Can Christians Use Homeopathy?

Homeopathy and Your Faith

Homeopathy remains a misunderstood topic in modern discourse, with rampant misinformation on the internet contributing to widespread misconceptions. In this article, I aim to provide a clear understanding of homeopathy, especially for Christians, facilitating informed decision-making in matters of health and well-being.

First and foremost, I don’t believe that anyone, especially a Christian, should ever violate their conscience. It is our guide to avoiding sin. However, it is important to be accurately informed to make rational decisions.

What is homeopathy?

Distinguishing homeopathy from home remedies, herbal treatments, essential oils, and other “natural” modalities is crucial. Also contrary to common misconceptions, homeopathy is not aligned with new-age healing modalities like chakras, energy fields, reiki, magic, shamanism, ayurveda, astrology, etc. That’s not to say that some haven’t tried to intertwine the modalities. But fundamentally, homeopathy stands alone. It is a non-religious, FDA-regulated system of natural medicine rooted in unbiased observations of natural laws.

Homeopathy’s Foundations

Founded by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann in the late 1700s, homeopathy is a complete system of natural medicine designed to bring about a rapid and gentle cure. Hahnemann, a Christian, physician, and scholar, was driven by dissatisfaction with the harmful medical practices of the time. He sought to create a healing system that stood alone from other modalities.

Today, homeopathy is the second-most widely used system of medicine in the world – second only to Chinese medicine, with an over 200-year track record for being safe, gentle, and effective.[1]

The Scientific Basis

Homeopathic medicines are created through a very specific series of dilutions and “succussions” (aggressive agitation), which imprint the properties of the substance onto the water it is dissolved in. Water has a unique ability to “remember” the electric charge of substances. Dr. Luc Montagnier proved that water can “hold memories”.  Dr. Montagnier uncovered that water can contain the energy signals of previous inhabitants. For example, sound is energy in waves. Dr. Montagnier was able to find the frequency of DNA and create a sound recording of it, therefore DNA must be made of energy. Water can retain and transfer that energy.[2] For more information on the incredible properties of water, check out other research done by Dr. Jacques Benveniste, and more recently, Dr. Masaru Emoto.

One of the biggest criticisms of homeopathy is that “There is nothing [materially] of the original substance left in the final medicine, so it cannot possibly be anything more than a placebo effect.”  When Hahnemann developed homeopathy, he was less concerned with “why” it worked and instead gave credit to “The Lord of life,” and “God the sustainer of humanity.” [3] Western medicine has been asking questions only related to what can be observed by man through a microscope. Despite criticisms asserting the absence of the original substance, recent research, aligning with post-modern quantum physics, reveals nanostructures in homeopathic medicines. Twelve independent research laboratories worldwide have contributed to this growing body of evidence. [4],[5],[6],[7]

Clinical Validity

With over 1,137 clinical trials supporting its efficacy,[8] a leading Swedish medical researcher remarked, “To conclude that homeopathy lacks clinical effect, more than 90% of the available clinical trials had to be disregarded. Alternatively, flawed statistical methods had to be applied.”[9] Further, homeopathy has been observed to be effective on infants, animals, plants, and unconscious individuals – completely disproving the “placebo” theory, since it can’t be a placebo if the patient is unaware of the treatment. Clinical trials in dairy cows show a significant reduction in the incidence of bovine mastitis, decreasing incidence from 47.5% to 2.5% in one study,[10] and from 42.8% to 7.1% in another. [11] Homeopathic treatment in either pregnant sows,[12]or growth-retarded piglets[13] demonstrates that homeopathy can act as a potent growth promoter in farm-raised swine.

Preparation Techniques

Dispelling uninformed notions of “magic water” and ritualistic practices,[14] homeopathic medicines are manufactured in sterile laboratories under FDA supervision. Strict adherence to the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States (HPUS) ensures safety and consistency. The production process is transparent and outlined by most homeopathic pharmacies on their websites. There is no secrecy, chanting, or casting of spells. It is a scientific, reproducible production of potent medicines.

Biblical Perspectives

Examining scripture, we find that the origin of disease traces back to the original sin. Mortality and physical suffering began at that time. (Genesis 3:14-19) We suffer so that the works of God might be displayed in us. (John 9:1-3). The Bible acknowledges the use of natural substances for healing (1 Timothy 5:23, Ezekiel 47:12, Isaiah 1:6, Isaiah 38:21, Jeremiah 51:8, Luke 10:34, 2 Kings 20:7). Homeopathy, as a safe and effective complementary healing modality, aligns with these principles.

Conclusion

There are many topics that we face daily that are not specifically addressed in scripture. In navigating the intersection of faith and health, born-again Christians should exercise discernment guided by the Holy Spirit. While some view medicine as a gift from God, others rely solely on divine healing. With its proven track record and alignment with biblical principles, homeopathy emerges as a viable option for Christians seeking complementary healing modalities.

[1] Dantas F, Rampes H (2000). Do homeopathic medicines provoke adverse effects? A systematic review. Br Homeopath J. 89:S35-38.

[2] Montagnier L, Aïssa J, Ferris S, Montagnier JL, Lavallée C. Electromagnetic signals are produced by aqueous nanostructures derived from bacterial DNA sequences. Interdiscip Sci. 2009 Jun;1(2):81-90. doi: 10.1007/s12539-009-0036-7. Epub 2009 Mar 4. PMID: 20640822.

[3] O’Reilly WB (1996). Organon of the Medical Art by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann: p. 69 footnote 12, p. 71 footnote 17b.

[4] Bhattacharyya SS, Mandal SK, Biswas R, Paul S, Pathak S, Boujedaini N, Belon P, Khuda-Bukhsh AR: In vitro studies demonstrate anticancer activity of an alkaloid of the plant Gelsemium sempervirens. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2008, 233(12):1591-1601.

[5] Chikramane PS, Suresh AK, Bellare JR, Kane SG: Extreme homeopathic dilutions retain starting materials: A nanoparticulate perspective. Homeopathy 2010, 99(4):231-242.

[6] Upadhyay RP, Nayak C: Homeopathy emerging as nanomedicine. International Journal of High Dilution Research 2011, 10(37):299-310. 

[7] Ives JA, Moffett JR, Arun P, Lam D, Todorov TI, Brothers AB, Anick DJ, Centeno J, Namboodiri MA, Jonas WB: Enzyme stabilization by glass-derived silicates in glass exposed aqueous solutions. Homeopathy 2010, 99(1):15-24. 

[8] http://archiv.carstens-stiftung.de/core-hom/login.php

[9] Hahn RG. Homeopathy: Meta-Analyses of Pooled Clinical Data. Forsch Komplementmed 2013; 20:376-381.

[10] Day C. Nosodes for Prevention. Int J Veterinary Homeopathy; 105).

[11] Searcy R, Guajardo G. Papers on homeopathic research. Amer Holistic Veterinary Med Associate Conference 1994.

[12] Guajardo-Bemal G. et al. Growth promoting effect of Sulphur 201c in pigs. Br Homeopathic J- 85:15-21. https://tinyurl.com/yb2eoj8d

[13] Briones F. Effect of Barium carb, etc. on the weight of pigs with retarded growth. Int J Veterinary Homeopathy; 4(2), Br Homeopathic J2002; 89(2).

[14] https://www.gotquestions.org/homeopathic-Christian.html