here, I cite from a recent Skeptic North [SN] post regarding naturopathy, wherein naturopathy is labeled 'a nonscientific belief system' [see 001., below]; meanwhile, the AANP Alliance, which drew me into naturopathy in 1996, falsely labels naturopathy 'scientific' and 'not a belief system' [see 002., below]:
001. in "A Skeptic North Response to the Naturopaths' Rebuttal"(2009-11-30), Jonathan Abrams and Steve Thoms write:
"the rebuttal clearly demonstrated that naturopaths are not science-based medical practitioners, and that they lack the training, understanding of science, and qualification to prescribe [...] it's time to take a stand for medical care based on science [...] naturopathy is an unscientific practice of medicine [...] naturopaths do not respect science [...] for decades they have derided science-based medicine [...] the authors seem to want it both ways: science is bad for being reductionist, and yet, naturopathy is a totally legitimate science [...] there is no evidence that any treatments offered by naturopaths, but rejected by medicine, have any effect on disease [...] four years of specialized education is also meaningless if the subject is meaningless [...] naturopaths often use homeopathy, a placebo treatment [...] four years learning about the details of homeopathy is of no use if homeopathy does not work [yet NDs call it a clinical science on their boards!...] naturopaths turn to pre-scientific views of healing such as 'medicatrix naturae' [vitalism, which is science ejected...] it was a textbook example of the typical circular reasoning and self-defeating logic that naturopaths use to justify their particular belief system."
Note: SN clearly states that naturopathy is a nonscientific belief system.
002. in "The Alliance Legislative Workbook" (1997) (archived here), the AANP Alliance, composed of "the AANP, Bastyr University, National College of Naturopathic Medicine and the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences", states:
"naturopathic physicians are the modern day science based primary care doctor [...] it is not a belief system."
Note: so, AANP Alliance claims the polar opposite of SN. If you look at the current AANP schools list, it includes National University of Health Sciences and they have an AANMC ND program there -- so, therein again we get this huge science label upon the nonscientific-naturopathic.
003. since naturopathy clearly states its beliefs (here, here) which are not scientific facts but are articles of faith [hugely], yet naturopathy states such falsely as scientific fact / able to survive scientific scrutiny [ISYN], I'd not believe them since they are patently ABSURD.
Note: it is a basic human right / freedom that people may choose to believe or not believe that which is a matter of 'belief or conscience'.
My take on naturopathy: their beliefs are foisted upon the vulnerable [patients, students] as [false] objective fact, and therefore naturopathy has no sensitivity for basic human rights.
In fact, when I was at UB and told 'this is science', and told by the first AANP president and the school's first dean Sensenig that what runs my body is a 'purposeful life spirit' otherwise known as 'god power within', my human rights were violated.
Why?
Because matters of faith are choices, and objective scientific facts aren't.
Yet, in naturopathy, there is no distinction [look at OBNE, as linked too!].
Literally, the science-ejected is falsely labeled scientific fact -- naturopathy is nonsense of the highest order.
When a choice is no longer offered as a choice, but instead you are mindfucked into thinking it is 'all there is to choose from and therefore no choice at all', your basic human rights have been seriously abused.
What's more disgusting is that this occurs clinically and academically, primarily.
Part of the Naturocrit project is to advocate for a procedure -- likely through the United States Department of Education, the Connecticut Department of Education & kind [they are accomplices in all this, so don't hold your breath] -- that will compensate for damages due to the quite sophisticated false inducements [unfair trade?] implemented / administered by these pseudomedical pseudoprofessionals / naturopaths.
