Frisk et al./Children in Minority Religions, 9. Medicine and Healthcare

Religion and medicine have close ties historically (McGuire 2002), and sometimes alternative religious perspectives are related to alternative health care perspectives. This chapter will provide an overview of different perspectives on medical treatment advocated by different controversial minority religions. In some cases in different parts of the world, neglect of medical and health care for religious reasons has unfortunately resulted in deaths of children. Some of these cases will be discussed. The seven minority religions that are the focus of this book have sometimes, but not always, based on the interview material, taken some level of alternative health care perspective, but most of the time they combine these methods with mainstream medical care. The relation between religion and health care is discussed.