How should a Christian view homeopathic medicine?

Answer

Homeopathy is a symptom-based approach to treating illness and disease by administering substances that would produce similar symptoms to those of the disease in a healthy person. The term homeopathy itself means “same suffering”; the concept is that a small amount of the causative agent can help cure the issue or prompt the body to heal itself. It is important to note that homeopathy should not be confused with home remedies or natural treatments like herbal remedies and essential oils therapies.

Homeopathy was developed in the late 18th century and is founded on the belief that the body has the ability to heal itself. Homeopathy involves introducing small doses of a substance that is similar, though not identical, to the cause of the illness. For instance, a homeopathic remedy for hay fever might entail administering a diluted compound to trigger an allergic response—the idea is that by challenging the body with a mild irritant, it will strengthen the immune system to combat the allergy. In essence, live-culture immunization could be viewed as a type of homeopathy where a small amount of a disease is given to a healthy individual with the expectation that the body will produce antibodies to fight that specific disease. Therefore, certain modern medical practices incorporate elements of “homeopathy.” The distinction between immunization and true homeopathy lies in the fact that immunizations are preventive rather than curative, and the active components in immunizations are quantifiable, whereas the “active ingredients” in homeopathic solutions are so highly diluted as to be immeasurable. In fact, homeopathy asserts that “the smaller the dose, the more potent the effect.”

The use of homeotherapeutic “medicines” involves more than just ingesting a weak solution of water and graphite or sulfur (for instance). According to a homeopathy website, preparing a remedy “is not simply a matter of mixing the ingredien

It starts with water.” The mixture must be shaken or pounded in a specific way, or the “medicine” will not be effective. According to the website, “the diluted ingredients become part of the water, leaving the curing effects in the water while removing the physical ingredients.” The theory is that, when the ingredients are removed from the solution, the water somehow “remembers” the properties of the illness and can cure it. Critics of homeopathy are quick to point out that, when the ingredients are removed from the solution, all that is left is the solvent. Any perceived “cure” is due to a placebo effect.

Other areas of concern are that homeopathy often involves examining “energy fields” along acupuncture meridians to diagnose a condition, and homeopathic therapists often prescribe Eastern meditation to strengthen one’s “spiritual core.”

A Christian, that is, a born-again believer, should view medicine as a gift from God. However, there seems to be little medicine in homeopathy. Rather, homeopathy relies on ritualistic preparation techniques and a superstitious faith in what amounts to “magic water.” As believers, our responsibility is not to follow medical fads but to investigate the validity of all claims. Our conclusions must be based on research bolstered by God’s viewpoint and not on humanistic or New Age values.

A wise believer should be wary of anything that sounds “too good to be true,” but that caution applies to every aspect of our lives. We are to be good stewards of what God has given us «Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. », (1 Corinthians 4:2), and that stewardship extends to our bodies and our health. We should be wise in how we treat ourselves and in the ways (and from whom) we seek medical treatment.