The dark side of faith

"Faith" is a word with almost exclusively positive connotations, at least in the U.S. In some ways it's almost synonymous with morality; polls consistently show that we like our leaders to have strong religious beliefs, and large percentages of people say that religious faith is necessary to be a good person.

The essence of religious faith is believing that things are true in spite of a lack of evidence for them; the Bible even says we shouldn't trust our own understanding. But is this really a virtue? Is it really laudable to switch off the logical parts of our minds?

I was thinking about these questions today after I learned about Ava Worthington. Ava, a 16-month-old infant, contracted bacterial bronchial pneumonia, a condition that can be cured with antibiotics. Ava's parents belong to a Christian sect that believes in faith healing exclusively; they treated her with prayer instead of seeking medical attention. Ava, ultimately, was killed by her parents' faith that only God could heal her.