I don’t there’s anything great about “natural.” Disease is natural. Death is natural. Most of us are OK with doing what we can to avoid both. (Sin is pretty natural, too… in a different sense) If I were going to make a case against it, it would be more along the lines of “Is this a good use of your resources?” (Of course there are situations like disease, accidents, birth defects, etc. that are absolutely legit. I’m talking here about going under the knife because you think your lips are too thin or your body isn’t shaped quite right, or you’re 70 and want to trick people into thinking you’re 40)
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
Consider braces. All of our kids have crooked teeth (as do the parents). We elected to do braces with one child because he jaw was so small that the jammed teeth caused other issues
Many in my wife’s family experience droopy eye lid. It is corrected with plastic surgery. Without treatment it can cause other issues (detailed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptosis_%28eyelid%29)
We had a woman in our church who had breast reduction surgery because she was having severe back pain
This is interesting to me, as I perform some of the surgeries in question. I do Blepharoplasty (usually non-cosmetic upper lids, where the lid is actually blocking vision, but also some cosmetic of the upper or lower lids). I also do refractive surgery. That includes LASIK, which everyone probably understands. It includes premium lens implants after cataract surgery. There are a few others.
So, if it’s ok, I’ll go beyond the “unnatural” aspect of the thread. Let’s ask why it might or might not be wrong (for any reasons). I found the article fairly superficial in its examination of the thoughts behind the repugnance.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
One of the most fascinating things to me about ethics is the way we can conclude pretty quickly about the feeling that something is right or wrong.
Is plastic surgery wrong for a woman who simply wants to look different (not reconstructive)? (breast augmentation, liposuction, etc.) Some might quickly say yes. Why? What are the aspects of it that we fund objectionable? 1 - Maybe $ (waste of resources) It costs money that could be used for the Kingdom. 2 - Maybe risk It places the health and life of the woman at risk. 3 - Maybe discontentment. It shows that she isn’t satisfied with what God gave her. 4 - Maybe she values beauty too much. This might really be another way of #1 and #2. 5 - Maybe she is valuing a type of beauty we don’t approve of. That is, we draw a line between “pretty” and “sexy” and we consider it intrinsically wrong to want to be sexy.
Discussion
NewPoor stewardship
If I were going to make a case against it, it would be more along the lines of “Is this a good use of your resources?” (Of course there are situations like disease, accidents, birth defects, etc. that are absolutely legit. I’m talking here about going under the knife because you think your lips are too thin or your body isn’t shaped quite right, or you’re 70 and want to trick people into thinking you’re 40)
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
NewDon't think it is so black and white
Many in my wife’s family experience droopy eye lid. It is corrected with plastic surgery. Without treatment it can cause other issues (detailed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptosis_%28eyelid%29)
We had a woman in our church who had breast reduction surgery because she was having severe back pain
Twitter
Jim's Doctrinal Statement
NewI've had it...
Greg Linscott
Marshall, MN
NewAs Dr. Myron might say...
As Dr. Myron Houghton would say, “I am normally opposed to plastic surgery, but in YOUR case I am willing to make an exception…” :bigsmile: :D :)
Church Ministries Representative, serving in the Midwest, for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry
NewOuch.
Greg Linscott
Marshall, MN
NewHard to believe that
:)
Twitter
Jim's Doctrinal Statement
NewOuch.
Greg Linscott
Marshall, MN
NewThis is interesting to me, as
I do Blepharoplasty (usually non-cosmetic upper lids, where the lid is actually blocking vision, but also some cosmetic of the upper or lower lids).
I also do refractive surgery. That includes LASIK, which everyone probably understands. It includes premium lens implants after cataract surgery. There are a few others.
So, if it’s ok, I’ll go beyond the “unnatural” aspect of the thread. Let’s ask why it might or might not be wrong (for any reasons). I found the article fairly superficial in its examination of the thoughts behind the repugnance.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
One of the most fascinating things to me about ethics is the way we can conclude pretty quickly about the feeling that something is right or wrong.
Is plastic surgery wrong for a woman who simply wants to look different (not reconstructive)? (breast augmentation, liposuction, etc.) Some might quickly say yes.
Why? What are the aspects of it that we fund objectionable?
1 - Maybe $ (waste of resources)
It costs money that could be used for the Kingdom.
2 - Maybe risk
It places the health and life of the woman at risk.
3 - Maybe discontentment.
It shows that she isn’t satisfied with what God gave her.
4 - Maybe she values beauty too much.
This might really be another way of #1 and #2.
5 - Maybe she is valuing a type of beauty we don’t approve of.
That is, we draw a line between “pretty” and “sexy” and we consider it intrinsically wrong to want to be sexy.