There are few political ideologies that have simultaneously aroused such indignation and fervor as Communism. Communism has been touted with promising “Peace, Bread, & Land” to the underprivileged, bringing all of humanity into a place of equality, prosperity, and Utopian bliss.
Others have viewed Communism as the ultimate evil ideology to enslave and oppress the masses while a tiny elite enjoy unchecked power and an almost god-like status.
Last week, Glenn Beck of Fox News fame did an expose in which he showed that some of President Obama's picks for advisers are Communist. Van Jones, the "Green Czar" charged with creating "green jobs" in our country has admitted to his enthusiasm for Communism.
Jones, a graduate of YaleLawSchool, spent time in an L.A. jail in 1993 after being arrested during the Rodney King riots. About his experience in jail, he reminisced that he "met all these young radical people of color, I mean, really radical -- Communists and anarchists, and it was like, this is what I need to be a part of. . . . By August, I was a Communist."
At least four other advisers to the President openly promote agendas that smack of Communism.
Regardless of Van Jones or any other of Obama's special advisers, I believe that understanding what Communism is, how it comes about, how citizens living in Communism are impacted, and what influence Communist leaders and policies have in our nation today is a MUST for every American citizen.
Let's start at the beginning. So what is Communism, really?
Communism can be defined as “a family of economic and political ideas and social movements related to the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, or stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general, as well.” (Wikipedia -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism) This sounds innocuous enough, but let’s try to break this down into plain English.
You know you are living in a Communist society when:
- Your government abolishes the ownership of private property, including land, homes, businesses, and etc. (and seizes the property by force if need be) in the name of uplifting the poor.
- Similarly, your government seizes control of industry and agriculture stating it is in the best interest of the people, the poor in particular.
- Your government establishes and runs a central banking system, taking this duty away from privately-owned banks, for the good of the people.
- Your government takes control of transportation and communication.
- Your government controls labor, or is in the business of creating jobs.
- Your government engages in centralized regional planning.
- Ideals of equality among the classes, races, and genders are heavily promoted, with measures taken to institutionalize equality through:
o A graduated income tax to redistribute wealth – taking from the rich and giving to the poor.
o Government-controlled, free public education (with a government-approved curriculum).
o Abolition of inheritance.
- Your government implements policies that are hostile toa belief in God and religion.
Here's how I see it: Communism preaches power to the people while bestowing absolute power on the governing elite. This elite is charged with taking care of the people. Whether they do a good job of that or not is the next question to ponder.
(Stay tuned for my next article where I discuss how well the Communist Nations' elite make good on their promises to the masses.)
Let’s now take a look at the Pro's and Cons' of Communism for the average citizen:
PROS –
- Guaranteed a place to live (though in the initial stages, if your home is too uppity it might be confiscated by the State),
- Food to eat (unless you happened to get caught in one of those nasty government-made famines. No food for you!),
- Lots of jobs available,
- Free education,
- Free health care,
- Free abortions,
- Relatively low crime rate on the streets,
- As long as you follow the status quo, don’t rock the boat, and don’t mind the CONS listed below, you can have a quite pleasant existence.
CONS –
- Much lower standard of living than Capitalist nations,
- Grossly curtailed freedoms and civil rights for the masses (ie. Free health care, but no free speech),
- If you disagree with your government and you say or do anything about it, then you may not like the consequences. Tens of millions of people with dissident beliefs (ie. against Communism) have perished (and are still perishing) under Communist regimes at the hands of their government through executions and arrests with atrocious living conditions in concentration camps housing the arrested.
Is Communism to be feared? Should we be alarmed if our current president takes advice from an avowed Communist or two, or is there a place in our government today for people of all political persuasions?
I'll let the facts I just outlined, and those that I will share in subsequent articles, speak for themselves, and you can be the judge!
This morning I got up, turned on my computer, and checked out the headlines on my Yahoo home page. This is a regular occurrence for me – not so much because I am dying to know what is going on in the world, but because I am curious about what is wanted for me to believe about what is going on.
I decided to open this article on up and take a look at what ridiculous “myths” people were believing now. We’ve all seen Sarah Palin and others mocked and ridiculed for their claims that Obama is trying to “pull the plug on grandma” with an Orwellian end-of-life counseling provision purported to be a part of the health care bill.
So I decided to take some time to check out the gargantuan 1,000-page bill itself to see what I could find.
Are all those health care “myth”-believers out there either shameless fear-mongers and/or jealous Republicans grasping at straws seeking defeat Obama in his lofty goals? Or is there some merit to their concerns?
I figured the bill itself would have the undisputed answers – what was truth, what was fiction – on any controversial points, or “myths”.
Thankfully, I was also able to draw upon a document written by some Dr. Stephen Fraser to Senator Bayh of Indiana in which he cites pages and lines that refer to certain contentious elements of the bill, giving me a great head start.
So, here it goes. “Myth” # 1 of this Live Science.com article is that wait times for health care services, such as surgery, will increase. Apparently 67% of respondents believe this will be the case. Why would anyone believe this?
Reality – Maybe because it is self-evident that when demands go up for any given service and the infrastructure to meet those demands stays the same, the service will become more scarce. I’m no guru of economics or economic theory, but this one is a no-brainer even for me!
“Myth” # 2 – Apparently about 80% of Republicans, 25% of Democrats, 56% of Independents (or 50% of respondents) believe the federal government will become directly involved in making personal health care decisions. I’m not sure how this could qualify as a myth, since:
Reality – According to page 30, Section 123 of H.R. 3200, there will be a government committee made up of between 19-27 individuals that decide which treatments and benefits are given for which illnesses. This committee is led by the “Health Choices Commissioner”, who is appointed by the President. Maybe it would be more appropriate to call him the “Health Choices Restrictor”, since the choices he makes will actually restrict the choices available to doctors and patients.
Further, page 42 of H.R. 3200 reaffirms that the Health Choices Commissioner will choose your health care benefits for you in the following delightful and engaging language:
“Sec. 142. Duties and Authority of Commissioner.
(a) DUTIES. – The Commissioner is responsible for carrying out the following functions under this division:
(1) QUALITIFED PLAN STANDARDS. – The establishment of qualified health benefits plan standards under this title, including the enforcement of such standards in coordination with State insurance regulators and the Secretaries of Labor and the Treasury. . . .”
Blah, blah, blah.
O.K. – this next one is big. “Myth” # 3 -- Roughly 60 % of Americans believe taxpayers will be required to pay for abortions on demand (78% of Republicans, 30% of Democrats, 58% of Independents).
Reality – There is no language in the bill that specifically forbids taxpayer funds to be appropriated to abortion. However, there is a piece of legislation called the Hyde Amendment that was passed in 1976 and which prevents Medicaid funds to be used for abortion except in cases of rape or incest. Some argue that the current healthcare bill would be subject to the Hyde amendment, and therefore abortions would not be funded except in extreme cases.
Others argue, however, that without specific language in the actual healthcare bill itself to disallow abortions on the government plan, an overturn of the Hyde amendment by abortion advocates would essentially make abortion-on-demand a state-funded benefit. Besides, the Hyde Amendment is specific to Medicaid and one could argue that it has no legal bearing on H.R. 3200. (See http://www.lifenews.com/nat5247.html)
This next part is what gets me. Another amendment proposed by Rep. Lois Capps of California, who incidentally has a strong pro-abortion voting record, was passed in July 2009 by Congress. This amendment specifies that abortion would be covered in a public option health care plan (using the taxpayers’ funds) should the Hyde amendment ever be reversed. Hmm – looks like someone in power has some plans for widespread government-funded abortion. (See http://www.lifenews.com/nat5306.html)
Here’s another biggie: “Myth” # 4 – 46% believe reforms will result in taxpayer subsidized health care coverage for all illegal immigrants.
The truth is that Medicaid already covers the health care costs for illegal immigrants with conditions that could jeopardize their lives, including the delivery of babies and emergency room care, at great cost to the taxpayers. With all due respect to illegal immigrants, it’s definitely true that expanding full coverage to these individuals would come at an enormous cost to American taxpayers.
Reality -- Page 50 Section 152 in H.R. 3200 has these elucidating words to offer: “All health care and related services (including insurance coverage and public health activities) covered by this Act shall be provided without regard to personal characteristics extraneous to the provision of high quality health care or related services.”
I have to be honest with you here. My 12 years of public schooling plus 8 years studying at an institution of higher learning did not prepare me to decipher such convoluted verbiage as this. If you can figure out what that means, please let me know, because the longer I look at it, the less sense it makes.
What I was able to gather from the bill is that nonresident aliens not having “acceptable coverage” are exempt from paying the 2.5% tax on income required of everyone else who is not suitably insured (Page 170, Lines 1-3), and that “individuals not lawfully present in the United States” are ineligible for affordability credits (Page 143, Section 246).
I looked up the term “affordability credits”, because I wanted to see if having them was equivalent to having health care coverage. I found that this is not the case -- ineligibility for affordability credits in no way equates ineligibility for any other benefits of the government-run health care system, and nothing else is specified about illegal non-resident aliens and health care coverage in the health care bill.
For a more detailed discussion of how illegal immigrants will likely be able to access the government-run health care system with few problems under the system being proposed by Congress, check out this document penned by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR):
Next -- “Myth # 5” – 54% of Americans polled (78% of Republicans, 28% of Democrats, 58% of Independents) believe the public option will increase premiums for Americans with private health insurance.
Reality – This can in no way be considered a myth to be proven or refuted, since it is merely a projection of a possible future outcome rather than a verifiable understanding about what the policy actually says. I did look around to see if I could find a precedent for private premiums either increasing, decreasing, or staying the same when a government system is introduced. I couldn’t find anything. I would be curious to know if such a precedent exists – let me know if you find something on this!
The truth is that an increase in the premiums of private health insurance due to the institution of government-run health care is a possibility at the very least. Check out what this guy has to say on the matter (scroll down about halfway to point number 2.):
“Myth” #6 – Half of all Americans polled think cuts will be made to Medicare in order to cover more Americans (66% of Republicans, 37% of Democrats, 44% of Independents).
Reality – Page 341, lines 5-9 state: “. . . the Secretary may determine not to identify a Medicare Advantage plan if the Secretary has identified deficiencies in the plan’s compliance with rules for such plans under this part.”
I’m not quite sure what that means, but it does appear that there could be some restrictions to senior citizens using Medicare Advantage plans. With this type of plan, senior citizens retain their own private insurance while still utilizing the benefits from Medicare. It is conceivable that such restrictions would, at the very least, lead to fewer health care choices for some senior citizens.
This article would not be complete without looking into the claims that the health care bill would support government-sanctioned euthanasia. The LiveScience.com article reported that only 30% of respondents believe the government will “require the elderly to make decisions about how and when they will die.”
It is interesting to me how much space is dedicated to regulating end-of-life services for senior citizens. For whatever reason, this is clearly an area of health care that the policy-makers want completely spelled out ahead of time.
Conclusions – After spending hours pouring over the health care bill proposed by members of Congress, many things are still unclear to me. One thing, however, is as clear as day – transparency in the specifics of the policies they are proposing is not a top priority for these guys.
Second, the various news stories and reports in the media about the health care reform bill should under no circumstance be taken at face value. Just because someone who writes a widely-circulated article states that something is a “myth” or a “truth” concerning health care reform (or anything else either, really) does not make it so.
Lastly, if you found reading this article to be tedious, you should try reading the health care reform bill!
I've had a lot of thoughts bumping around in my head over the past few days as I've considered what I wanted to write about next for this blog. I wanted it to be related to the topic of healing, which this blog is supposed to be about. But as anyone who has perused this blog can see, I have a hard time staying strictly on topic!
I decided to post this article that I wrote back on February 11, 2009. I was up late one night, thinking about change and what it really entails, how I could change and move forward with some things in my life.
It's funny -- my life has taken some interesting turns since I wrote this. Some of these turns were completely unforeseen by me, some of them have been enlightening and joyous, others have been excruciating. But without fail, I see how all of them have been and are still contributing to one thing in my life. CHANGE!
I've been thinking a lot about change lately.Apparently, so has much of America.We don't like the current status of our nation.We don't like an economy heading south.Many of us wonder about the morality of a war we wage, leaders of the nation past and present, and a societal system that seems to exalt a tiny elite, drag down the middle class, and "grind the faces of the poor."
And then on a personal level, I think about where I'm at -- how much I have truly changed over the past few years, and how much I truly haven't!What causes change to occur?Do we have control over the changes that take place in us, and also in our life's circumstances?We must have some level of control!I reject the idea (at least in theory!) that we are victims to circumstance, and some people have circumstances that make it easy for them to change while others don't.
I certainly don't presume to have all the answers.That's why I decided to look to a higher source in my quest to understand how changes occur, and what I can do to facilitate them both for myself and others.Certainly, if I am ever to have any influence over changes in my society and my world, they will come only after I have enough “fruit” of change in my own life, and thoroughly understand the process!!
I was sitting in church a few weeks ago when the topic of change came up.So I pulled out one of my favorite all-time books and decided to see what it had to say.
I would like to share what I found.Whether you personally recognize this book as valid or not is your choice.You may find something valuable regardless:
I came across a story familiar to me and many of you -- A king named Benjamin, who had presided over the victory of his people over their enemies, was at the end of his life and reign.He decided to give one final address to his people, during which he would pass the baton of the kingdom on to one of his sons.
During the address, Benjamin shared with his people the secrets to his success, and to how he was able to lead the people to safety from their enemies.He taught them truths.What he taught them was the Gospel of Jesus Christ -- eloquently and beautifully.
Apparently, this people was in need of change.Benjamin hoped that his words would help that to occur.This is what happened --
"And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had thus spoken to his people, he sent among them, desiring to know of his people if they believed the words which he had spoken unto them.
"And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou has spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has WROUGHT A MIGHTY CHANGE IN US, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually . . .
". . .And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy."
This people were "CHANGED THROUGH FAITH ON HIS (Jesus Christ's) NAME", therefore they "were born of him and have become his sons and his daughters."
Wow!That sounds pretty simple!These people heard about Jesus and his sufferings for them, they FELT it was true by the Spirit of God, had FAITH it was true for them, and then GOD changed them to the point that they no longer had any disposition to do evil.Hmmm.Sounds much simpler to me than some other things I’ve been taught about change.
Later on in this book, a prophet named Alma is speaking to a large gathering of people and telling them about the miraculous change that occurred with his father, who had previously been involved with some pretty bad people.He says that “ACCORDING TO HIS FAITH THERE WAS A MIGHTY CHANGE WROUGHT in his heart.”
Later on, Alma shares his own mighty change that came “not of any worthiness of [him]self.”He relates that the memory of all the horrible things he had done (which in his case were pretty bad) that caused him to be “racked with torment”.Have you ever felt racked with torment over your stupidities, foibles, mistakes, poor judgment, or inadequacies?I certainly have!
So what did Alma do to change from a state he suddenly found unbearable, to something better?He remembered how he had heard about a Savior, Jesus Christ, who was supposed to atone for the sins of the world.He was desperate, so he seems to have decided to try his luck with this Jesus.
He cries out:“O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.”
The result:“And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!”
It looks like Alma CRIED OUT TO GOD in the sincerity of his soul, and then GOD CHANGED HIM.
One more story here –
A man named Ammon, who was a friend of Alma who we just heard about, had the desire to preach the word of God among his enemies, a people who waged war with his people, and whose fathers had rejected God’s commandments in past times.Ammon ended up serving in the house of the king of this people, named Lamoni.Ammon first went about gaining the trust of the king by protecting his flocks from robbers, at which time it was apparent to the king and his other servants that Ammon had something they didn’t have.They wanted to know what it was.
Ammon was glad to oblige, and he taught king Lamoni and some of his associates about Jesus Christ and God’s plan for his children to be redeemed from a fallen state through Jesus’ name.I’m leaving out a lot of juicy details here, because I feel I’m already being long-winded.
What ended up happening is strait from the scene of an evangelical worship service – people were passing out left and right overcome by the Spirit of God.What happened when they were in this state?“ . . . they did all declare unto the people the selfsame thing – that THEIR HEARTS HAD BEEN CHANGED; that they had no more desire to do evil.”
Who or what changed them?Lamoni’s wife, the queen, tells us:“O blessed Jesus, who has saved me from an awful hell!”
Could it really be that simple?Cry out to God to change you, and it’s done??
I think one key here is that all these people in these stories were SINCERE.They were DESPERATE for change.They were WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.And then they COMMITTED to fulfill God’s will for them, whatever it was.These MIGHTY CHANGES were instantaneous in a sense, and apparently ongoing in another as these people showed by their subsequent choices that they were on board with God for the long haul.
I am giving this a try in my life. In fact, I tried this earlier tonight and felt a witness in my heart that my requests were heard, and would be honored.I will continue to turn my heart to God and ask him to change me.It really does sound much less stressful and much more effective than trying to walk the road to change alone!
If you are ready for change NOW in your life, maybe you could try it too!
Oh – the book I quoted from is The Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ.Along with our beloved Bible, it adds another testimony that our Savior Jesus Christ truly is the Son of God.
Take it or leave it, I just wanted to share.And maybe someday soon those with whom I interact will notice they have less of my faults and quirks to put up with!!
I haven't "arrived" yet, six months after asking God to change me (and I haven't asked him just once, by the way, but I plead with him regularly about this)!
But I'm more on my way than ever.
Lastly, how does any of this relate to healing? What is healing if not change for the better?
I am not anti-Obama, and I am not a heartless overprivileged American citizen who looks on the sufferings of the poor with disdain. I just can't help but see parallels between the proposed healthcare reforms and the old-school game "Operation". In the game "Operation", children use a pair of electronic tweezers to carefully tinker with the body part of a poor, naked, and horrified cartoon man.
When they err and touch the tweezers to the wrong things, a loud buzzer goes off and the cartoon man's nose lights up.
At least in the game, any damage done is purely hypothetical. In our real world, the damage that could be done to the quality and accessibility of our healthcare, as well as the solvency of our nation's weakened economy will have real and possibly startling implications to the lives of many.
Let's be sure those who are "operating" on our healthcare system have more skill than a child's wavering hand before we hand them the knife.
Here are my Top Concerns with ObamaCare:
10.Health insurance in no way ensures health to those who have it (I know this from personal experience), and no way ensures that an individual won’t be faced with medical bankruptcy when faced with a serious illness.
9. People are translating “we have to do something about health care in this country” as “any tinkering with the system by the higher-ups will automatically result in a better outcome than what we are currently experiencing.” This type of naïve mindset is what led the Russian peasantry to embrace Lenin and Stalin.
8.Per the Constitution, the Federal Government has no place in healthcare. For those who are unfamiliar, the Constitution is the document on which our great nation was founded, and which outlines the role of the Federal government and its different branches, as well as the rights of U.S. citizens.
7. (a continuation of number 8.) U.S. citizens are guaranteed the right to life and liberty, the right to pursue happiness as long as it doesn’t infringe on the rights of others. We are not guaranteed reduced-cost healthcare. Notwithstanding, subsidizing basic healthcare for underprivileged American citizens (I used to be one myself) is the right thing to do in my opinion. I would prefer to see states, businesses, foundations, and private individuals step in. Perhaps the Federal government could provide tax incentives for providing such charitable contributions.
6.American citizens and their doctors will have fewer available choices when it comes to treatments. Americans will still have to pay out-of-pocket for non-included treatments (such as holistic modalities and herbs). If you don't think you'll ever need to look beyond the scope of Western medicine for the healthcare of yourself and your family, think again. There's a reason Americans spent over $34,000,000,000 of their own hard-earned cash in 2008 on holistic treatments. Interestingly, most of the European and Asian nations that offer universal healthcare prescribe and cover cheaper, and oftentimes highly effective herbal and holistic remedies and treatments, as well as pharmaceuticals and surgeries.
5. Healthy Americans who lean toward holistic and alternative medicine may be forced to purchase a health policy they will rarely if ever use, or face a fine of 2.5% of their annual gross income. Gone will be the option of the high-deductible catastrophic policy and health savings account in which Americans may set aside money tax-free for use in their healthcare, for treatments and remedies THEY choose.
4. Senior citizens, the mentally disabled, and the chronically ill may receive a lower priority in receiving care, with “productive” citizens ahead of them in line.
3.Do we really want the bozos responsible for overinflated and costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that we probably can't win, as well as countless episodes of money mismanagement and thousands of other crimes, making the decisions for your healthcare and mine?
2. From the research I have done, every nation that offers universal healthcare is struggling with bankruptcy, and acknowledge that their healthcare system is at least part of the culprit. Since our nation is already bankrupt (China is subsidizing 25% of our debt, with a slew of other nations taking care of the rest), the answer is no. We can’t have universal health coverage. We can’t afford it. America pushing for expensive universal health coverage at this time in our history is just like a compulsive shopper up to her ears in debt reaching for yet another credit card application.
1.Corruption, corruption, corruption. Our current President just appointed Michael Taylor as food safety czar. Michael Taylor, for those who aren’t familiar, was previously the Vice President and chief lobbyist for Monsanto Corporation. This is the monolithic agribusiness company responsible for possibly doing more damage to the health of Americans in the last decade than any other. See http://www.newswithviews.com/Smith/jeffrey126.htm This is completely akin to the conflict of interest between Dick Cheney’s close relationship with Haliburton and its lucrative activities in the Middle East, and his duties as our nation’s Vice President.
Before I discuss what I promised last time, that is Dr. Paul Cheney’s paradigm of chronic fatigue syndrome, I wanted to first elaborate on one additional factor that I suspect might have contributed to my eventual 6-year sentence with chronic fatigue syndrome.
On May 6, 1997 I was preparing for my mission to Russia, and stopped by the immunization clinic on Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM to get my required vaccines.On this day, I received a total of six vaccines in rapid succession – Typhoid, Td (tetanus-diphtheria), MMR (measles-mumps-rubella), OPV (oral polio vaccine), hepatitis A, and hepatitis B.
Though the attending nurse did his job with precision and a smile, I remember a wave of shock went through my body as I downed the liquid polio vaccine out of a disposable cup and a tiny needle was stuck in my arm, the final of 4 shots in that day.I nearly passed out, though I was experiencing neither fear nor pain.I also remember feeling feverish and weak for a day or two afterwards.
Why the strange reaction of a healthy 22-year-old female to something so “innocuous” as inoculations, something we routinely do for tiny babies and small children?I don’t know, but maybe it had something to do with the introduction of the following foreign substances into my bloodstream that afternoon:
(MMR ingredients) measles, mumps, rubella live virus, the antibiotic neomycin, the chemical sorbitol, and the animal by products hydrolyzed gelatin, chick embryonic fluid, and human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue.
(Hepatitis A ingredients) Hepatitis A virus, the chemicals formalin, (AKA Formaldehyde), aluminum hydroxide, 2-phenoxyethanol, and polysorbate 20, and human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissues.
(Hepatitis B ingredients) genetic sequence of the hepatitis B virus that codes for the surface antigen (HbSAg), cloned into GMO yeast, aluminum hydroxide, and thimerosal (containing mercury).
And the following ingredients into my digestive tract:
(Oral Polio Vaccine ingredients) 3 types of attenuated polio viruses, the antibiotics neomycin, streptomycin, the chemical sorbitol, and the animal by products monkey kidney cells and calf serum.
(Typhoid ingredients) cell surface Vi polysaccharide from Salmonella typhi Ty2 strain, aspartame, phenol, and polydimethylsiloxane (silicone).
I also received a second round of both hepatitis A and B vaccines later that summer, and a flu shot later that fall.I opted out of the third round of hepatitis A and B after returning from Russia – a wise decision, in retrospect.
Of course, there is no way of knowing if any of these vaccines did any long-term damage to my system, or what good they may have done if any in protecting me from disease while I was in Russia.
There are a couple of points I would like to make, however, about chronic fatigue syndrome and vaccines in general.
First of all, it is widely recognized by physicians who work extensively with cfs-ridden patients that some people become ill immediately following a vaccination.My cousin, for example, received a flu shot while she was in college, and came down with cfs shortly thereafter.Further, there are accounts of individual fully recovered from cfs suffering relapse upon receiving a vaccine.
There are two things in particular about vaccines that concern me when it comes to chronic fatigue syndrome.One, the exposure to toxic substances such as aluminum, mercury, formaldehyde, aspartame and etc…Chronic fatigue syndrome is an illness involving severe toxicity and oftentimes heavy metal poisoning.It is not impossible that some of the toxic chemicals found in vaccines could remain in the body after vaccination occurs, contributing to the overall toxic load of the individual and increasing their chances of eventually falling victim to cfs (and potentially any number of other illnesses).
Second is the immune modulating function of the vaccine – and this is even more suspect to me than the cocktail of toxic ingredients.
Without getting too technical, there are two basic types of immunity in the body—cellular immunity, which takes place when an individual is exposed to a pathogen, and the body launches an attack of different types of cells that search and destroy the microbe.This type of immunity deals with T cells, which are the cells that are also designed to destroy any cancerous cells that form in the body.In order for the cell-mediated immunity to develop in an individual, they must be exposed to a variety of pathogens at an early age.Throughout the history of man until recently, cellular immunity has been dominant in the body.
With the advent of mass vaccinations, cellular immunity has taken a backseat to humoral immunity, which involves the production of antibodies that attach to the cell membrane of the microbe, or antigen, and flags it for destruction.
Vaccines, by their very design, stimulate humoral immunity.One is injected with a microbe or something akin to it (sometimes the microbe is attenuated or weakened, sometimes it is live, and sometimes toxins from the microbe seem to suffice).
An adjuvant, or substance that enhances the body’s immune response, is another part of the vaccine.Aluminum is a common adjuvant that, when combined with the microbe, send the body’s humoral response into hyper drive making anti-bodies against the microbe.
This response is designed to prepare the individual for a successful battle against any future infection with that particular microbe.As I mentioned earlier, it has also shifted the masses from a cellular-mediated dominant immune function, to a dominance of humoral immunity.
Humoral dominance, unfortunately for many, is also associated with such illnesses as chronic fatigue syndrome, where the individual first becomes sick oftentimes by exposure to some sort of pathogen, and an exaggerated immune response ensues, causing a cascade of many other unpleasant symptoms and problems.In fact, one of the important steps in healing from cfs for many people (myself included) involves shifting the body out of humoral or T2 dominance and its associated inflammatory responses and deficiency of T cells (I used Taurox SB from Allergy Research Group for this purpose).
I hope I haven’t either bored my readers to tears or caused others to be disgusted with my relatively simplistic understanding of immunology.Either way, let me make my point clear as I wrap up this week’s article:
There is both anecdotal and scientific evidence suggesting the possibility that vaccines may contribute to the development and/or exacerbation of chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as contributing to relapse in some individuals.
So when Uncle Sam, or anyone else suggests I get vaccinated for the swine flu, or for anything else at all, I will politely and emphatically decline.
Until next time . . .
P.S.Other illnesses associated with humoral immunity dominance include Lupus, asthma, autism, allergies (including food allergies), AIDS, eczema, multiple chemical sensitivity disorder, candida (yeast) overgrowth, viral hepatitis, Gulf War Syndrome, ADD/ADHD, chronic sinusitis, ulcerative colitis, chronic viral infections, and cancer.
So, it’s time to get back on track!I have often been asked “what causes chronic fatigue syndrome?”There’s no short and sweet answer to that question, and truly it differs from person to person.But today I wanted to take a little stroll down memory lane to share the factors that I believe, once added up, led me personally to suddenly and quickly succumb to this most unpleasant, inconvenient, and life-altering illness in the summer of 1999.
Prior to getting sick with chronic fatigue syndrome, I had spent almost a year and a half living in Russia as a missionary.Even though we had super-mega water filters in the apartments I lived in, there’s no telling what kinds of pathogens, chemicals, toxins, and parasites I was exposed to during that time.To make it worse, while I was in Russia I was operating in hyper-drive in my life – being a missionary who works 60-70 hours/week, studies 7-21 hours/week, cooks most meals from scratch, and deals with rejection and even hostility on an almost daily basis – this is not exactly a low-stress lifestyle!And with my perfectionist tendencies on top of it all . . .!
Let’s take it back a little further now.I can’t blame Russia alone for setting the stage for my 6-year illness!Let’s see . . . oh, yes!This intense, hyper-achieving lifestyle began much earlier – high school was an ideal breeding ground for habits of pushing myself to my limits.I got up between 4:30-4:45 AM during my entire high school career.I had religion classes beginning at 5:45 AM, then 7 AM band practice even before school began.And I had to get up in plenty of time to curl, style, and plaster my hair with hairspray each and every morning.AP and honor’s classes, first chair alto sax in marching, concert, and jazz bands, a drive for straight A’s (with a couple of exceptions here and there), and participation in a smattering of clubs and etc… kept me plenty occupied and stressed.Too bad I didn’t hit the sack until after 11 PM most nights.That’s 5 ½ hours of sleep on average.
Then there’s the fast food.My lunch each day in high school consisted of a $2 meal at either McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, or maybe an occasional splurge at Pizza Hut.EVERY DAY.If you think about it, a cheeseburger and large fries is totally balanced nutritionally, right?You’ve got the bread group covered with the white flour bun, the meat group with the “beef” hamburger patty, the dairy group with that piece of American “cheese”, and the vegetable group with the wilted pickled slices, ketchup, and fries!Since I rarely ordered sodas with my meals, and I had cut back on my candy intake by my sophomore year, I felt no need for concern over my diet.
After that, we come to the liver-toxic prescription drugs, and the immune-wrecking antibiotics.In high school and college I took antibiotics on and off for acne – a classic western medical “solution” to fix a problem caused by poor lifestyle choices, which ends up causing even worse problems for the person in the long run – killing the beneficial bacteria leading to yeast overgrowth, leaky gut syndrome, and a hampered immune system.
The summer after my freshman year in college I worked at a hospital, and when they tested me for tuberculosis exposure I tested borderline positive.As a result, I was put on a round of Isoniazid for 6 months – a drug designed to prevent a disease to which I had been exposed but for which I was at an extremely very low risk of ever developing, and that induces hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) in 1 in 100 individuals who take it (I had to have my liver enzyme levels checked every month while I was on it).
So when I was 21 and decided I need to take the incredibly toxic drug Accutane to eradicate my skin problems once and for all, I was unknowingly taking a gamble.Even though I started to have side effects after ONE PILL (muscle aches, dry and irritated mucous membranes, and loss of appetite), I continued with the drug for the next several months.It was giving me the results I wanted – no more break-outs!I faithfully went to have my blood drawn every 6 weeks or so to make sure I wasn’t going into liver failure.Again, I wasn’t too concerned – I didn’t drink alcohol, so I never gave a second thought to the drug’s potential effects on my liver.
I was between 22 and 23 years old during the time I lived in Russia.I got to eat some amazing and wonderful food while I was there, along with some pretty weird stuff!I had excellent health while I was there, even though some of the other missionaries around me were dropping like flies with vague complaints of fatigue, insomnia, pain, digestive issues, and etc…The only problem I remember having while I was there (besides one bout of food poisoning and the occasional headache, and always dragging in the morning) occurred toward the end of my stint.For a couple of days, I was doubled over with severe abdominal pain that left me lying in bed in the fetal position all day.But it went away as abruptly as it came, and things proceeded as usual.
Now we’re back in the summer of 1999 in Tallahassee, FL when I – a “perfectly healthy” 24-year-old – suddenly had the rug pulled out from beneath me and went from riding my bike around Tallahassee, to having the stamina of a sick 80-year-old.
The next strike against me was moving into an old cinder block house that had no direct sunlight (the same house my roommate Rebecca, my roommate, lived in who also got chronic fatigue syndrome at the same time.Suspiciously enough, we learned sometime in early 2000 that our next door neighbor whose house was similar to ours and who always seemed to be home ALSO had chronic fatigue syndrome!!)When I moved out of this house in the summer of 2000 and moved my bed, I discovered black slimy stuff all over the wall!Some kind of black mold, evidently.Not good.
A few weeks before I lost my health, I had a strange occurance.I ate a grapefruit, and an hour later I ran to the bathroom with great urgency.To my utter disgust (don’t read this if you’re squeamish), I found that I had passed the mostly undigested grapefruit.Along with wads of black stringy stuff that could have been nothing but worms.
By the time my roommate came home with a flu bug in July 1999, I was unknowingly a ticking time bomb for something to go amuck with my health.(In my blog entry entitled Drowning in an Invisible Flood, I shared how it felt for me in those early days of being sick.)
Stay tuned for more fun details on what cfs specialist Dr. Paul Cheney, MD defines as “Stage 1” of chronic fatigue syndrome, and tales of fun with doctor visits . . .
When I started this blog, I intended to create a resource for those suffering with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia – I wanted to share what had worked for me in being able to heal from these enigmatic illnesses that have silently sapped the life and strength of millions!
I am beginning to see that this blog is practically a living, breathing entity with a life of its own, and it will take me whatever direction it desires.
Today I feel drawn to share my thoughts about an aspect of receiving desired blessings from God that I feel is poorly understood, by myself included. In fleshing out my ideas here I personally hope to come away more inspired. If anyone reading benefits similarly, then so much the better!
Today in church we discussed gifts of the spirit, including the gift of healing and the gift to be healed. We also discussed the law of tithing and the blessings that can come when we live this law and give 10% of our income to God.
Within the culture of my faith, as well as with myself, I have observed an interesting treatment of the subject of miracles, including the miracles of healing, financial blessings, and etc… On the one hand, we recount stories of miraculous occurrences from the scriptures and from the early days of our church with a sense of pride in our God and in the faith of the faithful.
While on the other hand, we treat accounts of modern-day miracles, or the expectation of receiving them, with a certain amount of trepidation. Sure – we believe that God can bless whom he chooses, and that sometimes those who get blessed big-time might be someone we know, or know of.
But we hesitate to infuse ourselves with the expectation that WE, in fact EACH of us, might be the recipient of undeniable miracles, promised blessings, the windows of heaven opening and showering us with all the desires of our heart!
Why do we hesitate? Well, it’s pretty obvious when you look at most of our lives that not everything automatically goes peachy keen for those who profess God’s name and follow his commandments. In my life, for instance, I had a period of time where I was somewhat embittered towards the faith-promoting stories people used as material for their lessons and talks at church.
There was a time where I felt duped by God. I had given up a year and a half of my life to go to a foreign land and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a foreign tongue at great sacrifice to myself. This experience was full of wonderful and amazing times, and it also kicked the tar out of me. I came home depleted in almost every way, and six months after returning to the U.S. and felt like I was finally integrating back into a normal life, I began to see the “reward” of my labors: a six-year sentence with a severely debilitating illness, financial problems and debt, and then an excruciating marriage and divorce that left me more perplexed and destitute than ever.
What did I do wrong? And why did life seem so much easier for so many other people who didn’t even seem to deserve their blessed status as much as I would? And why was this happening after God had promised me so much??
Thankfully, I was able to avoid coming to the conclusion that I can’t necessarily judge others for coming to, but which causes untold damage to their lives and the lives of their posterity – that God must be a liar, either that, or all this God stuff is a bunch of bunk.
But I found other ways to cope with the disappointment, the grief over feeling passed up and passed over. I allowed my naturally believing heart (which I think most of us are born with) to be shrouded with a layer of cynicism, a few layers of doubt, and certainly a great deal of fear.
I think most of us have been disappointed. Most of us have been disappointed too many times to count. So it becomes easier to live in doubt and fear than with faith. When someone shares with us a miracle that happened to them – and not something that happened 60 years ago during World War II or while in the mission field in Peru sometime in the past decade – it can make us uncomfortable.
It brings us face to face with the question we may not want to consider – if this happened for HER, why didn’t such-and-such happen for me??!! Why would God play favorites?? Why is so-and-so so stinking special, and I’m NOT????
I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I have a few insights that have helped me to put away doubt and fear (at least more effectively than in the past), and live with greater expectations in my life, even when current circumstances nowhere nearly resemble what I would desire them to be!
At church today, I shared how when I first discovered I had an illness that wasn’t going away back in 1999, I asked for some elders in my church to pray for me and bless me. They obliged, and I was told I would be healed. But I wasn’t told when.
Years later, I was still asking for people to pray for me and bless me, but nothing could change the fact that at that moment, I was still as sick as a dog.
In retrospect now that it has been over 3 ½ years since my health was miraculously restored to me in a week’s time, I can see that there were some things that needed to die in me before I could be prepared to be given a new life. This process was relatively long, and oftentimes painful.
But what a tragedy it would have been if I had completely thrown in the towel in regards to believing that God would bless me as he had promised!
What has God promised you? What has he promised you personally, and what promises do you read about in the scriptures that he has in store for all that give their hearts completely to him??
Let’s not mistake the period of the “trial of our faith”, the unavoidable times where all our hopes seem vain and all our trust in God appears as foolishness, as the end result of walking the road of faith!
Dreams die, desires are tested, hearts are broken, and patience is put in the fire. We learn to let go of things, even while we still want them. We learn that we are O.K. even when the most precious desires of our hearts are denied us, or taken from us out of the clear blue sky! We surrender to pain. We submit to correction. We are sanctified – made more pure and holy.
And when we can learn to rejoice and glorify our God in these times AS IF all we ever wanted is already ours, when we can honestly tell our Father in Heaven that we trust his timing, we trust his trustworthiness even while we don’t see the fruit, then watch out!!
Sooner or later, and at this point we don’t care if it is sooner or if it is later, we see the miracle!! Whether it comes exactly how we expected, or in a way we never would have imagined, it comes.
Just as Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, all that was messed up and broken within us can be brought to a new life!!
I believe that those who surrender to faith rather than fear will ALWAYS find that the ashes of all the dross burnt off of them provide the best possible fertilizer for the very thing they had been wanting and praying for!
Health can be renewed, relationships restored, finances and material blessings fall from the sky, and most importantly, salvation gained!
