Bringing you the "Good News" of Jesus Christ and His Church While PROMOTING CATHOLIC Apologetic Support groups loyal to the Holy Father and Church's magisterium
Home About
AskACatholic.com
What's New? Resources The Church Family Life Mass and
Adoration
Ask A Catholic
Knowledge base
AskACatholic Disclaimer
Search the
AskACatholic Database
Donate and
Support our work
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
New Questions
Cool Catholic Videos
About Saints
Disciplines and Practices for distinct Church seasons
Purgatory and Indulgences
About the Holy Mass
About Mary
Searching and Confused
Contemplating becoming a Catholic or Coming home
Homosexual and Gender Issues
Life, Dating, and Family
No Salvation Outside the Church
Sacred Scripture
non-Catholic Cults
Justification and Salvation
The Pope and Papacy
The Sacraments
Relationships and Marriage situations
Specific people, organizations and events
Doctrine and Teachings
Specific Practices
back
Church Internals
Church History

Jose Aceves wrote:

Hi, guys —

  • I am thinking of getting some Acupuncture and was wondering if this practice was acceptable to the Church?

Acupuncture, from Wikipedia

Please respond.

Jose

  { From the Church's view is Acupuncture an acceptable practice? }

Eric replied:

Dear Jose,

Sorry for the delay in responding.

I don't believe the Church has a teaching or advice against this but it is fundamentally based on a superstitious belief about life-energy (qi) that supposedly flows through the body. This is based in Eastern pagan religious principles contrary to the Christian faith however it is possible that acupuncture actually works for other reasons, perhaps the placebo effect or something unknown that the Chinese stumbled on.

The bottom line: If it works for you and you don't buy into the qi stuff, more power to you.

Eric

John replied:

Hi, Jose —

Just to add my two cents; Chiropractic care is based on some of the same principles that acupuncture is based on.

Some principles are based on legitimate anatomy and other principles are based on Oriental religions but there is legitimate anatomical science behind both.

My Chiropractor is a very strong Christian and doesn't buy into any of the New Age or Oriental mysticism. He would say the same thing about acupuncture.

Reiki, on the other hand, is all about New Age mysticism and people should stay away from it.

John

Please report any and all typos or grammatical errors.
Suggestions for this web page and the web site can be sent to Mike Humphrey
© 2012 Panoramic Sites
The Early Church Fathers Church Fathers on the Primacy of Peter. The Early Church Fathers on the Catholic Church and the term Catholic. The Early Church Fathers on the importance of the Roman Catholic Church centered in Rome.