When considering a therapy, we should be interested in whether it really does something useful. The fact that a therapy actually does something is not the only thing to consider. There are things beyond what a therapy can physically do that are important to consider. Some of these ought to be show stoppers (ought to guide us away from involvement).
You may notice, when I consider evidence that demonstrates effectiveness of therapies, that the evidence involves a variety of comparative studies that are really a part of experimental science.… Read the rest
Recently I attended a medical lecture on prenatal diagnostic testing. I was left with the question, “In the provision of this testing, what are we saying about the value of those disabled from birth?
Prenatal diagnostic testing is testing offered to pregnant moms to attempt to determine if their baby may have a condition like Down Syndrome or various other conditions resulting from chromosome and other genetic abnormalities. Earlier and earlier ways to identify these conditions in a pregnancy are looked for, since the primary purpose for this testing is to offer abortion of babies considered “defective” while it is still “safe” to do so.… Read the rest
One of the tenants of the Biblical Christian faith is that God is in control, that nothing happens by chance, that God has our days numbered. God is in control of the day of our death.[1] What effect does this way of thinking have on the approach to palliative care? What effect should it have?
Palliative care refers to the approach to a person who needs care and it is believed that they are approaching the end of their life on this earth.… Read the rest
In my blog posting titled, Alternative Medicine – Placebo Effect, I pointed out that even if a therapy really has not physical way to cause improvement, the therapy, in the hands of a therapist and a patient who believe in what they are doing, will result in reported improvement in one third of people treated. Considering a therapy where this placebo effect is the only basis of helping, is there not something good about using such a therapy? Is it not good enough that people feel better?… Read the rest
Worldview and Ethical Issues from a Biblical Perspective
