Author Topic: homeopathic medications (Read 16526 times)

Magdalene · « **on:** January 25, 2007, 12:39:24 AM »

Hmmmmm.... What do you think?

Question:

In previous posts, the phrase "homeopathic medications" seems to be used interchangeably with herbal medications in general. I am writing to clarify the difference, and obtain spiritual direction based on this.

While many homeopathic medications are made from herbs, they are unique in their manufacture and apparent mode of operation. Homeopathic medications are made from tinctures of natural substances, but that is where the similarity ends. These tinctures are then diluted and succussed (or shaken) repeatedly to increase their potency. Cures are affected through the "law of similars" by matching the effect of the natural substance on healthy people with the symptoms of the patient.

The problem rests with the process of potentization. The strongest remedies are indeed some of the most dilute and, in theory, may not even contain any of the original herbs. Given this, there is no apparent physiological explanation for why these medications work. Most explain their efficacy by pointing to energy-based theories of some sort. (This is true even of reputable homeopaths that prescribe on the basis of symptoms and get their remedies from modern pharmaceutical companies. I say this to differentiate between them and homeopaths that use divination, etc. as a part of their practice.)

Also, the founder of homeopathy, Samuel Hanneman, was a Freemason and attributes his discovery of homeopathy to the "Father." I have also seen a post on your site in which the "vital energy" referred to by Hanneman in his writings is compared with the "universal energy" of New Age teachings.

My homeopath's methods seem empirical, and the medicines do seem to affect a cure. Yet this contradicts the nature and history of the medicines themselves. I am confused? Should I continue taking them? Note that the Church, in "Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life" says New Age techniques are sometimes advertised under the title "homeopathy." Please help.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Nancy:

Homeopathic medicine has at its core the idea that the body develops imbalances that must be corrected. The "vital energy" theory is the same as the "universal energy" theory in that they both seek a balance between the "energies" in the body with that if the "vital/universal energy." Although there are other aspects of Homeopathy, such as considering the whole person and not just the symptom or disease, this fundamental philosophical presumption behind Homeopathic theory is contrary to the facts of science and the body and to the Christian worldview. Given that Hanneman was a Freemason, with their distorted view of God, a red flag should be immediate.

As for the defining principle of Homeopathy of the "Law of Similars" there is no evidence from appropriately designed studies that the "law of similars" actually operates. This "law", as well as other non-scientific findings in Homeopathy that were made 100-200 years ago, were made before medical science fully understood the nature of health and disease. In fact those were times in which medical science had little knowledge of how to conduct experiments that separate cause and effect from coincidence as well as the placebo effect.

Given the totally anecdotal nature of the so-called "cures", the illogic and lack of even the remotest scientific method in developing homeopathic theories and methods, the lack of understanding and recognition of the law of coincidence and the law of placebo, and the connection with the Eastern cosmology of "energies" and "balances" should lead a Christian to abandon Homeopathy in my opinion.

Magdalene · « **Reply #1 on:** January 25, 2007, 02:19:41 AM »

Yes, I have heard that many homeopathic medications work. Some even have used them for cancer cures - although I don't know what the outcome for those were.

I just put up this post to see if anyone had any opinions on this.

Matthew · « **Reply #2 on:** January 28, 2007, 09:24:00 PM »

I can add this --

Modern "mainstream" medicine is CERTAINLY not the end of the road or the only solution.

They have basically proven, again and again, that they DO NOT have all the answers.

In fact, medical experts today (with some exceptions) are quite clueless about many things, which is caused by their hubris (pride) and tendency to dabble in philosophy and consider that man is the highest force in the universe -- basically that man is god.

Mainstream medicine will tell you that Aspartame is safe, etc. and we KNOW that isn't true. What else do they lie about?

But more important is the fact that their whole starting point is flawed -- namely, that "man evolved from bacteria, after a big bang happened billions of years ago." When your starting point is that "man is a machine" or "man doesn't have a soul", it's hard to get many things right!

If I think that a car is a toy, I'm probably going to mistreat it at some point.

So there is plenty of room for alternative medicine to do much good.

Matthew

antyshemanic · « **Reply #3 on:** January 28, 2007, 09:41:56 PM »

Matthew · « **Reply #4 on:** January 28, 2007, 10:03:11 PM »

Oh yes -- I almost forgot about immunizations.

It seems that children without immunizations are HEALTHIER and less likely to get sick (serious or otherwise) than their immunized peers.

Fluoride is another one.

And let's not get started with cancer treatment -- plenty of people believe that they've discovered a cure for cancer (at least once) and it's been "buried" so the chemotherapy industry can keep making money.

Conspiracy theory? Maybe. But THINK ABOUT IT.

What kind of healthcare industry do we have? A wonderful, selfless one staffed by religious monks who have dedicated their lives to God, the service of their neighbor, and voluntary poverty? NO!

We have a military-industrial-business complex, which is more powerful than the government itself, which only operates to make money for the few that are involved at the highest levels of it.

Healthcare, like farming, has become a mega-business, where profit is the sole motive. Only lip service is paid to "caring for our patients".

Actions speak louder than words. Especially when those words are mere advertising and propaganda!

Matthew

Magdalene · « **Reply #5 on:** January 29, 2007, 01:48:37 AM »

Bro. Ignatius, the one who wrote the response I started the post with also had this to say about acupuncture.

Question:

Hello,

I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia 5 years ago. I had been in remmsion for alittle over a year, and off all my meds when a week ago my ra came back with a vengence. The last year has been great, I was even able to hold down a part time job. Well, I had to quit due to my illness.

So, my former boss is a firm beliver in accupuncture. He says it cured his chron's disease. He is urging me to give it a try, and is willing to help me pay for it.

My question is can I do this as a Catholic?

My husband recommended asking you. The strange thing was when we were discusing it both of my children became very upset and said it was wrong and I should not do it, they are 10 and 7.

I know you also struggle with a chronic illness, and I am sure you can understand my temptation for a "quick fix" to end my pain.

I want to do what is right not for my body, but for my soul.
your advice on this is greatly appreciated.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Robin:

I praise God that you are both thoughtful and faithful enough to want to check these out before jumping into the waters of something that may not be proper for a Christian. Most people are not so thoughtful.

I am going to answer your question much more broadly than a mere direct answer. Instead I think it may be important to discuss the whole issue of Alternative Medicine in terms of the three problems to consider before deciding to use alternative medical techniques:

1. Consider Worldview: All of knowledge -- medical, philosophical, religious, etc. -- is based upon a presumption and foundation of some worldview. The judgment and assessment of things will vary depending upon the worldview one presumes.

As Christians, we are obligated to look at the world and to assess the things of the world according to the Christian worldview. Since Christianity is unfortunately split into many sects, we as Catholics need to further define and assess Christianity through the Catholic worldview.

With this said, now let us assume that we are going to develop a home remedy. We must build that home remedy on the foundation of truth that the Bible says is the Church. Doing this will effect how our home remedy will be developed and shaped. If we were to construct our home remedy according to some other foundation (worldview) other than Catholicism then although that home remedy make look similar to one developed according to a Catholic worldview, it will have elements that are not Catholic since it was not built upon a Catholic foundation.

For example, if we were to develop a home remedy using chicken soup that can be done within the Catholic (and I might add even the scientific) worldview. If we developed our chicken soup remedy by including some herbs that have been "blessed" by the devil or have been prayed over by occultic ritual and the like, then we have a problem. While the herb itself may be harmless, the fact that the herb received a demonic blessing or was offered to Satan in a prayer and ritual is a real problem for a Christian. If the cosmology we use is not Catholic we may also come to believe that the chicken soup can remedy all sorts of things that it cannot remedy.

Acupuncture was developed under a worldview that is inconsistent with Christianity. The cosmology that acupuncture is founded upon is a false cosmology based upon the notion of energy flows in the body that must be attuned to the energy of the universe. Acupuncture, it is thought, corrects the energy imbalances in the body and thus attuning our bodies with the universal energy. When we are in "balance" we find healing.

These energy flows, in the first place, located in what is called meridians, do not exist. In the second place the relationship of our bodies with the universe as described by this cosmology also does not exist.

Thus, although there might be some scientifically verifiable benefits of acupuncture, the practice itself is based upon a false worldview and thus some aspects of it will also be false.

Satan loves to try to trip us up by using two essential methods:

a. the Grain of Truth Method: In this method Satan will take a grain of truth (and there is a grain of truth in acupuncture) and surround that grain with a bunch of falsehood. He knows that often people will see the grain of truth and just ASSUME that all things surrounding that grain are okay too. This is a deadly assumption.

b. the Poison Apple Method: In this method Satan will take something that looks good and useful and beneficial to us, and that may be perfectly okay for us normally, but he takes a hypodermic and inserts a little bit of poison in the middle. If we take a bit out of that apple without cutting it open to examine it to be sure it is good, we bit into the poison and die.

Depending upon one's point-of-view concerning things like acupuncture, Satan can use either of these methods to trip us up.

2. Consider the Practitioner: Many practitioners of alternative medicine may present themselves in a very professional and scientific manner. They may even be medical doctors giving the impression that their approach is purely medical and scientific. Beware the practitioner! Unbeknownst to the patient, the practitioner, if he is coming from an oriental worldview, may be praying for you to a false god while performing the procedure.

I know this to be possible because I use to practice and train others in a procedure known as acupressure (a form of acupuncture that uses the fingers and hands instead of needles to apply pressure to the acupuncture points). When I worked on someone I was also praying to some new age "force" at the same time. This is common practice among some, but not all, practitioners.

If one is to use alternative medical techniques, then be sure that practitioner is coming from a scientific point-of-view understanding the scientifically verifiable effects of technique and its limitations, and NOT coming from the oriental cosmology. If the practitioner believes that any particular technique or remedy, including acupuncture, can solve most any problem, RUN, do not walk, away from that person. NO technique is a cure-all.

3. Consider the Science: This leads us to discuss the issue of whether the alternative medical techique or remedy actually works for anything or is just a bunch of hooey, or has effects that are occultic. A consideration of the science needs to be reviewed for any alternative medical technique or remedy. For our present purposes, let us consider the science concerning acupuncture:

A very good reference book to check on the science and verifiability of "alternative medicine" techniques is a book by Dr. Rosenfeld called, Dr. Rosenfeld's Guide to Alternative Medicine : What Works, What Doesn't And What's Right for You.
Dr. Rosenfeld is not Christian, thus some of his advice does not take into consideration particular Christian concerns, but this book is valuable in getting information about the medical aspects of Alternative Medicine techniques.

Dr. Rosenfeld's analysis of acupuncture is too extensive to include in this forum, but essentially he says that acupuncture can be useful in pain control. Here is an excerpt from his "bottomline":

...(in the operating room, acupuncture) is not an ideal anesthetic. It works in only 20 percent of cases of major surgery, and is not nearly as effective or predictable as the modern, sophisticated agents and nerve blocks developed in the West. In fact, Chinese surgeons don't use acupuncture anesthesia very often and usually give additional painkillers when they do -- just to be sure. But that's not the point. The question is not how good an anesthetic acupuncture is, but whether or not it can control pain in certain situations. In my opinion, the answer to that question is "yes."

I suggest that you stay with conventual anesthesia if you're having major surgery. But is you've got a bad back or some other chronic disorder that's giving you round-the-clock pain; if you suffer from asthma or irritable bowel; if you're addicted to alcohol, tobacco, or drugs; or if chemo-therapy is giving you intolerable nausea, try acupuncture from a qualified practitioner. If you've had a stroke, or suddenly develop weakness or paralysis of a limb, ask your doctor or neurologist about early acupuncture. The data here are impressive.

Thus the "bottomline" in your case, to answer your question directly now, is that acupuncture "might" be helpful.

The caution is to find a practitioner who is not "new age" and who understands it limitations and does not claim more than what acupuncture can offer. You will probably be okay if you go to a Western trained doctor who is also certified in acupuncture who is sponsored by a reputable hospital.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Miss_Fluffy · « **Reply #6 on:** January 29, 2007, 06:43:57 PM »

If you follow Bro Ignatius Mary's logic, we should also shun modern medicine. Modern medicine does not flow from a Catholic viewpoint. In fact, I would venture to say that many of the scientists involved in researching and developing medicine are either atheist or agnostic. I imagine that Catholics are in the minority.

For homeopathy, the idea of "like cures like" goes back to the early greek and roman doctors who first recorded the explorations of medicine. Just because some freemason picked it up means nothing. Furthermore, homeopathy has progressed a great deal. All of homeopathy practice is not under the umbrella of a freemason.. it is an organic, growing science.

Many of the preparations found in homeopathy were at one time herbal remedies that people used widely when they were a little closer to nature than we are. So many things have been adopted under the umbrella of "homeopathy" that it isn't really an accurate term any longer.

My take on acupuncture is the same. Just because the chinese attributed their findings about the human body to "universal energy" does not mean that they're not hitting on something that is real. It just means they have their definitions wrong. But we are electrical bodies, and it stands to reason that there could be subtle electrical flows in the body, that when triggered can produce different healing effects.

I think that using the medicines and curative techniques of different cultures falls into the same category as the "food of the gentiles". If we're going to be so strict about using knowledge and medicine from non-catholic cultures, then we should stop eating cheese with our meat, free all domesticated pigs, and have all our meats killed kosher by a rabbi.

Matthew · « **Reply #7 on:** January 29, 2007, 08:50:49 PM »

:whistleblower: I think you misunderstood her.

She made a very good post.

Her point was that we can use what is true in other cultures, even if they are wrong about other things. Accupuncture, etc. MUST have something to it, or it would have died by now. The fact that the Chinese don't have the whole truth means nothing regarding the worth of accupuncture.

Miss Fluffy then presented an analogy using food. I think it was a good analogy.

Her point was that ALL the gentiles (including our ancestors) were pagans at one point, so why eat any of their foods (pigs, cheese, etc.) which the Jєωs were forbidden to eat, if we're going to reject their medicine and other knowledge as well.

Matthew

Miss_Fluffy · « **Reply #8 on:** January 29, 2007, 11:37:04 PM »

When the new covenant was made, it was no longer forbidden to eat the food of the gentiles/pagans. I'm saying that the medicine of the gentiles holds the same place as food of the gentiles.

Miss_Fluffy · « **Reply #9 on:** January 30, 2007, 03:26:26 PM »

Quote from: Trinity

I see. You are seeing Catholicism as an extension of Judaism, which I don't.

Huh? I think the part where Peter has the dream regarding food of the gentiles is in the new Testament, and not at all a part of Jєωιѕн belief.

I'm not sure what you mean by seeing Catholicism as an extension of Judaism?

Miss_Fluffy · « **Reply #10 on:** January 30, 2007, 03:49:51 PM »

It's an anology. People are free to accept/reject what they want. But it is not required as an aspect of the Catholic faith to reject medicines from different non-believing cultures. Nor is it required for us to reject foods from different non-believing cultures.

I don't think the brother makes a good point, he says the sole reason to reject medicines from other non-believing cultures is that those cultures are non-believing.
And to me, that would be tantamount to rejecting food from non-believing cultures solely on the basis that they are non-believers. This is simply not required of a Catholic.

MichaelSolimanto · « **Reply #11 on:** May 28, 2008, 03:42:32 AM »

I love homeopathic medicine, but only to a point where it starts to get into things it cannot give sufficient answers for and neglects aleopathic medicine. A young lady at our chapel almost died from homeopathic methods which didn't sufficiently take into account the serious of her illness, and the remedy almost killed her.

The answer is simple in my view:
-Try homeopathic medicine first, and homeopathic methods
-Then go to general medicine if too serious for homeopathic cures

In all cases of emergency I cannot see how one can see a homeopath first and find it irresponsible.