[Polybius]

It has always been my belief that when the Good Lord created us, he also created that which would heal us ...

The Good Lord promised to create that which would heal your soul .... not your earthly body.

In 1850, before the advent of evidence-based medicine, the average life-span for a newborn infant in the U.S. was 38.3 years. In 1900, at the dawn of evidence-based medicine, it was 48.2 years. By 1940, it was 62.8 years and it is now 75.7 years.

The Good Lord did not love babies born in 2009 any more than He loved babies born in 1850. The only difference is that the intellect and reason of Man, that the Good Lord created, has, through scientific, evidence-based medicine, discovered proven methods to postpone our inevitable deaths.

In our household, it's holistic cures first -- and only if necessary -- conventional medicine second ...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just bear in mind that, if there has been no evidence-based research to back up the alleged curative properties, you might be spending your money on something as effective as a witch doctor waving his rattle at you.

If it has been proved by evidenced-based studies, then it has already passed on into the so-called "conventional medicine".

It is funny how the ever-changing, evidence-based medicine, which can throw out years or decades of previously accepted practice once new scientific research proves it wrong, is labelled "conventional medicine".

The term "conventional medicine" is best applied to those alleged remedies that have been passed down, from generation to generation, for centuries, without ever questioning whether the alleged benefits are proved by controlled experiments.

[mlizzy]

The Good Lord promised to create that which would heal your soul .... not your earthly body.

I will have to run that by Fr. Bill, my brother-in-law. He would agree that the soul is more important to find a healing for (via the Most Holy Eucharist) rather than the earthly body, but he, himself, told me almost a couple decades ago when I could not have been more miserable (without in fact dying), that "Maybe the Lord plans to heal you slowly," and he was referring to my physical health at the time. I think through trees, herbs, vegetables, fruits, etc., God has indeed given us healing ways to live. So I can't really agree with you on that score, however, I'll run it by "the priest.":)

Just bear in mind that, if there has been no evidence-based research to back up the alleged curative properties, you might be spending your money on something as effective as a witch doctor waving his rattle at you.

Last night I had dinner with my 19-year-old daughter (who returned from college for one day) and we actually verbally CONVERSED. It was the first time in well over ten years I was able to have a conversation with her (that wasn't written on paper) because of my severe hearing loss. My daughter's smile and tears in her eyes is all the "evidenced-based research to back up the alleged curative properties" that I need. I had been deemed "incurable" by top-notch ENTs -- I've seen a number of them -- barring an out-and-out miracle, or new pathways in medicine which aren't yet available in my situation. I would love to see the evidenced-based physicians (thanks for the correction) work more closely WITH the holistic doctors, but, unfortunately, that doesn't seem possible.