I just drugged myself

Definitely appreciate the replies here, and thank you.

I forget who told me to get Barry to feed the horses and such, but I need to explain that Barry has been jammed getting an article ready, answering some very important emails, preparing lectures for the astronomy class he is teaching, and getting enough sleep (he is a porphyriac -- go look it up...LOL).

He helps out a great deal around the house, changing Chris, and doing many things I still find difficult with my hand still healing from carpal tunnel surgery.

We are calling this 'zoo week' simply because it is jammed start to finish. Life is not normally like this for us, but once in awhile things get crazy. I know we are the only people like this in the whole world....:laugh:

I had some time here because this is when I sit down and grab a quick cup of tea, a bit of toast, or whatever. My V8 is sitting here waiting for me as I type....

Now, about the thread. There is something that needs to be said to bring some of this about medicines into balance. There was an excellent book that came out this year by Dr. John Sanford, entitled Genetic Entropy and the Mystery of the Genome. I HIGHLY recommend it.

He had something to say near the beginning that caught my eye, though, and which has something to do with this discussion:

The subject of mutation in the human genome should be approached with sensitivity, because people matter -- and people are hurt by mutation. The number of families affected by birth defects is tragically high -- so this is not just a matter of "statistics". Genetic disease, in its broadest sense, is catastrophic. If we include all genetic predispositions to all pathologies, we must conclude that we are all highly "mutant". Furthermore, nearly every family is impacted by the tragedy of cancer -- which is fundamentally the result of mutatons within our body cells. Indeed, growing evidence indicates that aging itself is due to the accumulation of mutations within our body cells. Mutations are the source of immeasurable heartache -- in fact they are inexorably killing each one of us. So mutations are more than just an academic concern!
...Nearly all health policies are aimed at reducing or minimizing mutation.
p. 17

...we are all highly 'mutant.'

In her post, Sue triggered this memory of what Sanford had written. So I want to take back a bit about what I said regarding the medications. I still disagree highly with so much medication for kids to 'control' their quite normal restless behavior in most cases, but I do see where the collection of mutations through time of the human race can have caused alterations in the 'natural' chemical balance in a number of people, and that medications can, indeed, help with this and restore life to a more functioning affair.

Marcia also had an excellent point about the use of the biblical word indicating the use of drugs for altered states of consciousness. Thank you.

So let me push the envelope here a little -- was keeping myself awake yesterday by chemical means (albeit it takes so LITTLE for me!), a type of alteration of consciousness?

Yes, I was doing it for love, so Barry could sleep and get ready for the evening. I was also doing it for what I saw as necessity, for we dare not leave Chris alone and both of us nap together!

We got through the day fine, and I was awake when Barry came home, and we did get the lectures done this morning just fine. Barry is down for a nap again now, and so I will work in the yard and clean up the house for Bible study tonight. It does not matter if I am tired. This is not a choice issue. Bible study here tonight, the work has to be done.

So, although I know the consensus is, and I agree, that the tea and such are just fine to see me through but, again, where do we draw the line? Where does the Bible draw the line, or does it?

The key point being..."or does it?"

My feelings here, right now, are that it is up to each of us individually to listen to the direction of the Holy Spirit in our lives and live accordingly. Thus, what is appropriate for one person's body would be counterindicated for another, partly due to the fact that we are all, as Sanford said, 'mutants.' Only the Holy Spirit would know who reacts which way to what. So this business of judging one another regarding anything taken into the body, short of an hallucinogenic drug, might be on the wrong track altogether?

 

LOL...TOTALLY different Sanfords! From the front of the book:

Dr. John Sanford has been a Cornell University Professor for more than 25 years (being semi-retired since 1998). He received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in the area of plant breeding and plant genetics. While a professor at Cornell he trained graduate students and conducted genetic research at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY. During this time John bred new crop varieties using conventional breeding, an became heavily involved in the newly emerging field of plant genetic engineering. While at Cornell, John published over 70 scientific publications, and was granted over 25 patents. His most significant scientific contributions involved three inventions -- the biolistic ("gene gun") process, pathogen-derived resistance, and genetic immunization. Most of the transgenic crops grown in the world today were genetically engineered using the gene gun technology developed by John and his collaborators. John also started two successful biotech businesses deriving from his research -- Biolistics, INc. and Sanford Scientific, Inc. John still holds a position at Cornell (Courtesy Associate Professor), but has largely retired from Cornell and has started a small non-profit organization -- Feed My Sheep Foundation.

John is a young earth creationist Christian and his knowledge of genetics is impeccable. We do carry, as a race/population, something called a 'genetic load' which is an accumulation of mutations within the human gene pool. It is for this reason we are not to marry close relatives -- most of these mutations are recessive and only expressed when both parents have them -- far more likely when the parents are close relatives. You will notice, though, that incest was not even defined, let alone forbidden, before Moses' time. Abram married his half-sister and sent his servant to find a bride for Isaac from the family group.

Yes, we are indeed all mutants of one sort or another. John knows what he is talking about. By the way, he is married to a Helen!

 

No, it's not too much of a hijack. It is no hijack at all. It is exactly what I wanted this thread to be for. Thanks.

 

Dr. John Sanford, Cornell University Professor, is associated with ICR in Santee! There is NOTHING new age about him! He was not a Christian in the earlier years, but he most certainly is now.

Where do you get off with all your judgments?

Here he is:

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/hort/faculty/sanford/

http://www.uncommondescent.com/index.php/archives/1173

He cannot help it if the Raelians have designated him some kind of honorary priest. He is not associated with them at all!

Here is who he is working with:

http://www.msstate.edu/org/sacs/gmw/gmw06.pdf#search=%22%22John%20Sanford%22%20ICR%22

I have heard the man talk. I know a number of the people he has worked with. He is a born-again, young earth creationist Christian.

Now get off your high horse and do a little real research instead of your knee-jerk reactions.