This is a spin-off from the discussion on caffeine. If a substance otherwise prohibited by the WoW has beneficial medical effects, is it better to use the natural albeit WoW prohibited substance, or a synthesized version that is normally prescribed by modern medicine?
An example might be using tea or coffee, both of which contain theophylline, a drug beneficial in the treatment of breathing disorders such as asthma. Or is it better to take the synthesized version of the same drug, assuming a doctor has been consulted in either case?
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"Look back on our struggle for freedom, trace our present day's strength to its source, and you'll find that man's pathway to glory is strewn with the bones of a horse."
- Anonymous
I don't know what the right answer is, but my gut reaction is that I would rather ingest a substance in its most natural form over a synthetic. However, if there are health risks associated with the natural form (in this case coffee or tea, due to the high temperature), perhaps a synthesized form of theophylline would be preferrable.
If we're talking about a substance or chemical that has been synthesized or purified from it's naturally occuring form that is for a specific medical use under competent medical advise, then maybe it is not a violation of the Word of Wisdom and maybe it is. There really is no difference in a given chemical if it has been man made or nature made. Potency, purity, and mixture with other chemicals and compounds is really the only difference.
But if it is partaking of one of the few items specifically proscribed by adherence to the Word of Wisdom to get the medical benefit of one of the chemicals therein, then I think that is most likely not in keeping with either the letter of the law or the spirit of the law. I don't think there are very many instances of the "medical benefit" chemicals from those items not being available in a seperate form.
I came across a man and his family on my mission who were not active in the church and had no contact with it either. And strange thing was, he had been the former branch president in the area I was serving. There was no longer a branch there. They still believed in the doctrines, for the most part, but he had decided that he should follow his doctors opinion to drink a shot or two of cognac each day "to aide his heart" instead of living in compliance with the WoW and looking to other medications for his heart condition. It sounded like justification to me, and I felt so bad for them all, for they were such a nice family, but the short-sited outlook had affected them all on a long-term basis, and could well end up causing them to fall short of what they could have on an eternal basis. All for a shot or two of cognac a day "for medicinal purposes."
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It seems to me the only thing you've learned is that Caesar is a "salad dressing dude."
I agree there is a very real danger of using "medical reasons" to justify partaking of substances prohibited by the WoW.
One very good argument for the synthesized version, though I, like bok, prefer natural substances whenever possible, is that the synthesized version are very precisely measured. In my example above, there is no guarantee that each and every type and cup of coffee or tea would contain the exact same amount of theophylline. Further, the amount contained in a cup of coffee or tea is waaaaaaaaay short of the amount that would be prescribed by a physician.
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"Look back on our struggle for freedom, trace our present day's strength to its source, and you'll find that man's pathway to glory is strewn with the bones of a horse."
- Anonymous
Well here on the left coast we have legalized medical marijuanna. I don't think that smoking weed for medical reasons is permissable under the WoW or even a good idea even though it is all natural. There are synthesized drugs that can give you the same results without having to toke a reefer (yea, I know all the lingo!).
One of my customers/friends is a farmer whose son happens to cultivate the wacky weed. He went to San Fran and got himself a prescription from a doc for some Mary Jane. Under California law he can now legally possess, grow (like up to five plants), and smoke weed. He grows the weed and then sells it at a nice profit to one of the several clubs that provide it to those who allegedly need it for health reasons. He makes a tidy profit on it. He likes to tell his dad that he is a farmer too just on a smaller scale and with a higher rate of return on each plant. He got busted by the cops once for possession and cultivation. He went into court representing himself and won. Then he asked for his plants back but the cops had already destroyed them so he sued and won money for the value of the fully mature plants at full market price plus a little extra for the hassle and legal costs.
