Discussion Board Post – Week 5: Medicine
Hengeveld, N. (1993) Bible Gateway. New Gospel Communication Network. Retrieved from:
https://www.biblegateway.com/
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Should we use prayer, prescriptions, or pastoral care, or should we use all three?
Depending on your linage you may have been raised to treat illness with medications, reaching out to the elders of
the church or praying to your Heavenly Father for healing. I believe that all 3 elements have their own lane in the world of
Medicine however, 2 out of the 3 go hand in hand and that’s prayer and pastoral care. The difference between
prescriptions, prayer, and pastoral care is that prescriptions aid in easing the symptoms of an illness temporarily versus
when we P.U.S.H (Pray Until Something Happens) then the healing power of God will bring permanent healing to our bodies
and pastoral care can provide the spiritual guidance that may be needed when someone is faced with challenging health
concerns. In the word of God there are several parables that speak about our Lord and Savior healing the sick and raising
the dead such as the Healing of (2) Blind Men (Matthew 9:27-31), Healing a Deaf Man (Mark 7:31-37), Healing of 10 Lepers
(Luke 17:11-19), and raising of Lazarus (John 11: 1-44). There are also scriptures that speak to medicinal treatment as well
in Isaiah 38:21 it says, “Isaiah has said, prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”1 With all
healing being orchestrated by God its clear to see in Isaiah 38 the use of poultice reveals that God allows the use of medical
procedures at times as a means of delivering the healing He provides. I feel this is confirmation
that it’s possible to be healed by God through the use of sound medical practice.
I don’t find anything wrong with the use of prescriptions to treat illness especially when you’re dealing with
chronic pain associated with cancer and other serious medical illnesses.2 There are many types of chronic pains that are
treated using prescription drugs and the number one group of prescriptions that are used to treat pain on a wide spectrum
are opiates.2 Due to the rise of the opiate’s epidemic, there has been a lot of controversy over the years regarding this class
of prescriptions however, we can’t allow one class of drugs to tarnish the success of other prescriptions that have
benefited the world of medicine. There have been several different prescriptions that have saved many lives such a
Penicillin used to cure infections, Aspirin which is used to relieve headaches, ease muscle pain and reduce the risk of
death from a heart attack., Lipitor which has a significant effect in reducing heart disease and decreasing bad cholesterol,
Insulin which has saved the lives of those that are diabetics, HN-2 / Mechlorethamine is used in chemotherapy drugs to
fight issues such as lung disease, Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.3 Like any prescription medication
there are the daunting side effects that come with these drugs however, these medications along with several others have
been life changing. The use of prescriptions, prayer, and pastoral care have collectively been beneficial in the world of
medicine in their own right. I personally believe prayer conquers all, so even in those situations where medicinal
treatment is needed prayer has stay at the forefront and we have to lean to God’s for understanding and not our own.
References:
Rosenblum, A., Marsch, L. A., Joseph, H., & Portenoy, R. K. (2008). Opioids and the treatment of chronic pain:
controversies, current status, and future directions. Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, 16(5), 405–
416. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013628
Moore, C. (2016). 10 Wonder drugs that changed our lives forever. CNBC Personalized Medicine. Retrieved from:
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/28/10-wonder-drugs-that-changed-our-lives-forever.html
Do we want Socialize Medicine?
Socialized medicine is a controversary topic simply because some people don’t care for Universal
Healthcare. My biggest concern with Universal Healthcare is the upfront cost that Americans would be
responsible for and there’s the concern of the governments’ hand controlling every aspect of our healthcare. The
ideal of Universal Healthcare seems beneficial in the sense that it would provide healthcare to everyone in need
of it and increase the probability of having a heathier populace and in return it may help to alleviate the
economic costs of the disease-stricken society we are currently living in.1 I believe providing everyone with
affordable healthcare could lead to eliminating the disparities that exist in the inner-city communities and lower
the risk of chronic conditions such as obesity and type II diabetes along with other determinants that lead to
poor health.1 Social Medicine will create the avenue to cultivate and nurture viable preventive health practices
and be more lucrative for the long-term public health and fiscal growth. Outside of having access to healthcare
God also provides us with the medicine we need daily to stay connected to Him and bring healing to our lives
and that is found in Proverbs 17:22 – “A joyful heart is good medicine.”2 Every Child of God has a purpose in
God’s Kingdom so in order to ensure we are able and capable to do the work of God we have to take care of our
mind, body, soul, and emotions so we are able to reach our maximum potential. Healthy habits created by
preventive care help to improve a person’s health especially when they are provided the proper guidance in
eating right, getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water, and remaining physically active. I believe many
people want to live a healthy life, but they lack the access to good healthcare to provide the resources they need
to reach their optimal health. If we move to Socialize Medicine, we have to ensure we are wise with our
decisions because when we lack wisdom in our health that’s when our well-being can fall into despair. In 3 John
1:2 we are reminded, “Beloved I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it
goes well with your soul.”2
References:
1.Ausman J. I. (2018). What happened to USA health care on the way to socialism? Surgical neurology
international, 9, 196. https://doi.org/10.4103/sni.sni_274_18
2.Hengeveld, N. (1993) Bible Gateway. New Gospel Communication Network. Retrieved from:
https://www.biblegateway.com/
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