Every now and then you hear stories in the news about children being given medical treatments by court order. Their parents disapprove of the treatment in question on religious grounds. They feel that God will save their child if it is His will. Man is not meant to interfere.
I beg to differ with that argument.
There is an old joke about a woman in a flood, who sits on her roof praying. A bus for evacuation comes, but she declines the ride, saying that God would save her. A good man in a boat comes along and offers to take her off of her roof. Again, she passes on the offer, saying that God will spare her if He is so willing. Finally, the water is up to her neck and rescue workers in a helicopter try to lift her off of the roof. She turns them away, and drowns. When she gets to the pearly gates, she asks God why she wasn't saved. He simply stares at her and say, "I sent you a bus, a boat and a helicopter. All you had to do was take my hand."
It seems to me that we have to meet faith half way. A Divine creator surely would give somebody here the skills that are needed to help us in our hour of need. By refusing treatment, are these parents not turning away from the will of God? The Universe has gifted doctors and scientist with knowledge and ability for the extension and maintenance of life.
I agree that at present, there are boundaries we are not meant to cross. Life was designed and evolves according to a plan of its own. Tampering with that plan has lead to problems of a high order. One day we may have the knowledge and the maturity as a species to guide the design evolution, but not yet. Today, we would only breed horrors.
The point of my argument still stands. Why would a benign Creator give man the skills and knowledge to improve life, if it were not meant to be used. Satan would not give us the ability to improve life, so that argument doesn't wash. No, I think it is safe to say that medical advancement is the hand that God extends to us, so that we might live to carry out His work.
Opinions?
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I want to print this out and show it to Mr O'Neill - the philosophy teacher at school. I think he'd enjoy it.
You raise a lot of good points. That old saying thing that you added in I've heard many times and all in different ways and it is so true. God acts in many different ways and in many different people.
I don't really think it should be a "medicine vs faith" thing, but instead a "faith vs science" thing. I know they're closely related, dealing with cells and whatnot. But I believe that medicine should be used when we're sick or something is wrong. When we're okay and we use it to prolong the natural life span, like give us a few more years, I think that's too far...
Maybe I'm just not as well versed in the subject as I should be but meh.
p.s. So glad you started updating this blog again...Just in time to go to grandma's and not have internet access Lol!
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