Somewhere between the two extremes of attitude toward health instruction by our ministers there is a happy and safe middle of the road. There is a latitude in this area for a strong and vigorous health education program, which will give strength and support to the endeavors of any gospel worker.
Perhaps it is the prevailing attitude of undue caution in venturing to speak on health matters at all that leads us to a study of this question. We would not, however, forget the fervent and sometimes ill-advised medical lectures by ardent young evangelists, and some not so young, which at times become decidedly embarrassing for the remarkable information divulged. In fact, we are inclined to feel that the attitude of the former grows out of the reaction to the latter.
It is not uncommon for our physicians and some of our ministers, when hearing an evangelist's medical lectures, to utter some unequivocal condemnation of the minister's participation in any form of health education. Obviously, neither of these extreme positions is the consistent stand for our ministerial brethren on these matters. If the Spirit of prophecy is plain on any one point, it is to the effect that the gospel worker has a duty to perform in the matter of teaching healthful living, as a part of his missionary endeavor.
Basic principles of health reform must be taught to people who are converted and look forward to church membership. Our medical men are not often available to function in this capacity. Nor is it necessarily certain that they would be able to perform this duty with much greater effectiveness than the intelligent minister. Our simple health principles should be thoroughly familiar to the evangelical worker, and by proper use of authoritative medical writings, he should be able to give an attractive and intelligent presentation of the essentials of healthful living. Where this is lacking, the evangelist's work is incomplete. It is the least he should expect to do.
Let us note what is to be included in this minimum program. The Bible instructor and evangelist can and should, with the use of proper helps, teach the new converts and church members the harmful effects of tobacco, alcohol, coffee, and tea. The Biblical and scientific reason for abstinence from the use of unclean meats should next be made plain. If the worker is careful to make proper use of the medical writings available on these subjects, properly coordinating such authority with the Spirit of prophecy writings, he will be holding himself quite above question. We realize that the necessary scientific writings on this matter are not always easily available to the minister. To fill this gap in our medical literature, the Medical Department is now sponsoring preparation of brief treatises on the scientific aspects of the effects of these items.
It is in the area of vegetarianism as a whole in relation to the question of healthful living that difficulty arises when we become too dogmatic in our statements. Here again if the minister stays within conservative bounds, he will avoid the pitfalls of the more dogmatic. Vegetarianism, while generally accepted among Adventists, is still popularly regarded as a fad. To avoid undue criticism, the minister, therefore, will find it desirable to present this question in its true light. We have all heard this controversial matter presented in such a manner as to give the impression that to eat a piece of meat was to immediately endanger one with death from cancer or kidney failure. Any such dogmatization on the question lays the speaker open to easy attack and ridicule. There are at the present time no vital statistics to prove the greater life span of the vegetarian over the non-vegetarian. We do not have statistics to show greater freedom from cancer on the part of the vegetarian. We should, therefore, be very cautious of positive statements, the proof for which we cannot produce.
I have heard speakers claim that cancer is practically nonexistent among Hindus who are vegetarians. Vital statistics for those parts of India where records are fairly complete do show a much lower percentage of deaths from cancer than is the case in England or America. But to lay this fact to Hindu vegetarianism is to overlook the fact that life expectancy in India is between twenty-five and thirty years, as against America's sixty-six years. Cancer is largely a disease of mature years. It is also to overlook the fact that diagnosis of disease in America is reasonably accurate in most cases, whereas in India a very high percentage of deaths are merely written off to fevers, when the actual cause may have been tuberculosis, nephritis, pneumonia, cancer, or intestinal obstruction. Much of the criticism of health lectures arises from these too positive and sometimes unfounded statements.
To an audience of Adventist people the writings of the Spirit of prophecy will carry heavy weight, of course. But on what basis can we present to non-Adventists our position in regard to diet ? To the general audience it is safe to show the Biblical teaching as to man's original diet. It is reasonable to point out that proper use of cereals, fruits, nuts, and vegetables provides a fully adequate and very desirable diet; that meat is not essential for the heavy laborer ; that athletes who are trained on a vegetarian diet are in no way inferior to those who use meat. A large percentage of people who use meat would change their eating habits were they to visit the slaughterhouses and see one of the most revolting sights in the entire American economy. The aesthetic side of this question is by no means the least important. To the best of our knowledge thoroughly cooked meat does not carry the recognized diseases, but meat cooked rare might.
I recently visited a young man who was speaking very positively against the use of eggs and dairy products in any form. This we cannot do. We have no commission from the writings of Mrs. White to promote such a stand. There is the statement to the effect that the time might come when disease conditions would make it desirable to discontinue their use. To the best of our knowledge these products are safer today than when this statement was made. Although with a proper use of foods of vegetable origin, including certain soy products, it is possible to provide a diet as good as one which would include eggs and milk, if not better, we are not in a position to advise such a course generally. To do so would certainly lead to malnutrition, particularly among children.
Other areas which ministers should studiously avoid are fads of any sort. So-called dietitians, teaching fruit juice cures for cancer, raw vegetable cure-ails, and others equally absurd, are a dime a dozen. We should studiously steer away from all such. We have seen this stripe of dietitian advising anything from casting off all aluminum cooking utensils as poisonous, to the grape-juice cure for cancer. Never permit confusion of such fads with our rational and simple plan of instruction in healthful living. It is perhaps in this area more than in any other that our men come under criticism.
Exploring the field for features of the health message reasonably open to the minister, in addition to those already mentioned, I could mention the possibility of conducting classes in cooking, in home nursing, and in first aid, and sponsoring lectures on specific medical problems by recognized medical men.
No other work can equal hers [the mother's] in importance.--Misistry of Healing, p. 378.
