" 'Physical well-being is an aspect of spiritual growth and salvation,' " says the Reverend Robert V. Thompson (shown above) of the mind-body connection, with special regards to the recent healthcare debate. Many Christians nowadays are turning away from traditional healthcare, and more are embracing less mainstream ways to nurture their bodies, with techniques ranging from yoga to transcendental meditation, and of course, the power of prayer. The latest research techniques are also exploring this intriguing phenomenon of "secular spirituality."
I do agree with Christian Science in its embrace of the "placebo effect" of "a calm mind makes a healthy body," but don't really agree that prayer can directly heal you. In the idea of "mind over matter," it really depends on the power of positive thinking. These beliefs directly affect the implications of a national healthcare system: does everybody have to pay for abortion and general public healthcare, even if they plan to depend on their early-morning yoga?
There's no way to truly measure spirituality in "the power of prayer", so I say yes to public healthcare. There should be options as to whether or not you would pay for some aspects of the plan, but it's rather preposterous to let people depend on pure mind control to heal their physical bodies. Preposterous... and dangerous, especially where children are concerned. I do agree with the last part of this article that quotes Dr. Larry Dossey, who speaks of the importance of uniting spirituality with medicine itself, and how we may infuse techniques with a "compassionate quality that answers to our inner needs as well as the needs of our physical bodies." The key is to unite the two sides, but not merely depend on one or the other. To do so would be a disaster on both sides.
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