Creation Science Rebuttals -

Medicine That's a Spice of Life

7 March 2006

     The 7 March 06 daily feature for the young earth creation science ministry Creation Moments discusses the use of hot peppers in the treatment for pain.

     In South America, hot peppers have been used for centuries to relieve pain.  Creation Moments claims that this defies conventional wisdom...that a cure is normally discovered by accident.  However, one would not intentionally put hot peppers on a skin wound, therefore the accidental discovery of peppers relieving pain would never have been discovered, because a normal person would not put hot peppers on a wound.

     However, I see no problems with the discovery by accident theory.  There is no reason to doubt it.  Primitive doctors have in the past experimented with many herbs and spices (i.e. "witch doctors").  There is no reason to believe that the hot peppers would be any different.  However, they attribute the discovery like this... "However, it's possible that our Creator originally gave humans some knowledge of the cures for our ills - cures that He wisely built into creation."  If you want to believe this, there is no harm.  However, there is no proof either way of how hot peppers was discovered to cure pain.

     As Christians we should thank God for the many uses of items in his creation.  However, as is typical of Creation Moments claims, this is strictly a "God of the Gaps" type argument.  Presenting such an argument in defense of creation is a pointless exercise in futility...it will strengthen those who already believe, but will do nothing to argue for your position with the atheist or old earth creationist.

     Want to learn more about creation science?  Are the claims of young earth creation science ministries truthful?  Visit the young earth creation science ministry rebuttal home page for more truth in creation science.