<> Ask the Pastor The Rev'd Walter Snyder Again, thanks to all who've sent cards or notes to my wife Stephanie as she continues her recuperation from surgery in St. Louis. Our family thanks you also for your prayers while we're separated. This health update also provides a nice lead-in to our first question: Q: Acupuncture is a widely used for pain control. Two married friends tell me that they are turning to it as a near last-resort treatment for the chronic shoulder pain. Some years ago, I heard some pastors speak against it. The problem is...that was years ago! I was wondering what your view on this procedure would be. I'd like to give them better information on the subject *if* indeed it *is* against what God states in the Bible. A: As with many other "alternative" forms of medicine, acupuncture carries some baggage. First, it's from a culture with which most Americans are unfamiliar, not involving drugs or surgery. Then there are the procedure's roots in non-Christian beliefs. Still, acupuncture seems to work in some cases. Is it a mind-body connection? Are the parts of our bodies interrelated in a manner science is only beginning to discover? We're not sure. I would be cautious if the practitioner also recommended "spiritual" exercises. The same holds true in certain massage therapies. Massage, of itself, has also shown benefits. However, some forms, such as Reiki, have their origins in pantheistic (universal "godness" is part of everything and everything is part of this "godness") Eastern religions. I can't speak medically, but recommend on spiritual grounds to proceed with caution, asking appropriate questions. Q: [From a much longer letter:] In Indonesia this May, many Chinese Indonesian citizens [including Christians, Buddhists, and others] were abused, tortured and killed. Houses and stores were looted and burned. Hundreds of Chinese Indonesian girls and women (aged 10-55) were sexually harassed and brutally gang-raped. Yet, not much has been done to to investigate all this or to help the victims. Few people seem to know or care about what happened. Please help to spread the news and let the world know. I guess we will never understand how God allows this to happen. But I believe that justice prevails. Until that time comes, I hope you will help spread this message as I feel that the Indonesian victims, whether they were affected directly or indirectly, need our prayers for more healing to take place. Pray for the rioters too. Hope that God will knock some sense into them, touching them so they will start repenting and turn away from their sins. A: The largely Islamic mobs not only acted contrary to Christian belief, but also counter to the belief of much of the Muslim world. Many of us choose to ignore evil that seems too large and hideous to comprehend. I have seen pictures of the aftermath. Such deeds are vile beyond description. God does not turn away, as I was forced to, from the horrible images. His judging gaze is ever on evildoers. While he may allow believers in Christ to suffer for a time, he will finally gather his faithful to live eternally with him. However, our prayers (and our political attention) being focused on Indonesia right now will not be in vain. Rather than "knocking" the hate-crazed mobs to repenting in fear, pray that Christ will enter their hearts and compel them to truly repent out of love for him who died also for these sins. Q: Please advise me on your position about new Bible translations. I have been getting information that the King James is the only true word of God and that all the versions since then are effectively corrupt. A: I get this question occasionally. It's been some time since I last responded, so I hope longtime readers allow a brief answer. *All* translations have some errors. Not every manuscript used in the King James (Authorized) Version aligns with other ancient texts that have been since discovered. Even with the latest research, translators carry both linguistic and theological biases into their work. If a text can be translated in multiple ways, how this is done reflects the translator's views of Scripture, the person and nature of Christ, and more. This being said, the King James Bible is still wonderfully powerful and poetic in form and its accuracy is still quite high. Do I use it? Yes. Do I use it exclusively? No. It can be hard to understand. Even when it agrees with my understanding of the text, I use multiple versions, plus my own translation when preaching and teaching. Shop carefully, compare with your overall understanding of Scripture, and trust the Word to come out, even when humans get in the way. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1998 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.