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The final outcome will be as it is meant to be
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Published: October 17, 2008
Based on responses to my last article and numerous conversations in the office, I need to take this opportunity to take a fresh look at a Biblical world view of life and death. This is apparent from the many people I encounter who do not understand why screening for and treating various diseases is not recommended. After all it would seem obvious that anytime a disease was found and corrected, the result would be favorable for the individual in whom it was found. Though this assumption is not true in many cases, it is often used to exploit and profit from our lack of knowledge.
A Biblical world view will help protect us from three misconceptions that leave us vulnerable to this aspect of the health-care industry.
One misconception is that the medical industry will save us from death. Starting with the end in mind is the key to understanding why certain screenings and treatments are ineffective and not recommended.
Psalm 90:10 reads, "As for the days of our life, they contain 70 years, or if due to strength, 80 years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away" (NASB). This passage is referring to life expectancy. Despite the alleged medical advances and ingenuities of man, our life expectancy is still 70 to 80 years, a reality as true today as it was more than 2,000 years ago when it was written. Therefore, the benefits of health screenings, diagnostic tests and treatment recommendations should be weighed against their effect or lack thereof on the inevitable.
If medical interventions only protect us from one cause of our demise only to leave us to suffer from another cause and die at the same age, the outcome is the same and the recommendation for that intervention must be questioned. This is why many health screenings are not recommended or have fallen by the wayside.
Another misconception is that spending more money on health care will save us. A recent article in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) highlights this misconception. The authors point out that even though America spends much more than other developed countries around the globe, our outcomes are the same or worse than countries who spend less than a third per capita on health care. These outcomes include life expectancy, infant mortality, cancer rates, etc. (The Perfect Storm, Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD, and Victor R. Fuchs, PhD, Vol 299, No. 23, p. 2789f.)
It seems that the only result of spending our hard-earned money on health care in America is that hospitals can build bigger and more beautiful buildings in which we can feel comfortable as we face the inevitable.
Another misconception is that "God gave us all those smart doctors." I hear this all the time and wonder why God would give us so many smart doctors, most of whom give no allegiance to God or even acknowledgement that God exists. It reminds me of Psalm 20:7, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God." (KJB)
I imagine that people who lived in the time this was written might have reasoned that God gave them all those smart chariot makers, so why not trust in them.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:27 asks, "Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?" (NASB)
By trusting Him, we do not have to fear the inevitable and we can be free from being exploited by the health-care industry.
Kerry Byrd, MD, of Valdese Family Practice may be reached at BCBC@directus.net.
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