Saturday, April 3, 2010

Trusting in G-d and Trusting in Modern Medicine: A Duggar Hypocrisy?

This is kind of continuation from the Duggars using iphones--why are they using modern technology if they are such Bible-believing Christians? However, this goes so far beyond iphones that it deserves it's own topic and will go so deep you may need to come up for air.

I was re-watching an episode of M*A*S*H a few days ago and Hawkeye said, "G-d does the work, but the doctor takes the fee." Think about that statement as we go along...

The Duggars say they trust in G-d for the number of their children and don't rely in birth control at all, yet they have no problem relying in medical technology to save their lives. A lot of people see this as a hypocritical statement. A lot of people see them not trusting in G-d to cure Josie. There are several things wrong with this argument.

In the first place, they aren't Christian Scientists--that is they get shots, they go to dentists, they have surgeries, etc. They've never claimed that they didn't believe in doctors, they just don't believe in using birth control.

I would imagine that if any one of you detractors would sit down with any number of trauma surgeons, oncologists, neurosurgeons, neonatologists, thoracic surgeons, and the like, you would find them to be quite spiritual and believing in a higher power--remember the quote above. When my husband had emergency open heart surgery his Muslim surgeon prayed with me, a Jew, not for my husband's recovery, but that G-d would give him the skills he would need to see my husband through--see the difference there?

Now I know I quoted a TV show...and the next line Hawkeye said was, "I'm able to do a lot of things in surgery I'm not really good enough to do" and he was trying to reassure the camp Priest, letting him know that his prayers in the operating room were helpful...but remember this...those writers got their material from ACTUAL DOCTORS, NURSES, AND PERSONNEL from a MASH unit. I don't doubt a conversation like that actually happened. Nor do I doubt that doctors and nurses pray quietly to themselves before they go into surgery everyday.

So let's go back in time even further. You want an example of a sect who's living even further back in time only in the modern age--look at mine. I worship with Chassidic Jews. True Chassidim are worshiping and living as if it were the 1800s, yet they've accepted electricity and telephones and cars. They go to doctors and have their babies in hospitals, only far more modestly than even Michelle Duggar--the husband watches from above the waist! So while they also do not believe in birth control, they still believe in modern medicine.

If you want my honest opinion, I think this is just one more way people who are truly anti-Duggar can complain about them. Truly thought out, no, they aren't being hypocrites. But hey, if you want to argue my points, feel free, I'd love to hear your opinions.

4 comments:

  1. I dont realy consider myself anti-Duggar but see the point. Some commenters go so far as to say if it's G-d will Josie is born maybe it is "His" will if she didnt survive. The doctors are doing everthing they can for little Josie. Bill Gothard isnt trusting of modern medicine so I can see where some may say the Duggars are hypocritical. There have ben several cases where a parent refused to get a kid medical help on religious grounds. The child dies and the parents are sued. But one can also say it can still be 'G-d's" will the child lives even if they try every treatemnt option. It seems unethical to deny someone medical treatment.luke was a doctor in the Bible.

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  2. Christian Scientists are one sect that I know of that doesn't believe in things like having shots, for example, and why I named them. And since the Duggars have been aligned with Baptists in the past, and apparently are still somewhate aligned with the Baptist faith, there would be no reason for them to NOT use modern medicine.

    As for the Gothard thing, I still am not fully convinced that the Duggars are complete followers of his. I think they may respect it and have used some of the principles, but I still don't believe that they are wholly on board with the Gothard way of life.

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  3. "In the first place, they aren't Christian Scientists--that is they get shots, they go to dentists, they have surgeries, etc. They've never claimed that they didn't believe in doctors, they just don't believe in using birth control. "

    YAH what you said ;-)

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  4. The Duggars have change their website some since the early specials. things like blanket traing wre dsiturbing people so they removed it. If you look up their site on archive.org you can see the changes. Bill Gothard doesnt purposefully make himself known to the public. You cant buy his books in a bookstore. It may seem like they arent following Gothard since they never mention him and he has never appeared on the show. Not trying to knock them or anything, but much of their beleifs but many speculate has been watered down by TLC. The Duggars could have loosened up a bit thmselves from being in public. You no longer see the prairie type dresses from the early specials and the girls skirts ahve gotten shorter. If you look up their site in the archives you see the changes on their site.

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