Alternative Therapies

Christian ethics and theology with an Anabaptist perspective
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Hats Off
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Anabaptist Divination and Sourcery

Post by Hats Off »

Is there any room for alternative medical therapies or treatments in Anabaptist living? I am thinking of things like the following:
Braucha
Kinesiology
Homeopathy
Radiesthesia or Radionics
Dowsing, Divining or Water witching utilizing pendulums, rods or any other devices
Iridology
Acupuncture and acupressure
Reflexology
Hypnotherapy
Some people would include chiropractic, yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, Naturopathy and various other non-traditional medical practices. Are these all magic or witchcraft or demonic by nature?
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KingdomBuilder
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Re: Anabaptist Divination and Sourcery

Post by KingdomBuilder »

I was surprised to learn that so many believe that acupuncture is witchcraft.

Maybe I'm wrong, but in not so long-ago times, people were shouting "witchcraft!" at things like magnetism, electricity, and flight. Right?

My point is that just because a practice is unfamiliar, uncommon, or is outside of our Western scientific approaches doesn't throw it immediately into the witchcraft category.
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MaxPC
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Re: Alternative Therapies

Post by MaxPC »

Hats Off, kinesiology in some countries is what Americans call physical therapy and it's a proven medical science. Is that the kinesiology to which you are referring?
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Max (Plain Catholic)
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KingdomBuilder
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Re: Alternative Therapies

Post by KingdomBuilder »

Well it seems people would rather use this thread. I'll paste my response from the duplicate thread.
I was surprised to learn that so many believe that acupuncture is witchcraft.

Maybe I'm wrong, but in not so long-ago times, people were shouting "witchcraft!" at things like magnetism, electricity, and flight. Right?

My point is that just because a practice is unfamiliar, uncommon, or is outside of our Western scientific approaches doesn't throw it immediately into the witchcraft category.
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MaxPC
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Re: Anabaptist Divination and Sourcery

Post by MaxPC »

Acupuncture has certain philosophies attached to it but they are based on anatomy structures that do exist. Some physical therapists and some chiropractors are certified in dry needling (a similar practice) which is helpful in getting extremely "knotted" muscles to relax. Our cousin had this done in physical therapy this year. She was unable to walk for more than ten minutes at a time because of hip musculature that was extremely contracted. In her case they also ran a mild electrical current through the needle and it relaxed the contracted muscles. She's now able to garden for hours at a time without having to sit down. It's a proven medical science.
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Max (Plain Catholic)
Mt 24:35
Proverbs 18:2 A fool does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind.
1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God
Soloist
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Re: Alternative Therapies

Post by Soloist »

some of these are clearly witchcraft in my eyes, others I'm not sure on because I really know very little about them.
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appleman2006
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Re: Alternative Therapies

Post by appleman2006 »

I will not go so far as to say that all of these are witchcraft or even any of them for that matter. But I am an extreme skeptic of most of them. I am especially leery of those that are not governed or licensed by a formally recognized, scientifically backed, body. The possibility for quackery and abuse rise exponentially in those cases IMO.
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JimFoxvog
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Re: Alternative Therapies

Post by JimFoxvog »

I'd think the dowsing fits in the witchcraft category. I don't find it morally wrong to look at alternatives to mainline medicine, although most of us may believe some of these are quackery, or at least erroneous.
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