Is this sick, or what?

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Recently I've been viewing a couple of YouTube videos made by people with cancer.
I couldn't help noticing in the comments - one in particular - someone said "The ONLY way to be cured is to accept Jesus Christ as your LORD and saviour"
Then I started noticing others had written in a similar vein.

The ONLY way?
Really?

By that logic, no Christian should ever have cancer.
Christians shouldn't submit to treatment, because that's surely showing a lack of faith.

I've had something similar said to my face, and it makes my blood boil.

This is the worse kind of victim blaming, IMO.
Or religious blackmail?

Why do people do this?
Do they really think they're helping?

If I accept Jesus as my LORD and saviour, will I be cured?

Please explain.

Because people’s freedom of thought is not bound by logic or empirical evidence, that’s why. Get used to it.

The only correct response is, “Don’t worry. You can’t catch it.” Because, ultimately, that is what the commenters are concerned about. Cancer and other bad things strike at random. And that randomness is scary. Saying your cancer can only be cured by a religious awakening is just a way of trying to separate their lives from yours. And hoping against hope that the difference will mean they will not face similar circumstances somewhere down the road.

This doesn't excuse the behavior. The comments are still repulsive and hurtful. You shouldn't have to deal with them.

^ I never thought they might be worried about getting it themselves.

"If you reject God you've got to expect bad things to happen" were the words said to me.
So...I'm being punished.
For rejecting God.

What I actually reject is a religion that operates on blame and shame.

Well why don't they explain how the lead singer of Behemoth, a metal band I like got cancer and than recovered from it? He's a satanist and he preformed 'satanic' songs while he had cancer, I actually saw the band during that time and it was awesome. But yeah so if you need Jesus to heal from cancer how did this satanist pull it off?

Maybe Jesus is a Behemoth fan?

My mum was a Christian and deeply religious. She died of cancer.

I've heard of sects that don't let you treat yourself if you have a disease because you deserve it somehow. Gross.

I've read those types of comments before, I don't know though I guess when people can't find an answer to something it's better for them to have faith in something/one "greater" than to feel hopeless. And selfishly or maybe even naively say things like that because they don't know better or because that's just how they feel strongly. Others do use it to manipulate people with fear hence the whole "If you reject God you've got to expect bad things to happen" thing. Have you seen the movie "the witch"? it's sort of about that.

It also annoys me when someone manages to accomplish something out of their own effort and people say "thank god! / all because of the lord" and like, did that person's effort meant nothing then? But why bother really.

When it comes to my direct family though, I respect their faith. I'm catholic because my family baptised me and went to a catholic school, yet made a deal with my parents at age 9 to not be obligated to go to mess ever again for me to be ok doing first communion. They accepted and respect my decision to this day, so I respect their faith. When they say things I don't agree with, either I take the logical approach and share it respectfully or I just let them be. They're not going to change now :/

And no, you're not getting punished. People like to use fear to control others. Do whatever feels right for yourself.

I have a short answer. Majority of the people are idiots. Or not idiots but brainwashed.
And I am pretty sure Jesus is a Behemoth fan and secretly going to metal gigs all over the world. You want proof? Just look around Metal people are the happiest, you only see smiles after a good mosh.

Jesus was a carpenter. I’m sure he got into the hip music of the first century AD.

It's the Just-World Hypothesis. They believe so strongly in their own personal belief (whatever it is) that they are correct, and if they continue to do everything correctly, bad things will never happen to them.

I engage in the genealogy hobby, and learning about my ancestors - some pilgrims to New England, some pioneers across the Great Plains before 1850 - and seeing the trials, losses, and sorrows that some of them survived, I conclude that a strong religious faith was not only helpful but necessary.

That said, I'm a nonbeliever myself, and could not be any other way. Sometimes I do pray but it is more as a meditative practice than speaking to an omnipotent entity.

Any believers who use shame and blame to justify their belief or to convert others are repulsive to me, regardless of what religion they belong to.

Disease doesn't care one bit if you're religious or not. Being religious does nothing to protect you from disease, although it may help religious people to cope with it.

I once heard a parent on Facebook say that someone once told them their children were autistic because God was punishing them for letting their kids be vaccinated.

Christian people in medieval Europe blamed Jewish people for the plague. The Christians already thought the Jews were evil and horrible anyway, because they actually took baths (which may be why the Jews very seldom got the plague).

I have read that religious fervour uses the same reward process in the brain as that of drug addicts.
So, I suppose in a way they're Jesus junkies and can't help it?

God or not. Peoples’ belief in god has no real reason. They just want to say hurtful things out of whatever emotion they are having. My own mother considers my daughter a punishment from god. She doesn’t understand that by saying that she isn’t excused from being her grandmother and giving her the grandmotherly love.

One has to be more proactive about themselves rather than have their blind faith. They need to help other people in need rather than saying my life is wonderful because of god.

I get it you can have your belief system but how does that make you a better person when you’re using it as an excuse to make the other person feel bad or guilty. Why do they need to use religion as a means of discrimination. No religion wants that I am sure.