To Townsend Letter:

Let's Demand Honesty About Agendas

See also Flat Earth Medicine | "Why haven't I heard of this before?"

 

Submitted prior to September 11, 2001 and that terrorist attack:

Prepared to submit on: March 12, 1997

To: Townsend Letter [subsequently refused, as too blatant an attack on NCAHF]

as update to original: Health Fraud Conference: Of Quacks, Missionaries and Flat Earth Medicine

LET'S DEMAND HONESTY ABOUT AGENDAS

Dear Editor:

I appreciate what the Townsend Letter has become over the years. You have given a voice to people committed to increasing the public's options for health care. Jonathan Colin's article and Dr. Gaby's column point out the dilemma faced by the public and open-minded health care professionals--how do we sort through the hyperbole and true-believer testimonials about alternative devices, theories and therapies? A critical question we also must face at the same time is: Who is opposing the various advances used by health practitioners? I believe what I have to say will affect legislators, health policy makers, judges and juries, and the public.

Over my years in the health care field I have supported careful research of promising discoveries and theories. I have met and listened to some of the pioneers in the field of biological science and health care and am convinced that there is a lot more research and documentation going on than is being acknowledged in the dominant media. Searching for answers I discovered that information desperately needed for decision-making by the public, legislators, health policy makers, and health care practitioners is being manipulated or obscured. To make wise decisions we need to know all the forces involved--hidden agendas can cause disasters for the unsuspecting. I want to uncover a hidden force I found behind the scenes, one I think is dangerous to ignore.

A way to solve other puzzles affecting the public has been to "Follow the Money Trail," and see who financed opposing sides. It is an eye-opener to apply that approach to the health care field. On the surface it is easy to recognize the financial incentives for corporations owning pharmaceuticals, herbals, medical devices, licensure predominance, and decision makers can weigh the self-interest of the different parties involved in issues. But when it comes to the issue of freedom of choice and medical alternatives there are ferocious attacks mounted by "Quack Hunters". These are exemplified by the self-proclaimed NCAHF (a private, not governmental, group that called itself the National Council Against Health Fraud). These perennial crusaders have a perseveration that is mystifying until you discover the origin of their crusade.

The NCAHF was founded by a group including people from Loma Linda and the religious university there (as exposed in the article below). Many of them are on what could be called a religious mission, and their energetic campaign against medical alternatives is driven by this hidden agenda. Public policy makers need to know about this behind-the-scenes fundamentalist religious motivation so that informed decisions can be made based on the interests of all concerned and not just the most vocal and well-orchestrated.

Your transcript of the FSMB meeting on prosecuting the "Fraudulent Medical Practices" of alternative health care practitioners shows the same catch-words and tactics Quack Hunters have used for years. These crusaders are still there, stirring up good-hearted physicians in the AMA to a fever pitch against what they choose to label "fraud". It might help take the sting out of their diatribes if people knew many of the "Quackbusters" believe they are fighting the devil when they oppose alternative health practitioners. They want to send them to hell as deceivers of the public. I am convinced they would rather have someone die (and go to heaven) than to see them benefit from a "healing from the devil" and end up "going to hell." They will stall as long as they can and stifle advancement as much as possible. Even though they are sincere, I believe their agenda would force upon us an impotent, Dark-Ages healthcare system, what I have called "Flat Earth Medicine".

I will declare the public and alternative doctors have gained because of the situation. Hearing about the Quack Hunters, many practitioners of medical alternatives are "cleaning up their acts". They are involving patients more and more in their own care. They are informing patients when a technique is experimental. They are contacting legislators to support patients' freedom of choice in health care. Many are taking training in well-established systems of health care such as acupuncture, Ayurvedic medicine and homeopathy (which, although they have only recently passed a relatively limited number of well-designed scientific tests and do not yet have complete explanations in terms of modern physics and biology, do have long histories of successful relief of illnesses). They are joining in clinical research. They are gathering outcomes-based data on different therapies. They are forming professional associations which address the issue of standards of care.

There is evidence enough for legislators and judges to side with the practitioners who prudently offer most alternative health care techniques. The main problem I see is the diversion of their attention by incessant cries of alarm by those backed by the fundamentalists. Following are some observations about how a religiously sectarian agenda is threatening the future of health care and freedom of choice.

Name withheld by request. Communications will be forwarded. ["Please withhold my name. There have been so many violent acts by religious fundamentalists that I believe this would be safer. They should have to face the public response by the many they torment rather than have an individual to focus on. Many practitioners I know have been fed up with their diabolic meddling and you should get a good response to this information."]

Proposed Web Site:

Health Fraud & Our Future: Of Quacks, Missionaries and Flat Earth Medicine

This is an outline of information I think would be helpful to have someone develop for the Internet, with buttons for access to in-depth sections. I include some sections but it is too extensive to condense for an article in linear printed format.

[C] The Health Fraud Conference: Shock of a "Rigged Debate"

[Q] Quacks = The Deceivers: Who gives the label?

[M] Missionaries: They're so sincere...

[A] Agendas: Get the Deceivers, stifle awareness of alternatives

[H] Hell--The place they want to send the Deceivers

[F] Flat Earth Medicine--The Sad Legacy of the NCAHF

[O] Many other religions and ideologies also destroyed knowledge

[S] Science: The hope that was co-opted by special interests

[D] Diversity: Protection from Mono-Culture's dangers

[R] Room for both science and religion

[B] Bibliography, References, Biographies of Quack Hunters and their kinds of attacks.

Christians permeate the structure of the NIH Office of Alternative Medicine:

I went to one of the meetings scheduled around the country, advertised as a forum for public input and request for alternative healthcare practitioners to help the NIH's new OAM. It was purported to be a meeting on how to give our input to the research. But there were very few pieces of literature, the talks were given quickly with rapid presentation of slides. It seemed they were just going through the motions and were not committed to getting input from alternative practitioners and giving us power to direct the development of the program. In conversations during breaks and in response to a few well-phrased questions by attendees, I discovered that a majority of the staff were Christians, some born-again, or Baptist. This leads me to suspect that they will continue a program using "benign neglect" as one of the tools to try and shut down the information exchange among those of us who are dedicated to researching medical alternatives.

Christians censured Vibrational Medicine Seminar: I helped put on a seminar in 1989, including Jacques Benveniste, M.D., a researcher in France, who described his work with homeopathic preparations affecting white cell immune attack responses. The audio taping was done by what we soon sadly discovered was a christian company, because they refused to duplicate the tape of his talk. Why? Dr. Benveniste had said that he was a scientist and did not let himself be swayed by belief systems. He stated that he worked with what he could see and measure, he did not need God to explain things, he did not need that "crutch". The owner of the taping company declared this was anti-christian and they wouldn't help disseminate his words. I count these fundamentalists as a major force against progress in healthcare.

Christians persecuted food cures for illness: A book from the 1930s by a natural healing doctor recounted the attacks of Christian clergy on a clinic that used diet therapy for disease. These ministers from New York City joined together to run the clinic out of town, because the Bible said that all foods are acceptable. They said that God had made all foods for Man's use, and nothing was to be considered unclean. They would not let the clinic continue with the claims that cutting out certain "bad" foods from the diet would help people heal. If clinics like this had been allowed to flourish, our current practice would have been accepted sooner, and people such as my father would be alive today. I count his death as being caused by these fundamentalists.

Other religions and ideologies also destroyed knowledge: I am not attacking Christianity. Humanity needs protection from closed minds of many kinds. Historically other groups have destroyed progress: Russian communism killed millions by starvation when crops failed because they demanded agriculture reflect communist theory (the Lysenko affair). The "Islamic Galileo" had his work destroyed when (centuries ago) the Calif believed his work dimmed the glory of Allah. The first emperor who united all of China had all books from before his time destroyed so he could be the source of all knowledge and power of the nation. We are currently witnessing the "Double-Blind God of Science" silencing the voices of those whose vision shows pathways of healing that cannot be mapped using the current model of how the world works.

How their fears are killing themselves--and us [a story of Africa]: The NCAHF "quackbuster" movement reminds me of a sad incident I read about--from around the time of Stanley Livingston, a group of British adventurers became lost in the African bush. They wandered for several weeks amid the harsh landscape, wild animals, and furtive heathens, who sometimes came near with magic concoctions and ritual artifacts. Rations gone, delirious, they lay huddled together, their weapons driving away the cunning black pagans. Their log book tells of the ways the enemy tried to tempt them and poison them, and how their faith remained unwavering. Months later, their graves were found by a team of explorers, led there--by the gentle pygmies who had tried so hard to heal their diseases and offer the holiest food they had.

Heresy--Ones who saw the future then gave it to us [a story of spirits that soar]: Dr. Jim Reid, a minister who is also a Touch For Health (kinesiology) practitioner, tells a wonderful story. He answers a book attacking holistic health (The Holistic Healers, written in part by an instructor at the San Diego School of Evangelism): "Dr. Reisser makes one other statement to which I would like to respond. He says 'You will never see muscle testing written up in Scientific American or recognized by the National Institutes of Health.' I would like to respond to Dr. Reisser that yesterday's heresy often becomes tomorrow's orthodoxy. It wasn't too long ago that doctors used to bleed people to 'make them well'. Now they give them blood transfusions. In 1870, at a Methodist College, an educator said that in 50 years men would fly like birds. A Methodist bishop was present with his pregnant wife and 3-year-old son. He said 'Flight is strictly reserved for the angels and I beg you not to repeat that statement lest you be guilty of blasphemy.' That bishop's name was Milton Wright. He took his wife and son, Orville home. His second son Wilbur was born and 33 years later, his sons did what only angels were supposed to do."

Kangaroo Court Ambushes Dentists in Washington state: The words and tactics of the NCAHF were evident once again during hearings in Washington state a few years ago. The Dental Disciplinary board announced public hearings on their choice about suspending the licenses of dentists who removed mercury silver amalgam dental fillings. When around 100 patients, dentists and other health care professionals showed up to testify how people had been helped by removing amalgams, we witnessed a distressing spectacle. At the start of the day it was announced that the pro-amalgam dentists would show a movie supporting their case and then have a half-hour presentation by an expert witness (flown in from out-of-state). We were told that an opposing expert witness would be allowed to speak. But there had been no prior notice we could have an expert witness. There was outrage and quick discussion. I volunteered to speak as an expert witness from the acupuncture community, and was granted double the time given to the dentists and the public (I had a total of 6 minutes). After my talk with illustrations of bioelectrical connections between teeth and internal organs via acupuncture meridians, and many patients talking about relief from things such as facial tics, and an electrical taste in their mouth, and instant recovery from symptoms as if "a light switch had been turned off", many people testified of illness related to their dental work. The board decided to postpone their plans to lift licenses and reschedule for another date. The next meeting also had signs of being planned to maximize discomfort for those who opposed dental mercury, but the entire story of how we in Washington state defended our freedom to choose removal of amalgams is too long for this article. Words from the NCAHF literature attacking "dental quackery" were used freely during the presentations of those who wanted to stop dental freedom of choice. The NCAHF's techniques have caused untold anguish and expense to the citizens of this state, and of our nation. They should be exposed for the vested-interest group they are.

Room enough for all: Fears of alternative approaches are blocking access to precious health care resources. Religious crusaders who condemn methods different from their current beliefs about health and medical care (whether they hold scientific credentials or are trusting parishioners funding a mission to save the world from "deceivers") are closing their minds to other healthcare cultures. What is worse, they are misinforming the public about approaches necessary for the survival of our planet. Their fear of the philosophy of users of a successful therapy should not keep health care practitioners and researchers from studying it. There will be plenty of room for religion in the developing, expanded view of health care.

________________________________________________________________

Rewrite of 1987 article:

The Health Fraud Conference: Of Quacks, Missionaries and Flat Earth Medicine