Satire: Naaman, the Syrian Healed of Leprosy, Declared a Victim of Blind Faith

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by Gordo Miguel

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a really long tradition of forcing its members to exercise blind faith and suppressing doubts and questions. At first, I thought it was just my local leaders who wanted me to live standards for the purpose of bringing happiness…but then I opened my eyes.

Leaders of the Church going back to Brigham Young and Joseph Smith asked people to believe in Jesus and keep his commandments too! And they offered NO PROOF (except to witnesses who confirmed key elements) (and as long as we dismiss the Book of Mormon entirely).

What I have come to learn is this disturbing pattern was actually started WAY EARLIER! Consider this victim of blind obedience in the Old Testament:

In 2 Kings 5, I *read of a Syrian Captain named Naaman who was struck with leprosy. Through one of his servants, he learns about a “prophet” in Israel named Elisha.

Here’s where the blind faith comes in: Elisha sends his servant to tell Naaman to wash in the Jordan river seven times to be clean. No proof, no opportunity to even raise legitimate questions or concerns with Elisha, because the command came through a servant…just a demand for blind faith.

So, at first, Naaman was upset. He uses his reason and knows that it is not logical for the River Jordan to clean him, particularly since there are better waters in Syria.

But then, under the pressure of these blindly-obedient prophet-worshippers, he is convinced, with no proof or reason, to try what the prophet mandated.

Now you might be thinking, “but Gordo Miguel, Naaman actually was healed of leprosy when he washed in the Jordan River as Elisha promised”…and while that’s true, think of how morally and intellectually superior he would have felt if he had died of leprosy while refusing to give in to blind obedience.

It’s a lesson for all my friends in the church: even though following a trusted source of divine guidance – in accordance with spiritual witnesses of Christ, of Joseph Smith, and of the Book of Mormon – will likely lead you to happiness…it’s better to be without those things and smugly tell everyone at least I don’t have blind faith.

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*Everyone knows Gordo Miguel doesn’t actually read the Scriptures!

Brett Jensen manages The Ward Preacher. You can follow him on Twitter @wardpreacher.