Is the Bible Against Our Advances in Medicine?

It would be odd these days to have somebody deny medical care, if they have a disease or infection that is treatable but will kill them if it is left unattended. Behind denying medicine are a string of beliefs held behind a variety of religions and sub-religions around the world. 

What does it mean to be a true believer? What does it mean to be a follower of the word of Christ and everything the bible has to offer? Is the bible true word for word as should be followed as such? Whatever the matter is, it is up to the individual to decide what they want to believe or deny in order to feel at terms with themselves.

There are certain religions out there in the world that truly are strong believers in their own religion, so much as a matter of fact that they choose to deny medical assistance of certain types like blood transfusions (as those from Jehovah's Witnesses). For Jehovah's, the holy bible states (within the old testament) that "humans should abstain from blood," this is understood as in being abstain from blood in any way possible; which includes blood transfusions, consumptions or donations. 

Aside from Jehovah's there are a variety of sub-religions who follow a practice known as "faith healing." This belief restricts any type of medical assistance or care of any kind. There have already been cases reported from these religions that have involved death of children within a family, from very treatable diseases. Families simply denied that the hospital or paramedics come help their kids who were choking, stung by a lethal amount of bees, or were obviously experiencing serious severe pains within their bodies.These families believe that God is in control, even when they could take action to save their children’s lives. These religious groups would even consider their child being stricken with disease, or having their lives endangered in some way, as being a “punishment” on them (as parents) for having not gone to church or committed a sin against the bible. These people would believe that this is God punishing the innocent for the mistakes of the sinner.

The issues extend further, to a newer issue that stirs up a great amount of controversy; this issue involves the judgment of a new advancement in medicine, stem cell research. This research involves using adult stem cells (found in skin and bone) or using embryonic stem cells, which are derived from growing embryo after conception (sexual intercourse and thus the beginning of a new life form). This research with embryonic stem cells could be used to form any cell in the human body and be able to reconstruct damaged tissue/ nerves/ organs that has been ravaged by disease. Most Christians however would believe that this research is a form of playing God and a way of killing human life before it is even born. This research is in fact, that of a new age of medicine and in fact only would be using those embryonic cells of those tragically aborted or miscarried. Most Christians believe that the creation of human life begins at conception, so destroying these cells would be wrong, but is it truly wrong to help ourselves as a species?

There are many religions, groups and individuals with personal beliefs in expanding on medicine due to their own beliefs, not because they don't need the help; this is the truth beyond the narrative. Something like this may halt advancements later in life, or even now. Increased understanding and intelligence is essential to human survival and that is how our species has made it this far, but will individual/ group beliefs be the cause of hindering advancements in medicine? Only time will tell.