When the Homily is about Immunology

The Alternative Fix

Saw THIS program on PBS's Frontline last night and found it quite intriguing. One point which particulalry stuck out to me was the fact that many hospitals and medical centers are now instituting and offering to their patients "alternative" therapies. Those officials from such centers who consented to be interviewed were more than ready to admit that they were doing so in order to fully serve their customers patients, who are more and more often seeking alternative forms of medicine. It did not matter what science has to say about such treatments, the demand is present and thus business and marketing drives the decision making.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not against "alternative" medicine per se. But here we see reputable scientific medical directors deciding to provide questionable therapies simply because they want the money of those people who are seeking such services in greater and greater numbers.

What lessons might we learn about church from this? Is there any relation between this sort of thing and "seeker friendly" churches? I think so. Many saints have compared the Church to a hospital, and I think diving headlong into unknown and untested therapies (simply because the demand is present) is quite simply bad medicine and bad religion. Besides, we have a diagnosis and a course of treatment for the disease already laid out for us, and there are no shortcuts.

Take your medicine!