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Dear Brian,
I recently started receiving acupuncture treatment for Interstitial
Cystitis. I was diagnosed with the condition last August and have
been undergoing treatment with a urologist who is an expert on
IC. I became disenchanted with Western medicine's approach to
this disease (or syndrome). The pain was getting to be too bad,
even with the 4 prescription drugs I take daily. After doing alot
of my own research, I came across information on Traditional Chinese
Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture.
I'm a devout Catholic, and though I was intrigued by TCM and
really thought it might be of help to me, I was uncertain as to
whether a Christian should be involved with it. I asked a priest
in my parish, who said that the Church would not have a problem
with my going for acupuncture. He said that if it helped me, I
should go for it. I would have much preferred to find a Christian
acupuncturist, but don't know of any in our area. Your website
did not show any listings for Pennsylvania.
I would like to ask you:
- What kinds of questions should I be asking my acupuncturist?
- How can I be protected from any New Age or Taoist philosophies
or practices that she might use?
- How can I share the Gospel with her?
Thanks for your help, and may God continue to bless you and your
work.
-Kathleen Joyce
Langhorne, PA
Kathleen,
There are many diseases for which western medicine falls short.
Is your acupuncturist also giving you Chinese herbs? Hopefully,
yes.
The main point about acupuncture in a Christian context is that
the acupuncture points work regardless of how the acupuncturist
THINKS they work. They may think they're unblocking qi, or
they may think they are stimulating nerve fibers to produce neuromodulate
nociceptive pain fibers.
They may be more or less sophisticated in their understanding
of the accurate translation of Chinese language (e.g. qi is air,
not energy). If they are interested in these things, they should
read The Dao of Chinese Medicine by Donald Kendall. Despite
its title, it is basically a scientific book.
The only ways you could be endangered, to my knowledge, would
be by incorporating new age ideas into your life, or accepting
inaccurate views of Chinese medicine passed on verbally by your
practitioner... if you are worried on a spiritual level, pray
for protection, stay in the Bible, and all the other things we
do to have a good relationship with Christ.
You might ask the acupuncturist if they just needle the points
or if they try to "add" something energetically or spiritually.
In my opinion, the Christian is better off with an acupuncturist
who is medically - not metaphysically - minded.
I would share the gospel with her the same way I would with any
new ager, if that's what she is.
- Pray first that the veil be removed from her eyes and she
see the truth of the gospel, that she be convicted of her sin
and see the need for Jesus's gift of forgiveness, that Godly
people be put in her path, that her heart of stone be replace
with a heart of flesh, etc.
- Then talk to her about her spiritual beliefs. I find it's
best to ask questions- it's very difficult to witness to some
new agers- especially to answer their questions and criticisms
of Christian doctrine- I've made some forays here and feel I
haven't been successful enough because I can't answer all these
concerns to their satisfaction.
- See The Case for Faith, by Lee Strobel. I'm buying a copy
of this book: The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict: Fully
Updated To Answer The Questions Challenging Christians Today
by Josh McDowell, because I saw it in a bookstore once and
was impressed by how complete it was, but I wasn't ready to
read it.
Best I can tell, we pray, we witness, and then we leave the results
up to God. I try to witness with respect for the person, with
compassion, with sensitivity, by listening and earning their respect,
and in the context of a relationship- it's not a hit and run!
All the best,
B
Thanks for your prompt reply, Brian. I agree with you that western
medicine falls short for the treatment of many diseases. I'm curious:
have you ever treated anyone with IC?
My acupuncturist has not yet given me any herbs, but she's researching
the topic. I passed on information to her from Dr. Shi in Philadelphia,
who also has worked with my urologist, Dr. Whitmore.
What you say makes a lot of sense to me. My priest friend told
me something similar: that how the practitioner "thinks"
it works doesn't matter as long as it works. I do believe that
my acupuncturist is approaching this from a medical perspective.
She told me that she'd planned to go to med school, but just couldn't
see herself practicing western medicine, so decided on Chinese
medicine instead.
I'll heed your advice on how to share the gospel with her. I
really do like her; she's a very compassionate person. I think
it's important to get to know someone before trying to share the
gospel with them. I agree that it's got to be in context of a
relationship; not a hot & run. I'll also try to get Josh McDowell's
new book. I loved "More than a Carpenter".
Thanks again!
-Kathleen Joyce
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