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"If a Christian knows that the acupuncture points and meridians are actually low resistance electrical pathways and that the use of acupuncture corrects abnormal flow of electrons in the body and causes the release of endorphins are they violating their conscience and imperiling their eternal destiny if they see a practitioner who believes in the Taoist explanation of acupuncture? If their own conscience and eternal destiny are not in danger are they imperiling the practitioner by reinforcing his or her beliefs? What about the Christian who has no understanding of the physiologic basis for acupuncture? Can they go to a Taoist acupuncturist, get relief, and not embrace Taoist philosophy? I think Paul would say that if using acupuncture would violate a weak Christian's conscience or if a strong Christian's use of acupuncture would violate the conscience of either a weak Christian or of a non-Christian then it would in fact be better to suffer than to find temporal relief and potentially sacrifice eternity (for self or someone else). Similarly it would be better to not eat meat offered to idols if it would somehow violate the conscience of the person eating the meat, the conscience of others seated at the table or the conscience of the person providing the meat. However, if acupuncture is understood by both the patient and the practitioner to simply be an effective therapeutic tool whose physiologic actions are devoid of any metaphysical interpretations then I think Paul would embrace it as one of many tools God has provided for the relief of suffering."
The study at the UVA is being done by MDs ("not quacks" in the words of the study organizer)... I will be carefully watching the acupuncturists, but as far as I can tell, they are researching the science end of it - which I think is valid despite who "invented it/used it first". Tom and I are still prayerfully and thoughtfully comfortable with me participating in this study if the Lord allows. I will get my results back no later than Wed this week to see if I qualify. I am leaving it in His hands.
2 comments:
I tried your links on this post and the one before and they didn't work??
Thanks for adding the text of the article! That is thought-provoking. I think I'd probably take your position, that we as Christians can use such things if they are scientifically-based even if some people use them in connection with false beliefs, as God has designed the universe to act in a certain way and as Christians we can have the benefit of knowledge of how our bodies work even if it is discovered by people of false religions. Unless the principles of any procedure are too intimately tied in with false beliefs...
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