Is it a sin to get medical care?

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CherishNY

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Is it a sin to get medical care? Aren’t we supposed to put all of our faith in Jesus? Isn’t Jesus our healer? When it IS our time, isn’t it because Jesus wants it that way? Aren’t we going against what Jesus wants for us by defying Him by seeking healing through a Dr? Does it say in the Bible that we CAN do this?

Our bodies are Temples and we should keep our bodies healthy by eating right and exercising, I know this. But isn’t it going above Jesus by taking medications and having surgery?

I’ve seen people that take no medications and have no surgeries and rely only on prayer and faith in Jesus because they feel this is what Jesus, our Healer, wants.

What do you think? I’ve included a poll.
 
CherishNY said:
Is it a sin to get medical care? Aren’t we supposed to put all of our faith in Jesus? Isn’t Jesus our healer? When it IS our time, isn’t it because Jesus wants it that way? Aren’t we going against what Jesus wants for us by defying Him by seeking healing through a Dr? Does it say in the Bible that we CAN do this?

Our bodies are Temples and we should keep our bodies healthy by eating right and exercising, I know this. But isn’t it going above Jesus by taking medications and having surgery?

I’ve seen people that take no medications and have no surgeries and rely only on prayer and faith in Jesus because they feel this is what Jesus, our Healer, wants.

What do you think? I’ve included a poll.
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Here’s a good story from a homily I heard a while ago. I may get some points wrong but here’s the most I can share.

A man is dying. He prays that his life is spared. He has such strong faith that he truly believes God will let him live. One day a doctor comes in and asks if the patient wants to try this treatment. The man refuses because he is expecting a miracle. He eventually dies. He goes to heaven and tells God “thanks for everything, but why did you not help me at that time?” God answers “I did, do you not remember that treatment you were asked to try?” The man goes “Oh.”

I bet this story was for another reason, but the point that God can work in any way is true to your question.

Everyone, please argue if I am wrong.
 
fish90 said:
Here’s a good story from a homily I heard a while ago. I may get some points wrong but here’s the most I can share.

A man is dying. He prays that his life is spared. He has such strong faith that he truly believes God will let him live. One day a doctor comes in and asks if the patient wants to try this treatment. The man refuses because he is expecting a miracle. He eventually dies. He goes to heaven and tells God “thanks for everything, but why did you not help me at that time?” God answers “I did, do you not remember that treatment you were asked to try?” The man goes “Oh.”

I bet this story was for another reason, but the point that God can work in any way is true to your question.

Everyone, please argue if I am wrong.
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That’s a very good story…but what if it’s God that gives you the ailments? and it indicates how long you will live? This is something we will never know.
 
I think access to good medical care is a gift from God.

When we’re hungry we go to the grocery store.
When we need money we look for jobs.
When we need air we put our faith in our lungs and breathe.

This doesn’t take away from our faith in God. Why refuse the channels that he has given us to have our needs met?
 
CherishNY said:
That’s a very good story…but what if it’s God that gives you the ailments? and it indicates how long you will live? This is something we will never know.
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I apologize that I have no answer to that question.

God Bless
 
CherishNY said:
Is it a sin to get medical care? Aren’t we supposed to put all of our faith in Jesus? Isn’t Jesus our healer? When it IS our time, isn’t it because Jesus wants it that way? Aren’t we going against what Jesus wants for us by defying Him by seeking healing through a Dr? Does it say in the Bible that we CAN do this?

Our bodies are Temples and we should keep our bodies healthy by eating right and exercising, I know this. But isn’t it going above Jesus by taking medications and having surgery?

I’ve seen people that take no medications and have no surgeries and rely only on prayer and faith in Jesus because they feel this is what Jesus, our Healer, wants.

What do you think? I’ve included a poll.
Click to expand...
I think medicine has a long and valued history in the sight of God.

Medicine is a science that was practised by St. Luke who authored the book of Acts as well as the Gospel of the same name. It seems unlikely that St. Paul would have referred to him as the “most dear physician” if his medical practise was a sin.
Luke, the most dear physician, saluteth you…
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—Col. 4:14
 
I’m beginning to think it is. There is almost always risk involved when given an anaesthetic or a knife goes into your body. Lots of medications that can interfere with one another or with food. Maybe best thing is to let nature take its course. If there is pain or discomfort, I suppose it’s okay to administer some kind of pain relief though.
 
ProVobis said:
I’m beginning to think it is. There is almost always risk involved when given an anaesthetic or a knife goes into your body. Lots of medications that can interfere with one another or with food. Maybe best thing is to let nature take its course. If there is pain or discomfort, I suppose it’s okay to administer some kind of pain relief though.
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If receiving medical care were a sin, then it would say so in the Catechism. It doesn’t. I bet I could find dozens examples of saints who were doctors, and I guarantee the risks of treatment were even higher in their day. Let’s not go binding people’s consciences into encouraging people to believe that a perfectly legitimate profession, medical care, is somehow offensive to God.
 
CherishNY said:
Is it a sin to get medical care? No…Aren’t we supposed to put all of our faith in Jesus? Isn’t Jesus our healer? When it IS our time, isn’t it because Jesus wants it that way? Aren’t we going against what Jesus wants for us by defying Him by seeking healing through a Dr? Does it say in the Bible that we CAN do this?

Our bodies are Temples and we should keep our bodies healthy by eating right and exercising, I know this. But isn’t it going above Jesus by taking medications and having surgery?

I’ve seen people that take no medications and have no surgeries and rely only on prayer and faith in Jesus because they feel this is what Jesus, our Healer, wants.

What do you think? I’ve included a poll.
Click to expand...
We are CATHOLICS, not Christian Scientists. God gives us wisdom and knowledge and educated, trained medical professionals who can treat illnesses and save lives.
CherishNY said:
That’s a very good story…but what if it’s God that gives you the ailments? and it indicates how long you will live? This is something we will never know.
Click to expand...
I do not believe illnesses come from God. Illnesses are part of the fallen state…not from God. If God wants you, no amount of medical intervention will prevent that!!
ProVobis said:
I’m beginning to think it is. There is almost always risk involved when given an anaesthetic or a knife goes into your body. Lots of medications that can interfere with one another or with food. Maybe best thing is to let nature take its course. If there is pain or discomfort, I suppose it’s okay to administer some kind of pain relief though.
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LIVING is a risk! In fact, life is terminal…:D. Be educated and be smart. Research what a medication is. However, refusing medical treatment is not a Catholic doctrine.
 
CherishNY said:
Is it a sin to get medical care? Aren’t we supposed to put all of our faith in Jesus? Isn’t Jesus our healer? When it IS our time, isn’t it because Jesus wants it that way? Aren’t we going against what Jesus wants for us by defying Him by seeking healing through a Dr? Does it say in the Bible that we CAN do this?
.
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by this logic, when we pray the Our Father and ask for our daily bread, because Jesus told us to ask and we shall receive, we sin if we go to work to get money to buy the food and other needs for ourselves and our families. It is reading something into Jesus’ teaching that is not there.
 
CherishNY said:
Is it a sin to get medical care? Aren’t we supposed to put all of our faith in Jesus? Isn’t Jesus our healer? When it IS our time, isn’t it because Jesus wants it that way? Aren’t we going against what Jesus wants for us by defying Him by seeking healing through a Dr? Does it say in the Bible that we CAN do this?

Our bodies are Temples and we should keep our bodies healthy by eating right and exercising, I know this. But isn’t it going above Jesus by taking medications and having surgery?

I’ve seen people that take no medications and have no surgeries and rely only on prayer and faith in Jesus because they feel this is what Jesus, our Healer, wants.

What do you think? I’ve included a poll.
Click to expand...
Do you drive a car (or take public transportation) to get places instead of relying on Jesus to get you there?
 
How many hospitals, hospices, and other health care facilities are CATHOLIC or were started by CATHOLICS?

hundreds upon hundreds!

In fact, nationwide, 12.7% of hospitals are Catholic (624 out of 4897). That is not insignificant!!
MN alone has 16 Catholic hospitals.
IL has 49!
31 in NY!

chausa.org/Pub/MainNav/Newsroom/FastFacts/
 
Catholic90 said:
We are CATHOLICS, not Christian Scientists. God gives us wisdom and knowledge and educated, trained medical professionals who can treat illnesses and save lives.
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God also gave us free will. It is up to us what we do with it. Isn’t it our will that we found out how to cure and treat diseases?
 
CherishNY said:
God also gave us free will. It is up to us what we do with it. Isn’t it our will that we found out how to cure and treat diseases?
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Well, since disease does not come from God, why wouldn’t he want us to find a cure?

God also gave us knowledge, curiousity, and wisdom to discern and learn about diseases, the causes, and the cures and treatments. I think it is pretty amazing, myself!
 
I never thought I’d hear a Catholic ask this question. Not with our history of providing medical care throughout the world. Padre Pio built a hospital. Mother Teresa provided medical care to thousands in Calcutta. She also was treated for a heart condition.
There are hundreds of Catholic hospitals in this country alone. We send teams of medical missionaries all over the globe to provide medical care for the sick. Are we supposed to just let people lie there and die from disease and illness and say “Too bad. You just will have to have faith that God will heal you.” ? Are these men and women of God sinning? Are we leading others to sin by treating their illness instead of just praying that God will heal them?

The Pope just broke his arm. A doctor set it. Was that a sin? Pope JPII was shot in the abdomen–was he supposed to lie there in the street and bleed to death waiting for Jesus to heal him? He also was treated for Parkinson’s disease by a doctor. Was that a sin? Do you think these Popes didn’t have faith? This idea of faith healing and not seeking medical care belongs to Christian Science, not Catholicism. The Church has never taught this. the Church teaches the exact opposite. We believe in miracles, yes, and we believe in praying for God to heal us, but miracles are extraordinary events, not ordinary events. The Church won’t even recognize a healing as a genuine miracle without extensive investigation and testimonies from doctors. That is how highly the Church values physicians and the medical field. It has faith in their opinions.

God works through man, including physicians. He gave us the creative intelligence and abilities we need to survive and learn and take care of ourselves and others, and He expects us to use them. That is His gift to us. Everything comes from Him, but we are expected to learn how to use it. Faith does not mean you expect God to do everything for you.
 
CB_Catholic said:
He gave us the creative intelligence and abilities we need to survive and learn and take care of ourselves and others, and He expects us to use them. That is His gift to us. Everything comes from Him, but we are expected to learn how to use it. Faith does not mean you expect God to do everything for you.
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Very well put! It is like a child…

We, as parents, initially do everything for our child, because as an infant they cannot. However, as they grow, we stop doing everything for them and expect them to put forth some effort and use their intelligence. God is the parent, and we are the children…we must put forth some effort!
 
CherishNY said:
That’s a very good story…but what if it’s God that gives you the ailments? and it indicates how long you will live? This is something we will never know.
Click to expand...
God does not give us ailments. He permits them, but illness is a result of our fallen state. And how long we live is up to Him. We shouldn’t deny ourselves medical care because it “might” be our time to die as result of an illness. That is trying to take matters into our own hands, instead of letting God decide. And that could be sinful.
 
Catholic90 said:
It is a result of our fallen state. God does not create disease, but he allows it.
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So where did it come from, that God allowed it? Some power other than God?

Or, a slightly different take…God has the power to not allow it, but chose to allow it? Isn’t that essentially the same as saying it came from God?
 
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