The Dixons believe pharmaceuticals are....demonic??

[fluttershies]

Hi y'all. Longtime lurker, first time poster. Not sure if this has been posted before, but with the events with the dear Dixons in Costa Rica, I thought this was maybe relevant.

http://jacquedixon.com/?p=8577

It's not the focus of the article but it gets the message across loud and clear:

the question has come up about the sins that are outright mentioned in the Scriptures, such as witchcraft and the occult (pharmakaia, also drugs)

Uh...really? Pharmakaia meaning something demonic in the New Testament, whoops, 'Renewed Covenant', means that modern medication is occult? Narcotics being bad is somewhat understandable, but all meds?

The Dixons have stated that they do not use painkillers or other medications of any kind...didn't their eldest son have some kind of accident (breaking his leg I think) a while back? Did he seriously not get any painkillers? That together with Jocelyn and Rachel's thinness (and the youngest little girl looking rather....underdeveloped for a preschooler)....I think Jacque is ill. Really ill.

I am relieved that at least Lina is having some pre-natal care with her pregnancy.

[Cran]

I think the keyword is ALSO pharmakaia. This Greek word can refer to poison, pharmaceuticals and drugs alike, only context can tell, so my guess this they were referring to drug (ab)use here.

[debrand]

There are so many moments that have arisen in my life when I am greatful for pain medication. My family has had to have a lot of dental work done. The thought of undergoing a root canal without pain relief gives me unpleasant shivers.

[fluttershies]

http://gleaningtheharvest.com/?p=1693

Pretty sure they do not use meds of any kind. Now, I get that medication is often not great and that there are natural remedies, but something about this together with how tired and thin all the women look...something is fishy. I'm so glad Amanda got out before the move.

[fundifugee]

Why would "natural remedies" not be pharmakaia / drugs?

They can't take morphine or oxycodone but opium is ok?

[fluttershies]

Good point. Is marijuana natural enough for them? Maybe that's why they support Ron Paul :lol:

[Arielkay]

I love this . . .

While this article is not about the dangers of vaccines, it would be wise for you to look at all the evidences that lead to the truth of the danger of vaccines. The fact that most leading vaccine producers will not vaccinate their own children should be a big indicator of their safety.

Once again, I see no sources cited proving that vaccine producers do not vaccinate their own children. I'm sure it's okay to just take their word for it. With all this attention to what to eat or not to eat, did they miss the verse about how if someone wants to eat meat great, and if they don't great, just mind your own business? I mean, are they out there eating locusts and honey? That was recommended in the Bible. And oh so natural!

Morons.

[fluttershies]

I love this . . .

Once again, I see no sources cited proving that vaccine producers do not vaccinate their own children. I'm sure it's okay to just take their word for it. With all this attention to what to eat or not to eat, did they miss the verse about how if someone wants to eat meat great, and if they don't great, just mind your own business? I mean, are they out there eating locusts and honey? That was recommended in the Bible. And oh so natural!

Morons.

You would not believe how much that verse gets ignored when it comes to discussing halal meat in fundie circles.

[rachelmom]

While expounding the benefits of their "natural remedies", the mom also mentioned that one of the kids was sick with the flu for eight (yes eight) weeks!

[fluttershies]

Do they not realise that people DIE from influenza? That it's not just a cold?

[LuLu Bear]

...so....odd.

[fluttershies]

Like...the link between pharmakaia and the modern term pharmaceuticals doesn't mean they're both the same. Sinister is Latin for left-handed, but if you called a person sinister now you'd be calling them a creep or maybe a 50s comic book villain.

[Kelya]

Do they not realise that people DIE from influenza? That it's not just a cold?

and colds can turn into pneumonia, upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, sinusitis, and a whole bunch of other nasty things if not treated properly. And by properly I mean anything from nice warm tea with honey to a honking dose of mucinex, whatever floats your boat! Curing sickness is not bad or demonic!

[apple1]

Or it might not have been influenza at all. What if it was Strep? What if Strep colonized heart valves (rheumatic heart disease)? This could easily cause symptoms to still be there 8 weeks later. How would they know the difference, if they weren't properly diagnosed by a professional? :angry-steamingears:

[fluttershies]

Seriously...home remedies like tea with honey for a sore throat or garlic for treating a cold are very useful, but Jacque's lack of trust in healthcare professionals is scary. I hate these people who think they know more about the human body than someone who spent 7 years+ at med school.

[Wolfie]

Seriously...home remedies like tea with honey for a sore throat or garlic for treating a cold are very useful, but Jacque's lack of trust in healthcare professionals is scary. I hate these people who think they know more about the human body than someone who spent 7 years+ at med school.

This. My doctor recommends warm salt water gargles for throat issues, but it is in combination with meds. Modern and old together are fine, but if you throw out modern knowledge it just isn't that smart.

But what scares me even more are the people who actually went to college to get a real science degree, yet throw it all out in favor of these quack ideas. There was a picture going around on facebook the other day, let me see if I can find it. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100408477419941&set=p.10100408477419941&type=1&ref=nf

[Guest Anonymous]

Not defending these people in anyway......but.....some of the home remedies were used by my great-great grandmother. She she was the town midwife (think very rural backwoods in the middle of nowhere southern U.S.) as was her mother and grandmother before here, and had a knowledge of herbs and plants passed down to her. However, she knew these remedies didn't always work and would send for the doctor when her remedies didn't work. Even I have tried some of her remedies, but only to alleviate symptoms until I could see my doctor for real medicine. No way hell would I solely rely on home remedies to cure anything.

[GeoBQn]

This. My doctor recommends warm salt water gargles for throat issues, but it is in combination with meds. Modern and old together are fine, but if you throw out modern knowledge it just isn't that smart.

But what scares me even more are the people who actually went to college to get a real science degree, yet throw it all out in favor of these quack ideas. There was a picture going around on facebook the other day, let me see if I can find it. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100408477419941&set=p.10100408477419941&type=1&ref=nf

I think home remedies are good for providing comfort, in conjunction with modern medicines. While there might be merit in some home remedies, it needs to be studied and replicated in a lab setting. For example, scientists have discovered that chicken soup really does help cure colds. It has the same protein make-up as a medicine used to treat bronchitis. Echinacea, on the other hand, was found to be no better than a placebo.

Edited to reflect the post below.

[fluttershies]

Homeopathy isn't the same as natural remedies - homeopathy really is true quackery. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy

[FireIsCatching89]

I think these people are confusing SYMPTOMS with DISEASES sometimes. You can be symptom-free, bust still very ill. A lot of these home remedies can relieve a lot of symptoms (hot toddies are the BEST for getting me to sleep when I have bronchitis), but for a lot of things, like infections, really really really need modern medical care.

And the flu? I've had the flu twice, very mild cases both times in my childhood. The minute I complained of chest pains as a second grader, you can bet my mom had my ass at my pediatricians. Flu (and many other serious but treatable conditions) isn't something to fuck around with. These people are going to see something very tragic happen if they're not careful.

Do they belong to that Samaritan Ministries crap? They might be compensating for the fact that they actually cannot afford proper medical care.

[Arielkay]

This is why I hate alarmist media stuff. People that take things as black and white or totally literal - like fundies - only hear the warning. For instance, you can develop antibiotic resistence if you take too many antibiotics. But not if you take antibiotics ONCE for crying out loud! If you take way too much tylenol you can have liver problems. But not if you take TWO for a headache every once in a while! MODERATION people. How can they not get that? Nooo, it's all or nothing.

As others have said, home remedies are great for minor stuff like viruses that can't be treated with other medicine, or in conjunction with modern medicine. But if you believe in God, surely you believe God created medicine, right? He created people with minds they used to invent new medicines as surely as he created that mushroom or whatever. And they don't trust the FDA or the Gov't so they don't trust drugs. But while the FDA is far from perfect, at least they test their stuff. When buying herbal remedies that are not regulated, you are taking your chances.

If something worked for our grandmothers, then great. But keep in mind that they were using all they had. If a drug had been available to cure some of their illnesses, don't you think most of them would have jumped at it? And if they had a chance at an education, they'd be thrilled. But now that education and medical care is available for a majority of people, they turn their noses up at it. Ridiculous. And criminal if we're talking about helpless children.

[fluttershies]

Not sure if they have any insurance in Costa Rica - I'm not sure what the deal is there with healthcare. I know the eldest boy (about 14yo I think) did have to go to ER at one point for a broken arm or something.

And things like garlic are very powerful antibiotics - I know when I've had minor infections (like a small wound being a little infected) garlic has cleared it right up. But you're right, some things do need a trip to the pharmacy/GP/hospital. Do people have GPs in the US? Over here in the UK no one has a paediatrician, the whole family sees the GP for everything and the local health centre nurses for blood tests, smear tests etc. You don't see a specialist like a paediatrician or a gynaecologist unless it's for something requiring more serious treatment.

And yeah, I know plenty of Christian doctors or Christians training to be doctors - male and female - who see medicine as a gift from God, not something to be feared.

[bubbabearzle]

Not defending these people in anyway......but.....some of the home remedies were used by my great-great grandmother. She she was the town midwife (think very rural backwoods in the middle of nowhere southern U.S.) as was her mother and grandmother before here, and had a knowledge of herbs and plants passed down to her. However, she knew these remedies didn't always work and would send for the doctor when her remedies didn't work. Even I have tried some of her remedies, but only to alleviate symptoms until I could see my doctor for real medicine. No way hell would I solely rely on home remedies to cure anything.

My grandmother was a nurse, and we have one of her old textbooks from the 1920's that never fails to "amuse": its recommendation to use kerosene to treat head lice is a typical kind of example. that said, ITA with what you said above....

[Cran]

Kerosene might actually work, though... although oil of any kind would.

[mirele]

Kerosene might actually work, though... although oil of any kind would.

My mom told me once that her grandmother got rid of lice from her hair when she was a girl by using a lice comb and kerosene. The thought makes me shudder. Thankfully, unlike mumps and chicken pox, I was not visited by the lice fairy growing up.