My alter-ego

It was a while ago that I wrote a web page about why I no longer practiced iridology. I deleted the page to keep the peace with my family, but somehow someone seems to have found it using a net archive like the one I linked to above. He and I have been having an online conversation since Thanksgiving day, and although it will be ending soon it has been an interesting blast into my past. If anyone is in the mood to debate someone in the so-called "alternative medicine" field let me warn you that the type of logic that is used is quite unlike that used in other fields that purport to be driven by science. At the beginning of our discussion I told this new friend that our debate will likely end a draw and that is where it is headed since both of us approach life from very different points of view. The strange thing is that we both have called on Scripture several times in our discussion. It is interesting that the use of Scripture does not preclude one falling into error, but I will not say which one of us is probably in error. That which is a matter of fact to me may very well appear to be a matter of opinion to another.

I will say, however, that it seems to me that a number of Christians in "alternative medicine" are under the opinion that the way of God is the use of "natural" substances to develop health. In other words you will hear many references to "organic" and "natural" and herbal while these same individuals show an aversion to concepts of chemical, processed, or "drug". I know of one man who insists that aspirin is dangerous while white willow bark, from which aspirin is derived, is safe. There isn't really any difference between these two, but this "alternative medicine" practitioner insists that the bark is better because it is "natural". I have been tempted to retort that it is only natural to take the bark then when you accidentally bump into the tree and a piece of bark falls into your mouth, but that would be counter-productive.

It is true that I prefer the flavor of many "organic" vegetables but that is usually because of the fact that they are usually picked more ripe than the "not-organic" vegetables. This whole discussion makes me laugh because if something is not organic than it must be inorganic and a vegetable has carbon atoms so it must be organic. The very label is ludicrous in my mind, but I digress. Unfortunately for the "organic foods" crowd that wants to go back to Eden they always miss one very important point- the foods we have now have been cultivated to be different than they were in the garden of Eden. It is a problem to try to eat "natural" foods in an effort to eat food the way God originally made it because there is not a food that exists as God originally made it. This is true, as I mentioned above, because of ancient to modern cross-breeding, but also because of another Biblical doctrine- the universal corruption of sin.

My current debate with my new-found friend is focusing on this point. I am not going to argue with him here, but simply repeat what I have already stated for those outside our conversation. My new friend insists that God wants us to experience wholeness on earth which will only be attained by eating foods as God gave them to us. You already know my position on this from above, but my friend strongly feels that there is little alternative here. I believe that he would concede that things have changed from the Garden of Eden, but he still believes the principle remains of eating things in their original state. In other words, my new friend preaches consumption of whole grains, raw fruits and vegetables as a large portion of a diet, and the use of herbs instead of drugs when possible. He believes that following these principles along with a few other helps that he provides will allow us to reach wholeness, or in other words, perfect health.

The problem as I see it is that sin has corrupted everything including these whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Certainly a diet high in whole grains and fruits and vegetables is quite desirable. I don't think anyone within conventional medicine debates this, but I also see that sin has hopelessly corrupted life on this earth. Even with all these efforts we will get sick and die someday. The other consideration is that the "natural" herbs that so many like my new friend champion have also suffered the effects of sin. Most of them have poisons that are yet unknown and we are still discovering the toxic effects that lifelong consumption of these substances cause. I told my new friend that his idea of wholeness from God's perfect creation is a nice thought, but not true from Scripture. Of course he thinks I am missing God's point. You might too, but now you know where I stand.