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Christian Theology and Medical Science [message #8587]

Sat, 05 November 2011 06:12

william
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Registered: January 2006

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In the medical science thread, the issue of how science relates to Christian theology came up, and as I was reading over some of the other threads, I ran across one that jman started that concerned UFOs, and how new discoveries might affect our theology.

How do we view 'true' science? (By true science, I mean the valid pursuit of facts.) Does science have a role in Christianity? Both of those threads raise this question.

In the medical science thread, one of the central issues revolved around whether or not a field (like the medical field) could move out of the realm of the esoteric and establish its credentials using facts that are well established in our physical world. It was asked, "Can a leopard change its spots?" Of course, the answer is no, if we are talking about a leopard's spots, but can this saying be universally applied to any and every pursuit without discrimination?

Let me give a silly example that might help to convey what I'm talking about.

Back when I was growing up, there were advertisements in some of the popular magazines (mostly comic books <grin>), that sold X-ray glasses. Now I wanted a pair so bad I could taste it. The advertised purpose was to allow the user the ability to see through a person's clothing. Yes, I was once a young teenager that immediately could see the advantages of having a pair, if you know what I mean.<grin>

Obviously, this was a pipe dream. (At least I think it was, wasn't it? -- I never could afford a pair.)

Okay, probably those glasses were fictional, but just for the sake of analogy, let's say there was such an invention.

There is no doubt that those glasses would have been labeled as an evil tool of the devil almost from the beginning. Christian ministers everywhere would have condemned them as evil, and anyone who purchased a pair would have been labeled as a pervert.

But think about this fictional pair of 'pervert glasses' for a moment... would they have remained in the realm of evil when used for purposes that didn't fall into the stereotypical 'original' purpose? Maybe they could be used to examine the luggage of a frequent-flier in order to find a bomb threat, or something that would be considered good for the well-being of others. At this point wouldn't the same invention represent both good and bad? (Similarly the TV, or the internet might be considered in this category, right?) Instead of being just a tool for deviant purposes, now something worthwhile could result from the invention. Would we as Christians recognize that there might be a legitimate use for these things, or would we continue to view them only as the tools of Satan?

It seems to me that it is the user's heart that is the arbiter in determining whether or not something inanimate is bad or good.

It has been said that "all drugs have side-effects" and I'm not prepared to argue otherwise simply because I'm ignorant in that realm, so take the following with the knowledge that I'm open for correction if shown to be in error. (Btw, I'm only using the drug example because it is fresh in my mind, and the controversy is one that highlights the issue of scientific advancement and its relation to Christian theology.)

Take the polio epidemic of the last century. This was an epidemic of epic proportions affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Around the middle of the last century, scientific advancements (I don't think that this was a magical/occult feat) progressed to the point where this disease was stopped in its tracks. As far as I know, there has never been anything that could 'cure' polio, but that doesn't change the fact that the disease was rendered impotent by medical science.

I think that this was a good thing, at least as far as most of humanity was concerned, and while believers have always had the prayer of faith as our remedy, the vaccine has helped untold multitudes avoid that debilitating and oftentimes fatal disease. Was this vaccine the occult powers of Satan at work, or was it mankind's best effort at utilizing knowledge for the benefit of the rest of humanity?

If we attribute this to the occult, then where do we draw the line? If it was occult, does this mean that all scientific medical knowledge is occult? Much of the nutritional information that we utilize came about as a result of men working in this field.

I sometimes wonder how many in our circles could have been the beneficiaries of nutritional supplements if this line had been drawn differently. I'm not knowledgeable in this field, but I don't believe that all vitamins are simply a puree of ground up broccoli and carrots. Anyway, even if it is simply ground up food-stock, how is it that it is okay to add iron to it, and not other chemicals known to be beneficial? And why is this not considered breaching the promise of healing that is provided in the atonement?

This isn't a 'point' that I'm trying to prove. I'm genuinely seeking answers to these questions.

What is the proper relationship that Christians should have with science that has come from the medical field?

Blessings,
William

I want to believe!

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