AANP's Annual "Vis Award" - Honoring Naturopathy's Science-Ejected Basis, 2008:

here, ISYN, I highlight the first annual recipient of "The Vis Award" -- 'Vis' [Latin, 'power / force'] being an abbreviation for naturopathy's essential sectic belief in 'a purposeful life spirit' bioagency, per vitalism, teleology, & spiritism/animism [see 001., below], which naturopathy RIDICULOUSLY claims is scientific [see 002., below], while this belief-cluster is in fact SEVERELY science-ejected [see 003., below]:

oo1. we are informed by naturopath Schor, J. (ND NCNM 1991[?], FABNO ABNO[!]):

001.a. in "About the Doctors":

"in the summer of 2008, Dr. Schor became the first recipient of the Vis Award presented to him by Lise Alschuler, president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians [AANP...&] Dr. Schor is serving his second term on the Board of Directors of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians [OANP...& naturopathy is] the perfect profession."

001.b. in "The Vis Award":

"this August, at the 2008 annual convention of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, Dr. Jacob Schor was both surprised and honored by his colleagues as the first recipient of the Vis Award [...for] living and practicing naturopathic medicine in accordance to what is called the 'vis medicatrix naturae', or healing force of nature. The vis medicatrix naturae, or vis, is one of the fundamental principles that guides and distinguishes the practice of naturopathic medicine. The vis is the belief [!!!] that every living being contains a 'life force' [...] Dr. Schor [...has] a private practice focused on cancer treatment [yikes!!!...& is] a Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncologists [FABNO; e.g.]."

001.c. in "Ask the Doctor":

"naturopathy is a licensed medical profession [...&] homeopathy fits the philosophical tenets of naturopathy. The medicines work by stimulating the what homeopaths call the vital force or in naturopathic terms the vis medicatrix naturae, the healing power of nature."

Overall 001. note:

so, naturopathy is a BELIEF SYSTEM centered around vitalism, and claims professions-level ethical status.

002. we are informed by Schor's alma mater, NCNM -- right now, 2008-12-14 -- that vitalism [supposedly] survives scientific scrutiny, in "Naturopathic School Information":

"the practice of naturopathic medicine emerges from six principles of healing [...that are] based on the objective observation of the nature of health and disease and are examined continually in light of scientific analysis. These principles stand as the distinguishing marks of the profession: [#1] the healing power of nature -- vis medicatrix naturae: the body has the inherent ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. The healing process is ordered and intelligent [!]; nature heals through the response of the life force. The physician’s role is to facilitate and augment this process [...#3] first do no harm -- primum no nocere: the process of healing includes the generation of symptoms, which are, in fact [!!!], expressions of the life force attempting to heal itself. Therapeutic actions should be complementary to and synergistic with this healing process [...per] vis medicatrix naturae."

Note: NCNM is the trunk of the North American naturopathic tree. Vitalism is claimed as "in fact", and currenlty able to continually [!!!] survive scientific scrutiny. Naturopathy is claimed to meet the ethical standards of a "profession."

003. well, vitalism is -- in fact -- SEVERELY science-ejected.

004. so:

004.a. q: when is 'sectarian pseudoscience' 'medically professional'?

004.b. q: when is science-illiteracy and actual-expertise the same thing?

004.c. a: naturopathy.

Overall note:

and yikes, what does it mean -- ethically -- to claim cancer-expertise / science-expertise / professions-status when one cannot distinguish between an obvious article of faith / a belief [the superstition of vitalism & kind]...

and what is in fact scientific?

[As the knights say in Stronghold Crusader,

"this is too easy!"].