I would like to know if acupuncture is evil. Most of the Christians I know say that it should not be used as a treatment. Please tell me if it’s okay because I’m confused! C.G.

Unfortunately, alternative health is one of those places where Christians fall prey to cultural conditioning. I don’t know that there is a perfect health care system in the world. They are all pretty much driven by money. If, however, we were to base our opinions of healthcare systems on their origins and symbols, Western healthcare would have to be condemned by all Christians. After all, their symbol is a serpent on the staff. This symbol came from the belief that people could be put into a pit with serpents crawling on them and they would be miraculously healed.

I have been fortunate to have many wonderful doctors who have kept me alive in times of crisis. But sadly, that is not always the case. The percentage of Western medical professionals that are atheist and antagonistic to any concepts of faith would be staggering if we only knew. All of our Western medical science is driven by the drug companies who only make money by keeping you sick. In ancient China, you only paid your doctor as long as you were well. When you got sick you stopped paying until you made a full recovery!

is acupunture evil?Remember, the Bible says to the pure all things are pure and to the evil all things are evil. So, if something works with the way the body was created, it is impossible for it to be evil. In fact, even that which is true if perverted by the person becomes evil. So the real question we need to ask is not if acupuncture is evil, but does it make me praise God for the way He created my body or does it make me trust something else as more source. The truth is, that can happen with any type of medical practice.

Sadly when it comes to Oriental medicine Christians are very ignorant. The church has always had a propensity to demonize anything that did not come from their prevailing culture. Look at the scientist that were killed and imprisoned for proclaiming that the sun was, in fact, the center of our solar system. Traditional Chinese medicine which includes Herbology, bodywork, and acupuncture is actually a very scientific medicine. However, because the terminology is so archaic, it’s hard for us to sometimes see the scientific basis. Many of our cutting edge breakthroughs in health are actually emerging from this ancient science, but no one will ever admit that!

Maybe a little history will help! The Chinese worshiped the same God as the Jews until about 760 BC. All of their science and all other health practices were handed down from the garden. They understood things about health and science that we are only beginning to understand today. In fact, the Chinese language is the oldest written language outside of the Bible that validates creation exactly as it is taught in the book of Genesis. The Chinese have a character for God that describes him as a triune being that exists as one. They have a character that describes Him as the Almighty God. Their character for temptation is a woman in a garden under a tree with a serpent. There are many more Chinese characters that support the creation story exactly as it is presented in the Bible. The only difference, however, is just the terminology that is used.

Somewhere around 760 BC was the first time an emperor of China introduced pagan worship into their country. The people rebelled and assassinated their emperor. In retaliation, when his son came to power he introduced his own policy into China. It was at this time that the Buddhist came into China and discovered the scientific and medical texts that had existed there for centuries. When they translated these texts they inserted Buddhist thought. The result is that most of the world thinks that this knowledge came from Buddhism. But it didn’t.

The Greek New Testament refers to Jesus as the logos; the Chinese refer to him as the Tao (pronounced Dow). Both of these words mean essentially the same thing: The logic, wisdom, and integrity of God’s spoken, creative words. The Chinese basis of medicine and science says they should observe the Tao, that is, the way man was created. They believe all medicine should be consistent and harmonious with the way man was created and the way his body works. Western medicine, on the other hand, tried to interrupt, manipulate and alter the way man was created. It has little value for our organs or the natural order of health. Because the flawed concept of Darwinism dominates the medical field, there is no consideration for how man was created. After all, if there is no acknowledgment of a Creator, why should we have value for how the body was created? In fact, their only definition of health is the absence of disease! It is easy to see which one is a more biblically consistent approach.

Auricular acupuncture is the most effective treatment of substance abuse in the world. In fact, acupuncture is used by more people in the world than any other form of medical treatment and millions of those people are believers. The only difference is their culture has not ignorantly demonized the practice. At the end of the day, however, don’t violate your conscience. If it is wrong for you don’t do it. But if you’re basing it on the superstitions of ignorant, uninformed dogma, you may want to check it out. If you do, make sure the practitioner is a certified acupuncturist. I would also make sure he or she is a certified herbalist. Herbalists tend to be better acupuncturists! If they start talking some ungodly philosophy, just treat them like you do your western doctor when he or she smirks at prayer… tell them you are not really interested in their philosophies.

At the end of the day, no medical treatment heals the body. It only facilitates healing. Any good doctor or health care provider will acknowledge this. God is our healer in many ways. First and foremost, he created our body to heal. This is why it is so essential that the type of treatment we get must facilitate the body working as it should. Then of course, as we believe the truth about who we are in Christ, we are able to experience Christ the healer in our hearts. The optimal pursuit of healing is one that combines spirit, soul, and body! Deal with your beliefs, your emotions, and do what works with the way your body was created!

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