Summary: Homeopathy is used by many people from all over the world who come from many different walks of life. Because I am a Christian, over the years, I have had many other Christians ask me if homeopathy is a medicine that believers should use, but recently, the number of questions have increased. I can say that homeopathy has a rich history with Christianity. Samuel Hahnemann, the father of homeopathy, was a devout Christian, and there are many accounts of him giving praise to God. I know that God was a part of my journey and I believe that true healing can only come through Him, and in my case, that was through homeopathy. With so much controversial information out there, I would encourage you to test out the truth of the scripture, “by their fruits ye shall know them.”1 Don’t listen to any influencer on whether or not you should use homeopathy. Instead, try homeopathy for yourself, and be sure to try it correctly. Then take any questions you may have from a faith perspective straight to the source, asking God for the answers! I hope this article offers my Christian readers a helpful perspective on the subject, and for my friends who are not Christian, I hope this article can be useful if the question of homeopathy and Christianity ever comes up.
In a recent interview with Staci from @thefromscratchfarmhouse, I shared the following story along with my own journey of finding homeopathy and how God led me to it. We also dove into questions such as “Is homeopathy appropriate for Christians” and “Is there a science behind it or are homeopathic dilutions ‘new agey’?” To watch the full interview click this link.
My Journey to Homeopathy
First, let me begin by saying that homeopathy has nothing to do with religion. It is a complete system of medicine, and it can help any person regardless of their belief system–religious or otherwise. But for me personally, I bring my own faith into all facets of my life, including my health journey. I’ve shared my own health journey many times. I know that God was a part of my path, and I believe that God led me to homeopathy.
Prior to finding homeopathy, I had spent 7 years and over $60,000 trying to find healing through different avenues. One night, after I had been laying in bed for almost 3 months due to severe itching from demographia (not to mention my other autoimmune illnesses), I struggled through the physical pain to get on my knees to pray. My prayer was made up of just saying the word, “please,” repeated over and over. In that tender moment of prayer, I repeated the word probably 70 times as I cried in desperate supplication to our Creator. I pleaded to God to please show me the way to true health.
As I finally got up and back into bed, the words “Homeopathy” and “Gut Health” came into my mind. I had never searched for homeopathy before, but this is where I began. Because of how I came to find homeopathy, I never questioned whether or not God was in support of me using it. Of course, He was. He led me to it! After that, I started working with a homeopathic practitioner and within 3 months the itching was almost gone and my bladder inflammation had improved to where it could hold cups of urine compared to 1/8th of a cup that it held before.
Today, I am cured. I am healed. I am made whole. I do not take any medications for my chronic illnesses and can eat gluten and other former triggers without having a return of symptoms. Did homeopathy heal me? Maybe it looks like that on the surface, but I believe the source of all healing comes through the Lord. I also feel that God wants us to be whole both in our hearts and in our bodies. Homeopathy works in alignment with this principle. Homeopathy doesn’t suppress or mask symptoms; it cures illnesses.
But What about Homeopathy and Christianity?
Homeopathy has a rich history with Christianity. Aside from the fact that it was used by wonderful Christians like Mother Theresa, Samuel Hahnemann, the father of homeopathy, was a devout Christian. He was a person of deep faith and considered our ability to heal with homeopathy “a priceless gift of God to man.”2 Before his passing, Hahnemann’s final words were “Every man on earth works as God gives him strength … but no man has claim at the Judgment Seat of God. God owes me nothing. I owe him much—yea all.”3
Evidence of Hahnemann’s faith is also found in how he made homeopathic medicines. While living in Europe I had the opportunity to visit several of the homeopathic pharmacies throughout the continent. During one visit, I was surprised to find a Bible resting prominently in the “clean” room of a pharmacy (a ‘clean’ room requires lab coats, masks, hair nets, etc. to keep contaminants from breaching it). I was surprised at seeing the Holy Book there, and said to the owner, “I didn’t think you were religious. Why do you have a Bible in that room?” The owner’s answer intrigued me. He explained that while he was not very religious himself, the presence of the Bible was because Hahnemann had said to use the Bible when preparing remedies. According to Hahnemann, homeopathic dilutions were made by hand, and every time they had to succuss (or shake) the dilution, he instructed that it should be done by shaking the dilution firmly against the Bible. The owner said, “If it’s good enough for Hahnemann, then it’s good enough for me.” This made me admire and appreciate Hahenmann’s faith in Christ.
Some like to pick apart people from the past, seeking a possible opportunity to unfairly condemn over fragments of information. The consequence is to ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater,’ and this attitude prevents you, the proverbial baby, from using an incredibly safe form of non-toxic and curative medicine. I have seen some do this to Hahnemann. While I am sure he was not perfect, and while I might also disagree with some of the finer points around anyone’s Christian faith (particularly if they lived over 200 years ago), I have no interest in dissecting and condemning Hahnemann, whose contributions to medicine have blessed an unimaginable amount of people.
How does it work? Are the Dilutions ‘New-Agey’?
Many people question the effectiveness of homeopathy, and they worry that there is something ‘new agey’ in the way the medicine is made or in how it is applied.
Some assume that because the remedies are so diluted and there is no measurable trace of the original substance left in it, there may be something ‘new-agey’ in the final dilution, the inference being that Christians should therefore not use the remedies.
First, know that homeopathic medicine is a federally recognized form of medicine in the United States, backed by thousands of research papers, studies, and clinical trials.4 Homeopathy is a form of natural medicine. Just as traditional/conventional medicine is not confused with religion, homeopathy should not be either. As outlined throughout my Teach Me Health and Homeopathy curriculum, homeopathic medicine is founded upon science and is rooted in the first principle of science: observation. I once saw a research study5 that looked at how water molecules cluster together in homeopathic dilutions. Interestingly they observed that as a homeopathic remedy becomes more diluted, bigger and more stable clusters of molecules are formed compared to when the solution is more concentrated. These form intricate patterns that look a lot like snowflakes, and this can help explain how homeopathy might function. Via the process of dilution and succussion, the molecules in the homeopathic remedy literally vibrate, and they change the structure of the water crystals. This alteration shows that even the extremely diluted remedies have unique effects on living organisms, despite the fact that there is almost no solute present.
But why does homeopathy need to be so dilute for it to work? Dilutions are certainly helpful because they render homeopathic medicine nontoxic (and, parenthetically, homeopathy illuminates God’s wisdom in creating toxic substances because when these substances are turned into nontoxic homeopathic medicines, they are incredibly curative). But there is more to it than just reducing toxicity. Remember that the human body is good at recognizing tiny things. After all, organisms like viruses and bacteria are so small that they are measured in nanometers, but our bodies can easily detect them. So even though the remedies are diluted into something even smaller than a virus and bacteria–the structure of the water (as evidenced by the “snowflakes”) is enough for our bodies to detect.
Homeopathy uses our body’s ability to detect these tiny structures by operating in the Law of Similars (not the law of exacts). You may already know the quintessential example of homeopathy and the common onion but bear with me as I explain this example. Imagine you have seasonal allergies which present with watery eyes, burning sensation in the eyes, egg-white runny nose, and when you go outside in the fresh air your symptoms alleviate. An onion is something that could cause our bodies to mimic those same allergy symptoms. If I were to chop an onion, I would develop those same symptoms of watery eyes, burning sensation in the eyes, egg-white runny nose, and I would need to go outside to find relief. The symptoms brought on by an onion mimic those specific allergy symptoms. So how does homeopathy help? You could take the homeopathic form of an onion and it will stimulate a cure in your body.
But how does it actually do that? In some ways, it is still something that researchers are learning. But I explain it like this: Imagine suffering from those allergies, and your body’s immune system is telling you “Human! I’m so sorry! We are working on these seasonal allergies, but we can’t seem to figure them out!” But then you introduce the homeopathic form of onion and your body recognizes the dilution of the onion, and says “Oh, no! Everyone! Stop trying to fight the seasonal allergies because we have a new invader. We are now being attacked by an onion! Let’s protect the human against this new invader!” Your body’s immune system then mounts up an attack against the onion, but since the homeopathic onion is diluted beyond its observable chemical form (as my son says, the homeopathic remedy acts like a hologram of an onion), your immune system’s attack goes right through the false disease–the onion hologram–and instead fights the intended disease. Thus the seasonal allergies are cured. As Hahnemann said:
“One imitates nature, which sometimes cures chronic diseases by adding another disease,”
So here it is almost as though Hahnemann is saying that we can trick the body into healing itself by introducing a false disease.
Hahnemann also said that if you use the correct “drug” (in this case a homeopathic drug) “[a] drug that is capable of exciting another artificial disease as similar as possible to the natural [or actual] disease, [you can be] cured.”
This example also illustrates why homeopathy doesn’t work when we try to apply the law of exacts. Think back to the same example of someone suffering from seasonal allergies due to pollen. It would likely not be helpful to use the homeopathic remedy made from pollen. Why? If your body already doesn’t know how to fight off the actual pollen that is causing the seasonal allergies, introducing the homeopathic pollen would likely not create a curative response. Your body isn’t going to be able to fight off the ‘hologram’ pollen either! In the end, the correct remedy—by following the law of similars—acts as a false disease, stimulating a curative response from the body.
To me, this is a simple and logical explanation for what is happening, and it fits right in line with what Samuel Hahnemann said about how homeopathy works: Similia similibus curentur. Let like be cured with likes. Indeed, homeopathy follows defined laws, principles, and logic, supporting how God created the human body to function. It is not “new agey.”
Finally, if you are worried that homeopathy may be ‘new agey’ because it is so dilute, consider this: I believe we should avoid being materialistic Christians. As famed homeopath, Dr. Dorothy Shepherd once said:
“[Homeopathy] is not materialistic enough in this materialistic world of today, where men worship the State with a capital S instead of worshipping God; where spiritual truths are forgotten. The laws in the Kingdom of God are, ‘Love thy God first,’ and then further, ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself.’ Not until man returns to God and to the divine spirit within himself, will he be free from the bondage of this material world and be able to make the fullest use of…Homeopathy, the medicine based on the true Laws of Healing which few people, including doctors, understand or even try to understand.”6
Is Homeopathy appropriate for Christians?
Homeopathy has been around for over 200 years. There is always the possibility that someone has taken the tenets of homeopathy and added their own ideas to it–good or bad. Anything good or true can be twisted. I’ve come across information myself and said, “that is not the homeopathy methodology or principles I ascribe to.”
When you hear conflicting information, I would encourage you to remember the wisdom found in the scripture, “by their fruits you may know them.” For homeopathy, it either works because the correct remedy has been selected (via the law of similars) or it doesn’t (because the incorrect remedy has been selected and the law of similars has not been applied). Do as Hahnemann said: Try it well and correctly before making your decision. Then, do as the Bible teaches: Take your questions straight to the Source and ask God for the answers7!
I would also caution you against listening to those influencers or individuals who are trying to incite fear in you about homeopathy with their words as this is not the language of the Lord. The language of the Lord is peace and reassurance. In any field of medicine, when someone is trying to control your mind and your heart through fear, let that be a warning sign to you.
Some social media accounts speak out against homeopathy, but you will need to discern if they are speaking out of real concern for your health or out of a desire (perhaps in part) to get more likes, comments, and views by being controversial. I don’t follow any of these accounts, just like I don’t follow what atheists have to say about Christianity. Instead, I choose to walk forward with what I know brings me peace, health, and happiness.
The Homeopathic Philosophy
I believe that the philosophy around homeopathic medicine is more in tune with Biblical principles than its allopathic counterpart. Christianity teaches that God makes us whole. Through Christ’s sacrifice, we become whole. We are broken sinners, but through his atonement, we are made complete.
Now compare this philosophy with conventional medicine. When I suffered from my horrendous autoimmune diseases all those years ago, my doctors could not heal me; they could only help me manage the symptoms and make me ‘as comfortable as possible.’
Let me compare this experience with an analogy I call the church of Big Pharma. Imagine you walked into the church of Big Pharma and said, “Hey, I have this health problem. Can you help cure me?”
The Big Pharma pastor smiles and says, “Sorry, we actually don’t do that kind of salvation here. We don’t do cures. What we will help you do is get to hell as comfortably as possible. And actually, don’t say the word ‘cure’ here. It’s illegal.”
Would you go to this church? I certainly wouldn’t!
Conversely, homeopathy works under the philosophy of true healing–not masking or suppressing symptoms. Through homeopathy, I was cured. I was healed and made whole. Just as God intended. In this way, I feel the fruits of homeopathy closely mirror the fruits of Christianity.
Perhaps the most beautiful thing homeopathy has done for me and my family is that it has made us more whole and this allowed us to connect with each other better. When we find health, we are our better selves which strengthens our relationship with God and each other. How can a medicine–which can heal our emotions and our bodies and helped bring my family closer together–not be something that God would want us to have?
Final thoughts
Although I strive for great faith in Christ, I fall short and am by no way perfect. Perhaps some of the theology I laid out in this article differs from your view, depending on the Christian lens you use when you read it. But I hope you can hear my heart in this article: My belief in Christ as my Savior is sincere, as is my feeling that God led me to this wonderful medicine. I give all the glory to Him who is the source of all true healing.
I leave you with this final quote from Samuel Hahenmann. He once said the following about homeopathic medicine:
“Our art requires no political lever, no worldly decorations in order to become something. It grows gradually, at first unrecognized, surrounded as it were by all manner of weeds which luxuriate around it, from an insignificant acorn to a sapling, soon its summit will overtop the rank weeds. Patience! It is striking deep its roots into the earth, it is increasing in strength imperceptibly but all the more surely and will in its own time grow into an oak of God, which no longer is shaken by storms, spreads out its branches into all regions that suffering mankind may be healed under its beneficent shade.”8
I believe homeopathy is a profound medicine that has grown into an oak of God, not shaken by storms, and that has and will continue to stand the test of time. Indeed, all truths seem to have the uncanny ability to persist against all odds.
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Notes: For a further statement on the subject of homeopathy and Christianity, you can navigate to my FAQ page. Or you can download my workshop A Christian Perspective on Homeopathy where I interview Gerard Bocquee, author of God is a Homeopath. Also, Ivy Harris wrote a great article on this subject which you can find here. Finally, although the following book is out of print and more difficult to find, Alan Crook’s (Ma MCH RShom) book, A Christian’s Guide to Homoeopathy is an excellent source for Christians to study.
Watch my full interview with Staci from @thefromscratchfarmhouse
- Matthew 7:16-23 ↩︎
- Jost Kunzli et al., The Organon of Medicine, by Samuel Hahnemann (Los Angeles: J. P. Tarcher, Inc.), para. 288. ↩︎
- The Hahnemannian Monthly. United States, LaBarre Printing Company, 1914. ↩︎
- https://homeopathychoice.org/research/ and
https://www.hri-research.org/ ↩︎ - https://drnancymalik.wordpress.com/article/how-homeopathy-works/ and https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261185422_The_mathematics_of_dilution ↩︎
- More Magic of the Minimum Dose by Dorothy Shepherd ↩︎
- James 1:5 ↩︎
- Pamphlets – Homoeopathic. United States, n.p, 1859. ↩︎
