Religion vs. Medicine (in need of sources)?

Question

I've decided to tackle the topic for an essay in school, but I'm in great need of educational sources about religions (other than the obvious jehova witnesses, other religions that have issues with medicine) and of course these issues that have gotten media attention.

ANY articles that deal with this would be incredibly helpful! I need as many sources as I can get, and I'm having an ordeal knowing what to look for on Google. So please help !

Answer 1

It would be wrong to suggest that Jehovah's Witnesses oppose medicine; they certainly do NOT.

Jehovah's Witnesses are not anti-medicine or anti-technology, and they do not have superstitious ideas about some immortal "soul" literally encapsulated in blood. Instead, as Christians, the Witnesses seek to obey the very plain language of the bible regarding blood.

As Christians, they are bound by the bible's words in "the Apostolic Decree". Ironically, this decree was the first official decision communicated to the various congregations by the twelve faithful apostles (and a handful of other "older men" which the apostles had chosen to add to the first century Christian governing body in Jerusalem). God and Christ apparently felt (and feel) that respect for blood is quite important.

Here is what the "Apostolic Decree" said, which few self-described Christians obey or even respect:

(Acts 15:20) Write them [the various Christian congregations] to abstain from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.

(Acts 15:28-29) For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favored adding no further burden to you, except these necessary things, 29 to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication. If you carefully keep yourselves from these things, you will prosper.


Quite explicitly, the Apostolic Decree plainly forbids the misuse of blood by Christians (despite the fact that nearly every other provision of former Jewish Mosaic Law was recognized as unnecessary). It seems odd therefore, that literally one Christian religion continues to teach that humans must not use blood for any purpose other than honoring Almighty God.

A better question would ask: How can other self-described Christian religions justify the fact that they don't even care if their adherents drink blood and eat blood products?


Jehovah's Witnesses recognize the repeated bible teaching that blood is specially "owned" by God, and must not be used for any human purpose. Witnesses do not have any superstitious aversion to testing or respectfully handling blood, and Witnesses believe these Scriptures apply to blood and the four primary components which approximate "blood". An individual Jehovah's Witness is likely to accept a targeted treatment for a targeted need, including a treatment which includes a minor fraction derived from plasma, platelets, and/or red/white blood cells.

Sadly, anti-Witness critics ignore two facts.
1. Many MULTIPLES more have died as a result of a blood transfusion than have died from a conscientious decision to pursue other medical treatments.
2. Medical technologies exist to treat literally every illness and injury without resorting to the old-fashioned infusion of whole blood, plasma, platelets, or red/white blood cells.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/hb/index.htm?article=article_07.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/vcnb/article_01.htm

Short Videos
http://watchtower.org/e/vcnb/
http://jw-media.org/edu_videos/vcnb_e.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/vcnr/
http://jw-media.org/edu_videos/vcnr_e.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/vcae/
http://jw-media.org/edu_videos/vcae_e.htm
http://jw-media.org/vnr/2253636331/734353.htm

Answer 2

the only religion i know with a medical and science backround is hinduism

they have hundreds of books but a very known one is called the Vedas
it contains 4 main books
one of them is ayurveda which is the book of natural medicine (medicine and surgery)

it is pretty big
sorry if this is not related to your question
but hinduism has alot to do with medicine if that what you needed

Answer 3

Here is an interestnig story about a court ruling that medicine should win

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2007/02/06/blood-ruling.html

And here is why they do it

http://ajwrble.addr.com/basics/abstain.shtml

Answer 4

Go to www.randi.org