Evangelical Christian GP appointed to Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

Evan Harris has written in The Guardian on Dr. Hans-Christian Raabe, a member of the Maranatha community, a group peddling oddities such as "We see the threat to society of false gods, secular humanism, the abandonment of God's ways." More worrying than that are his views on homosexuals expressed in an article entitled ‘Gay marriage’ and homosexuality: Some medical comments. 

"While the majority of homosexuals are not involved in paedophilia, it is of grave concern that there is a disproportionately greater number of homosexuals among paedophiles and an overlap between the gay movement and the movement to make paedophilia acceptable."

Let's hope his command of evidence surrounding drug misuse is of greater standing than the arguments he derives concerning homosexuality. The drive of the religious to base policy on nonsensical and outmoded systems of thought means they deserve great scrutiny when appointed to public bodies (Dr. Raabe's group states that "We endeavour to let God write our agenda"). If he had a record of peer-reviewed research into drug policy, Dr. Raabe might qualify for our confidence. In the absence of any relevant expertise, he does not.

More medical miracles at the Vatican

These stories of the credulous are so silly as to be amusing if weren't for the afflicted often having serious diseases. This one, though, isn't even a case of remission. Apparently the case of Parkinsons disease, cured posthumously by John Paul II thereby allowing his beatification, wasn't Parkinsons but another neurological disorder from which the nun who was cured has now unfortunately relapsed.