two years of education and spent a number of years travelling from village to village in the states of Goias and Minas Gerais.

Abadiânia

De Faria says he was told by his spirit guides that he must expand his work to reach more people and spiritist medium Chico Xavier told him he should go to the small Goiás town of Abadiânia to fulfill his healing mission. Around 1978, when João first performed healings there, he just sat outdoors in a chair near the main road where people began to arrive seeking cures for their various illnesses and conditions. Gradually the numbers increased to thousands per day and he developed his centre, Casa de Dom Inácio de Loyola.^[5] The Casa de Dom Inácio de Loyola has since been visited by millions of people seeking healing. He also owns a nearby cattle ranch, which covers about 1,000 acres.^[6]

Claims of spiritual healing powers

De Faria claims to act as a vehicle for God's healing, and to have absolutely no recollection of anything during the procedures. He states:

"I do not cure anybody. God heals, and in his infinite goodness permits the Entities to heal and console my brothers. I am merely an instrument in God's divine hands".

Millions of people have consulted with de Faria since 1965. Up to 3,000 people per day stand and wait in line to see him individually. De Faria claims to encourage research into his healing abilities in the hope that medical science can make use of his success in the treatment of humankind. At the Casa de Dom Inácio, where treatments take place, De Faria invites medical doctors to come onto the stage to observe his work. De Faria also regularly prescribes meditation and walks to a nearby waterfall as part of treatment. The Casa also sells herbs, blessed items and artefacts such as magic triangles. It was estimated by 60 Minutes Australia in 2014 that these sales earn de Faria over $10 million per year.^[7]

When called for a spiritual surgery by De Faria, patients are offered the choice of 'visible' or 'invisible' operations. If they select an 'invisible' operation (or are younger than 18 or older than 52) they are directed to sit in a room and meditate. De Faria also claims that spiritual physicians can perform surgery on the actual patient via a surrogate when the actual patient is unable to make the trip.^[8]

A very small percentage of people choose a 'visible' operation where De Faria operates without traditional anesthetic. Instead he says he uses 'spiritual anesthetic' involving energized mineral water and the spiritual energies present, the latter which are provided by groups of volunteers who meditate in a separate room called the 'current room'. These practices such as inserting scissors or forceps deep into a nose and scraping an eye without an anesthetic or antiseptics have been scrutinized by medical authorities and skeptical investigators James Randi^[9] and Joe Nickell^[10] have described these procedures at length as old carnival tricks.

De Faria tells people not to stop taking their medicine and says not everyone he serves will be cured. Often the treatment includes capsules containing pure passion flower that are claimed to carry special blessed spiritual energy to support the individual's healing process.^[11]

De Faria has undergone trials and scrutiny of his work. He has been arrested several times for practicing medicine without a licence and has been jailed once.^[6]

Live events outside Brazil

de Faria has travelled to other countries to perform healing ceremonies called Live Events. Gail Thackray, Casa Medium claimed in her book "Spiritual Journeys:Visiting John of God" that the main entities that incorporate in Brazil are the same ones at Live Events, along with thousands of other entities doing healing work.^{[12] [13]} Many consider the Entities of John of God advanced benevolent spirits, far above earthly laws and not subject to human regulations. However, The Entities have made various changes for Live Events.^[14]

The Entities do not do physical surgeries outside of Brazil. Further, all “invisible surgeries” are to be called "Spiritual Interventions". There is no mention of the medical word 'surgery' or 'medical healing ' in connection with John of God because of possible litigation.^{[15] [16]} Because of the medical laws around the world, blessed water instead of the herbs is prescribed. It is available for about $3 a bottle. Everyone who receives a spiritual intervention must drink this blessed water.^[17]

In Brazil if you receive a spiritual intervention you must remain in your room for 24 hrs. At the live event you are only required to go to your room and rest for the remainder of the day but can return the next morning (if you have registered and paid for the next day.^[18]

• April 2-4, 2006 - Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• May 12-14, 2006 - Town Hall, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
• September 28-October 1, 2009 - Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York
• September 26-30, 2010 - Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York
• September 26, 2011 - Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York
• November 9-13, 2011 - Alstead (Frankfurt) Germany
• July 16-20, 2012 - Winterthur Switzerland
• November 23-25, 2012 - Salzburg/Austria
• November 30- Dec2, 2012 - Alstead, Germany
• March 15-17, 2013 - Toronto, Canada^[19]
• July 19-21, 2013 - Basel, Switzerland
• September 30-October 2, 2014 - Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York, USA^[20]
• November 22-24, 2014 Sydney, Australia^[21]

Media coverage

ABC news report

On July 14, 2005, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) ran a news report about de Faria on Primetime Live.^[6] The programme featured five people with various medical conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, Lou Gehrig's disease and an inoperable brain tumour. Each patient saw de Faria and ABC claimed that in three of the cases there had been an improvement. A young female athlete who had been paraplegic was shown beginning to move her legs.

ABC's update on the five subjects,^[6] while not mentioning one of the subjects, indicated that two are making either slow progress or none at all, one is worse, and one is much better. According to other sources, Matthew Ireland is now free of his brain tumour and one has since died.^[22]

Skeptic James Randi, spent about an hour in New York being interviewed and taped for the report. James Randi later critiqued ABC for having cherry picked his comments to show more credibility for the 'faith-healer' than justified. Randi went gone on to have given scientific explanations for all the activities observed.^[23] Randi revealed the natural explanations for activities ranging from putting forceps in the nose, random cutting of the flesh, 'scraping' of the eyeball, the subsequent absence of infection, and other activities one by one as age old parlor tricks. However, he was dismayed that none of his critical comments were shown in the final segment. This was cut down to under 20 seconds of screen time.^[24]

The Oprah Winfrey Show

2010 Show 'Leap of Faith: Meet John of God

On November 17, 2010, Susan Casey wrote in O Magazine about her trip to see de Faria in Brazil and was subsequently covered on the The Oprah Winfrey Show. The article was entitled "Leap of Faith: Meet John of God" while the show was entitled "Do You Believe in Miracles?" In both she discusses her need to deal with the traumatic loss of her father. After he suddenly died in 2008, Casey experienced a "tsunami of grief" that she says she couldn't escape from. She wondered if de Faria could help heal her grief. She met him twice and later stated, "Three hours went by like 20 minutes, and it was blissful--it was like I was floating." Casey claims she was able to speak with her dead father. "It was very real," she says. "More of a vision than I had ever had before. ... I got this feeling like I shouldn't be sad, that everything was okay."

While Casey stated that the whole experience sounds unusual, she claimed that she is "not a woo-woo person" and that de Faria helped her find healing. Casey stated that she was a neutral observer.^[25] Jeff Rediger, a psychiatrist from Harvard Medical School in Boston, was provided as a skeptic.^[26] Rediger was astonished to discover bleeding from his torso after "invisible" surgery. The show did not provide scientific or medical explanations for the procedures performed. There is no established medical or scientific reasoning for these procedures.^[27] In depth critical investigative reports followed this broadcast.^[28][29]

2013 Oprah's Next Chapter: 'John of God'

On March 17, 2013, Oprah's Next Chapter, Season 2, Episode 116 aired a televised show entitled 'John of God'. Oprah traveled to Brazil to meet and talk with de Faria , and see his unexplained miracles firsthand. She also interviewed Magnus Kemppii, from Sweden about his 'surgery' and five Americans who hope to be cured from their ailments.^[30][31]

CNN coverage

On the December 22, 2010, episode of CNN's AC360, Sanjay Gupta interviewed two of the commentators Oprah Winfrey had sent to meet de Faria.^[32][33][34] No medical or scientific evidence was provided to substantiate their remarks. Critical investigative reports followed broadcast.^{[35][36] [37]}

2014 60 Minutes Australia

John of God's first visit to Australia and a 'Live Event' scheduled November 22-24, 2014 at the Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park garnered much media attention.^[38][39]

After visiting John of God at his "Casa" in Abadiânia, Brazil, the Australian 60 Minutes television program aired a critical investigative report on Oct 25,2014, examining John of God's healing treatment practices, the amount of money being made and raising questions about sexual assault allegations against him.^[40] The 2 part program hosted by reporter Michael Usher was a follow-up to Liz Hayes' 1998 investigation of João Teixeira de Faria.^{[41] [42][43]}

In Part 1 of the follow-up, reporter Michael Usher revealed that a woman declared as cured of breast cancer by a spirit entity channeled by John of God died in 2003. A woman in a wheelchair with multiple sclerosis who, in the 1998 report said she visited to John of God with the expectation of walking again didn’t feel any effect, is still in a wheelchair, and her condition deteriorated. Her trip to the Casa cost $5,000. Usher reported that none of the other people [forty Australians] who made the pilgrimage that Hayes joined for investigation improved.^[44]

Usher’s report mentioned that some of the thousands in Mr de Faria's audience hope to receive “spiritual surgery” from him. In an extended interview, Emergency medicine specialist Dr. David Rosengren personally examined and reported these practices as horrendous and barbaric, stating ' “… the modern medical world could not condone this behavior in any way whatsoever”.^[45] The prospect of de Faria coming to Australia had also alarmed the Australian Medical Association, reported Ean Higgins , in an October 04, 2014 article in The Australian “I am extremely sceptical about this person[ Mr de Faria]; I can find it hard to see any motivation apart from personal profit for him and his organisation,” AMA vice president Stephen Parnis said. “If he undertakes any of these surgical procedures they should be reported to the health complaints commission ..."^[46]

In Part 2 of his report, Usher stated that there were two deaths in recent years at the Casa that warranted investigations, but no one was charged. He also reported that in 2010, when de Faria visited Sedona, Arizona, the police department investigated him because a woman said he took her hands and placed them on his genitals; Mr de Faria also tried to pull down her skirt. The case never went to court; one of his associates encouraged the woman to drop the allegations.^[47]

Usher continued to interview Mr de Faria, but the exchange became testy after Usher asked if de Faria is more about money than miracles and if he ever sexually assaulted his followers. The video report shows that de Faria walked away, responded sarcastically to the interpreter following him that he sexually assaulted her mother, and returned to the interview insisting to see what has been recorded.

The Catholic Church, through its representative Father Brian Lucas issued an televised verbal warning, stating ' John of God doesn't have any official affiliation with the Catholic Church'. He cautioned all to be very skeptical of people seeking publicity with claims of miracles and faith healing, more so when there is a lot of money involved.^[48][49]

References

External links

• John of god & the spiritual doctors
• Biography and description of the 'incorporation process'
• Guide to Spiritual healer in Brazil

Criticism

• "João de Deus". The Skeptic's Dictionary. November 5, 2006. 
• "John of God: Investigating a Brazilian faith healer". Beliefnet.com. 2006. 
• "Revista da Associação Médica Brasileira". Rev. Assoc. Med. Bras. July–Sept 2000.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Swift-Online Newsletter of the James Randi Educational Foundation
• For shame! Oprah Winfrey shills for faith healer John of God
• "John of God in Brazil", CARM (Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry) dated
• "Potentially Harmful and Other Therapies" by Monica Pignotti dated Nov 18, 2010
• "CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Falling for faith healing quackery", ScienceBlogs dated Dec 27, 2010
• "John of God: Healings by Entities?" by Joe Nickell, CSI, Center for Skeptical Inquiry, Oct 2007

Media

• "Is John of God a Healer or a Charlatan". ABC News. July 14, 2005. 
• Pellegrino-Estrich, Robert (February–March 1998). "The Amazing Cures of a Brazilian Miracle Man". Nexus. Retrieved December 10, 2010. 
• "John of God" a Guardian Films documentary by Irish director Fergus Tighe. http://www.johnofgoddvd.com
• Do You Believe in Miracles? Video
• Leap of Faith: Meet John of God
• Spiritual treatment of John
• Part 1 of “John of God” Report
• Part 2 of “John of God” Report

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