Thanks Storm:
Anyway, religion doesn't contribute to health. Being healthy and doing healthy things does. This includes low stress and happiness, which religion can and does provide for some people, but it is far from the sole cause of such emotions.
And to summarize my earlier post: Alternative medicines are placebos, at best, and at worst are unsupported with evidence and potentially harmful to those who use them. The minute they are corroborated with empirical evidence, they no longer need the "alternative" tag and can be considered mainstream medicine, without the need to set up an alternative anything.
Thoughts or comments?
Originally posted by Deja~vuNah, the most popular medicine in this world hardly qualifies as "alternative". It's part of conventional medicine now.
Aspirin is made from the White Willow tree. It's an alternative medicine. 🙄
Either way, I disagree with Digi's assessment of alternative medicine being placebos at best. Clearly, at best they are very functioning and useful types of medicine that should and likely will be included in conventional medicine.
What makes no sense is that the argument used by most proponents of intelligent design is that words, thoughts, language and understanding of certain aspects of existence imply the absolute validity of intelligent design, ala a GOD. But such an argument is based upon the understanding of the person arguing and their particular ability to comprehend the meanings and objectives of the designer: which is the perfection of their own existence, which is contrary to the very religious ideas espoused by their own religion. If "intelligent design" is so valid, then that considers the idea that evolution has an ultimate goal, which is a theory proposed only by supporters of intelligent design( read: supporters of creationism who assume rationale) when it comes to the flawed understanding of evolution. So, evolution is an admittance of not knowing what the end result will or could be, while creationism is the presumption of the end result; which is making man more like god. And how old is the idea that if man eats from the tree of knowledge and gains insight, that it will result in the notion of abandonment of the GOD DELUSION? Or morals and justice and freedom and understanding?
Where is the middle ground? Why does there have to be an all-knowing santa god for there to be some measure of existence after this one? Physics prove there is no destruction of energy, but it falls far short of ever even beginning to justify a faith in a god who keeps a list and checks it twice, or feels the need to create himself as a flesh and blood being to understand his own creation? And what's more, why the need to do so within the parameters of so many legends and myths that had permeated every single human culture that had predated it? Was god speaking in terms we could understand, or was it the need for a god delusion; created by men who thought they could use the opportunity to gain some measure of control over others who sought the answers to questions we all have?
As I have said multiple times, men of faith need others to conform as a greedy measure of their own self-justification. One man can feel better about his own religious choices as long as he can get another to agree with him. Basically, all your religions are SHIT.
Originally posted by Deja~vu
Aspirin is made from the White Willow tree. It's an alternative medicine. 🙄
It underwent numerous tests, with repeatable positive results. Thus, it's mainstream and has proven and testable benefits. If "alternative" medicine could boast the same consistent results, it wouldn't have to set itself up as the "feel-good" counter-culture to regular medicine, which they like to portray as self-interested companies and unfeeling governments. Those exist, but the system we have in place is far better in terms of accountability than untested herbs and practices whose sole defense is that it uses vaguely Eastern terminology to mask the fact that it has no real business being in medicine.
Aroma therapy, crystal therapy, acupuncture, use of magnets on the body, homoepathic remedies, herbal supplements (aside from a select few whose affects are actually proven...St. John's Wort is the only one I know of for certain), quantum healing, etc. All bogus placebos, at best, and in the case of some of the more exotic supplements (there are hundreds of variations), potentially harmful.
Originally posted by Devil King
Lulz. Wrong thread bud.
Iron Chariots. . . the idea that God would come to earth, take physical form and sacrifice himself, to himself, as a loophole for laws he created, in order to save us from his wrath . . . is patently absurd.
Any uplifting beliefs can make a difference in ones life. It it in harmoney with ones thinging of what if and, with that strenghtens their own immune systems just with the power of the thought. Thought is in my opinion the best medicine to a persons whole body.
You think, so there you are. You think and it can make it come true.
Originally posted by Deja~vu
Any uplifting beliefs can make a difference in ones life. It it in harmoney with ones thinging of what if and, with that strenghtens their own immune systems just with the power of the thought. Thought is in my opinion the best medicine to a persons whole body.You think, so there you are. You think and it can make it come true.
Thinking can't change physical reality. Like I said, the medicinal effects of a positive outlook are well known, and have direct biological correlates that can aid in health. But that's all it is, and doesn't extend to a mystical mind-over-matter type of link. You don't "think" yourself into better health, regardless of what conviction you believe it with.
I'm all for making your own reality, but only so far as you view it...you can make any situation a positive, happy one. But to take that too far and say your thoughts have power over physical phenomenon is both false and potentially harmful. It's subjective interpretation of reality that our minds have control over, not the actual physical aspect of it. It's almost no better than the religious zealots who think prayer will heal them, except you're internalizing the perceived cause rather than exporting it to an external God.
Your thinking likely isn't destructive or harmful, and so it's relatively harmless and almost cute, but similar sentiments all too often do lead to unfortunate situations because they aren't based in reason.
Originally posted by Deja~vu
Not necessarily true. Even placebos allude to this.
Placebo affects are documented and both causal and biological, as well as small enough to (usually) be a medicinal non-factor. They don't reinforce the claim that we can alter matter (because that's what it is) with our thoughts. I'd love to be proven wrong, I really would. There's a lot of intuitive appeal to what you're saying. But it's just not reasonable without some justification.
Originally posted by DigiMark007no see its like, if you BELIEVE hard enough, you can make ponies appear. we can alter reality with our, ya know, our minds. just let the acid take hold and be freeeee. 😆 😆 😆
Placebo affects are documented and both causal and biological, as well as small enough to (usually) be a medicinal non-factor. They don't reinforce the claim that we can alter matter (because that's what it is) with our thoughts. I'd love to be proven wrong, I really would. There's a lot of intuitive appeal to what you're saying. But it's just not reasonable without some justification.