Christian faith and medicine

  1. Lemma
  2. Credinta crestina si medicina
  3. Romanian
  4. Stavinschi, Alexandra
  5. Scientific theories and disciplines > Medicine - Natural and the supernatural > Magic - Modes of interaction > Integration
  6. 27-1-2017
  7. Flueras, Vasile [Author]. Christian faith and medicine
  8. Medicii si biserica, vol. 3 : Pentru o bioetica crestina. Aspecte sociale determinate de relatia dintre teologie si medicina. [For a Christian bioethics. Social issues arising from the relationship between theology and medicine]
  9. medicine - pseudo-medicine - allopathic medicine - healing

    1. The article emphasizes the importance of the joint work between priests and doctors, who have the common goal of helping overcome pain and illness. Particular emphasis is placed on the disastrous consequences of insufficient knowledge, which sometimes can be intentional.

      The author draws a comparison between pseudo-medicine and the effects of false beliefs: heresies, occultism, magic practices and witchcraft, Satanism and spiritism. False belief stands to the right faith like pseudo-medicine stands to medicine: a deviation from scientific knowledge and the correct practice of the medical act. Without going into detail,pseudo-medicine is defined as the unauthorized practice of the most difficult science: medicine. 

      Pseudo-medicine can:

      1) benefit the patient: reducing fractures by people without medical training; administrating medicinal teas; specific food recommendations.

      2) harm the patient: incorrect administration of oriental techniques such as acupuncture; designation of plant association; dietary restrictions that may exacerbate the disease.

      These pseudo-medical techniques are favoured by the scientific gaps of medicine in treating diseases, by the gullibility and lack of education of the patients, by poor socio-economic conditions, by insufficient mastery of the field of alternative medicine (homeopathy, bioenergetic treatment, acupuncture), quackery. They are all dangerous insofar they prevent patients from resorting to medical services; they can also determine patients to abandon medical treatment or induce an addiction to "healer" and, as a result, distrust in the scientific medical act.

      Perhaps more than ever, in order to overcome these shortcomings and the consequences it generates, the cooperation between doctors and priests is crucial.