For those of all different religions (and non religions), does modern medicine have a place in your practices/life or does it conflict with your beliefs and you refer to use old medicinal practices?
For my family - from Latin America and the West Indies - medicine itself is a big deal. My own family practiced it for some time long before some herbal remedies became popular in the medical world...and there are still others which are amazing. One I ended up learning of in Jamaica during a trip there 2 yrs ago was something called
Lemon Grass .
...(known for
therapeutic properties and altering mood....similar to what incense does since it alters the mood of the body via smell). Currently, it's not grown on a commercial scale in Jamaica...but I so wanted to take some home after seeing it grown on a farm there---and wondering "
Being involved in the Charismatic movement, it was interesting to see what occurred when it began to break out into the West Indian world...and, for that matter, in other places. Asia being one of them. Some have been of the mindset that they can only see these movements exploding as Asian with their religious background are highly superstitious ..and thus, they don't feel the need to trust in medicine.
Though I do not agree with all assessments made about ministries in Asia---be it those against the Charismatic movement or those for it---I wanted to note that I do think the reasons for certain routes being taken in the Asian community are often due to cultural concerns. In example, there are some Southeast Asian cultures that have a deep distrust for many things modern, including modern medicine, doctors and hospitals. They often rely on their herbal and home remedies...as well as those things tied to the supernatural such as witchdoctors, shamans, incantations, prayers to the dead, etc. Of course, Asia in general is very mystical and believing in the Supernatural--as many of my friends/family have noted when going on Mission trips and business endeavors over there-----but often, many of the remedies do work at times.
There was a study awhile back where somebody researched into this a bit, and found that some of the refugees from Southeast Asia were struggling with many health issues because they were not seeking the proper medical attention. This ethnic bias also hindered the new immigrants from getting help from law enforcement, because the refugees often do not trust the police, or the government.
Of course, there is a flip side to this as well---for as many Asian families may be superstitious and not trusting in seeking medical help to address concerns, others are fatalistic.
As one group noted:
Asian Cultures and the Acceptance of Uncertainty
Because human beings display a variety of cultural attitudes about controlling external forces, attitudes about time, destiny and fate can vary dramatically different between people. In US American culture, we struggle with simply accepting things as they are which creates high levels of stress and anxiety in our lives. Our inner urge to be busy is directly related to our need to control lifes uncertainty and feelings of powerlessness toward external forces. We focus on the individual as the locus of control in decision making and put little faith in fate or karma. Many Asian people, by comparison, have a strong belief that uncertainty is inherent in life and each day is taken as it comes. This mindset manifests in health beliefs and behaviors in significant ways. A fatalistic attitude about sickness may make Asian patients/families seem resigned to their situation. Talking in terms of beating a disease will not resonate with those who embrace an attitude of acceptance. US healthcare professionals will benefit from keeping this cultural difference in mind when dealing with Asian patients/families. Acceptance of what life brings does not indicate an unwillingness to cooperate with doctors and treatment, but rather a belief that fighting illness is a negative approach to healing.
Some of this is similar to some families that claim to not believe that God heals by faith and yet in their view of God's Sovereignty, all that does happen was MEANT to happen. Its one of the things that often does not come up in discussion with Charismatic ministries emphasizing faith, to be clear, as many will often focus on how many in the Faith Movement blame the person for having a "lack of faith" if healing/miraculous events do not occur because of their desire to not defame God and wishing to see God as not being the source of what's percieved as "evil". This is interesting seeing how the scriptures often note where God healed others DESPITE faith never being present in many cases. ...and in many ways, when taking responsibility for why an event doesn't result positively, it aids those who are very passionate about defending the concept of GOD's Goodness/God not being the cause of any kind of evil. For them, it keeps them from getting into a mindset of blaming God for things that may be of their own making.......and this is similar to what the Jews had with Retribution Theology.
However, as much as those churches may be in error on some parts, there are just as many instances where Churches will often blame God with the same mindset of not misrepresenting Him. The only difference is that they do so from the angle of not wishing to misrepresent God as being limited in ability or scope of power---and from their viewpoint, saying healing is dependent on faith (as scripture notes in many instances) is saying God is not all powerful/able to handle anything.
Thus, they end up ascribing to the mindset that all events in life are as God wills it....and if someone didn't get healed or they died, it was what God wanted---regardless of what the scripture says about personal responsibility or how God noted many events were never what He desired. In a way, it aids with coping...as its easier to deal with something that doesn't change after you've done all you can when believing that "God gave me this cancer, so I'm going to be thankful for it." Of course, the viewpoint does not stay limited to issues of healing...as it spreads out to other areas as well, such as saying cases of rape and destruction or people growing up in abusive situations was all according to God's plan....and when it comes to the scriptures dealing with issues of God ordaining events, the scriptures will be extended as inclusive of ALL situations.
Culture truly does impact us in radical ways/opens us up to certain venues....
Some of this is similar to things I've seen in Black culture---specifically, West Indian culture when it comes to reliance on herbal remedies and trusting in the supernatural. For many in black culture, I've often noticed how there has often been more of a bent toward trusting in healing by faith/supernatural due to deep mistrust of doctors....just as it is in some Asian cultures.
To be clear, I pray that what I'm saying is not taken as if I'm for the mindset that I only trust in the Supernatural. Concerning the side of the street that I grew up in, I'm of the mindset that God still heals both with medical and supernatural means. I'm also of the mindset that one's faith--seen in their actions---can have a great effect on their physical states.
Nonetheless, I've seen it where cultural norms can cross over/affect certain groups specifically..to the point where certain behavioral patterns will often come up more so than in other places. I've seen this often specifically with Black Men avoiding going to doctors. For many---including those believing in Divine Healing---there's also the reality of going to doctors for examination/getting help being seen as "weakness", expressed in not being smart enough to avoid being taken advantage of when it comes to allowing others to "cure" you rather than you and God....for when it comes to the Medical Profession, one of the things that keeps some black men from seeing doctors are historical distrust of the profession.....and on distrust, there are indeed a myriad of reasons, specifically in events where black men were treated wrongly in things like the Tuskegee medical experiments conducted by the United States Public Health Service (PHS) between 1932 and 1972 on 399 African-American adult male subjects who were diagnosed as having late stage syphilis.
One can go online and look up an article by the name of
Case Study 3: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study and
Research Ethics: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study. . For the experiments were unjustified on moral/ethical grounds----some of them being downright racist and genocidal even if scientific research was done. And as other experiments like it have occurred while simultaneously giving impression that everything in the Medical World is good, it's something to be aware of when it's the case of others going to the opposite extreme of "No Doctors, Only JESUS!!!" by making it seem that all doctors/medical realities are legit. The suspicion and fear generated by the Tuskegee Syphilis Study is more than evident today, as community workers report mistrust of public health institutions within the African American community....
Alpha Thomas of the Dallas Urban League testified before the National Commission on AIDS the following:
So many African American people I work with do not trust hospitals or any of the other community health care service providers because of that Tuskegee Experiment" (National Commission on AIDS, 1990).
I cannot speak for all on the boards--as I can only speak in reference to my culture on this one. But in many Black Churches believing that Prayer is the only means of healing available, it's a battle. And on the issue, I do believe culture makes a difference....as there's a reason why in many churches, especially Black Ones, there's the view that one should look solely to the Lord for healing/distrust the medical profession in general. Some stigmas are passed down generationally.....and how one also feels on the issue is seen in what their experiences are.
Many sicknesses can be avoided if detected early...but they get missed. In example, although prostate cancer is highly treatable if its detected early, theres a huge disparity for African American men...And this disparity does not exist for any other cancer. According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, African American men are 61% more likely to develop prostate cancer compared with Caucasian men and are nearly 2.5 times as likely to die from the disease. African Americans also develop prostate cancer earlier in life, and get a more aggressive form of the disease.
Unfortunately, men in general dont go to a doctor until theyre sick
The issue of Prostate cancer involves the reality of stigmas...& people often feeling ashamed due to what others may think of them. And it's a growing problem---as too many church men were dying of preventable illnesses related to poor health. One church actually had it where the pastor ordered all the men in the church to seek Medical Help..
And some have even go so far as to go to the Barber shops where men are at in order to reach them. For more examples, one can go online and look up a ministry known as
"Project Brotherhood: Bringing Health Care to African-American Men in Barber Shops". . For others to investigate:
