Monday, May 29, 2006

Medicine vs God?

Mr. Buttercup brought up something which I deemed quite interesting.
The thread of thought in which to advocate medicine is to go against God. Now, where have I heard of this before? Oh yeah, Dan Brown's 'Angels and Demons', which I've recently read-Another book burned-.


In it, a couple absolutely refused to allow doctors to treat their sickly and bedridden son, but instead turned solely to the power of faith and prayer. Eventhough the boy begged for treatment, writhing in agony, his parents remained steadfast. Eventually, one doctor couldn't take it anymore and administered treatment, in secret, which saved the boy's life but confined him to a wheelchair for the rest of his days.

The interesting bit was, his parents, dismayed by the fact that he may not ever walk again, took him to their place of religion in hopes that he may be cured but instead received counsel that the lifeless legs were probably the result (or curse) of the lack of faith. Therefore a punishment.
Therein lies the question, would the boy really be miraculously cured and be up and running in time if the good doctor decided not to kay poh , or did he do the right thing in saving the boy regardless of whether he may retain the use of his legs?
Or would he be completely cured if his parents turned to doctors in the very first place?

I would probably accept that these things occur fairly frequent in days of old where anything new and technological is branded blasphemous.
Now, in the century that we live in, in an age where huge plasma TVs make watching football so enjoyable, would you still think that to engage in medicines and Medicine in itself is to go against God? Are our lives so predetermined that out dates of deaths are already written and sealed, never to be changed to a later date? And thus never to try to extend our passports on this earth through the 'miracles' of science?

I should very much like to think that we're living in an enlightened but very paradoxical times. We receive so much of both side of a coin, in terms of Faith-feeling instead of seeing, Science-believing only what one sees, that its no wonder at all that there are so many confused people around. Ah. But ignorance is bliss, no?
No.
To be able to think as we do now is one of the wonders of living. Confused, yes, but right now, we are learning to be.
I believe that to be here, here to absorb lessons, catered specifically for each individual, in itself is something to be awed. If surgery causes someone to pass on permaturely or prolong one's life, do we not call them God's will too?
SO what exactly is that will upon us?
I would love to think that that will, is for us to be who we are, really are, inside. And to learn and live. Short or long, immaterial, what's important is to make it worthwhile, even if to no one else but oneself.
And most importantly, to learn to breathe.


By the way, if you're curious on what happened to the boy in the end, go read the book.

Or you can always ask. =)










3 comments:

A.B. said...

ahah.. what happened?!

Anonymous said...

yo!!! wow.. impressive blog... haha.. hey, it's miss buttercup not mister ok? haha... who's this mystery white boy? nice name. well sim mei,
1st, wat happened to the boy?
2nd, still taking medicine?

amy-da-great said...

to-mystery white boy
heyllo ! and welcome..

to-buttercup
aiite..I'm sorry..it should have been Miss Buttercup, sorry miss buttercup !

to-both
the boy eventually grew up to become one of the greatest minds of science. He made it his lifelong mission to go against religion as he blamed it for his being confined to a wheelchair. Religion became such a source of hatred to him that he eventually was destroyed by it.
Very, very interesting.