Would the use of anesthesia be wrong?
Question:
I'm a Christian in Australia and currently work as a doctor training to learn anesthesia.
Traditionally I've thought medicine was a great career choice to help people, including anesthesia/surgery when indicated.
Though recently have become a bit undecided based on it being little spoken about it in the bible, and sometimes negatively in regards to sorcery "pharmakeia"- though it seems this was considered wrong because drugs/medicine were to conjure evil/dark forces rather than trust in God. And it seems using drugs/medicine for healing was not wrong in itself (1 Timothy 5:23).
Thanks for your lesson "Sorcery."
Your question, "Who is in control, us or the medication?" is interesting, I guess from a point of view of submitting to anesthetic with the intention to help in physical health- then we are in control, but from another point of view when you are anesthetized you are not in control of what specifically happens.
May I ask, is anesthesia okay like Timothy drinking wine for his stomach, or would God consider it sorcery? I cannot find any scriptures which have helped me fully define it either way yet.
Answer:
I believe you'll find your questions answered in Should a Christian use medicinal drugs that may affect the mind?
In regards to what the Bible says about the medical field, here is a collection of verses that I have made:
Medicinal Products
Physicians, Healers, and Doctors
Anesthesia is necessary for surgery and recovery from wounds. The usage is temporary. It could be misused, which the misuse would be condemned, but the proper use of these drugs is not condemned. In regards to control, there are people whose lives are controlled by drugs. They live to get another high. It dominates their thoughts and controls their choices. I wasn't talking about being temporarily medicated.
