What Does it Mean to be a Scientist?

Counselors, doctors, chemists, physicists, and others all have to learn the scientific method of research and experimentation; they are all scientists in their particular specialty of study.
There is big money involved in whoever's "scientific" study is approved, so sometimes the fight isn't about scientific truth as much as it is about bottom line truth. Tesla, the scientist, is a great example of a man in search of truth but whose ideas were suppressed and/or stolen so that Edison or others might profit.
Don't kid yourself, scientists are fallible human beings and subject to the same passion of greed as anyone else.

Medical doctors must study and understand scientific research. If I'm not mistaken, they are ethically required to stay abreast of current research so that they can help their patients in the real world. Is real science only conducted in clinical trials or can real science also be practically applicable through observational studies.

When there are two opposing opinions and outcomes on the application of medical treatment, whose opinion is most valid?
The doctor who has the loudest voice or the doctor who has had success in treatment outside of a clinical trial? What is a clinical trial anyway?

A clinical trial has different phases in behavioral and biomedical research. At some point human beings volunteer to try medication to determine its efficacy in treating depression, cancer, diabetes, or other diseases. There are always risks to the procedure and the volunteers are made known of the risks, such as potential side effects which may sometimes include the risk of death. Every medication that passes clinical trials have side effects so it behooves the public and patient to research those side effects. For instance, some blood pressure medication prescribed to those at risk of heart attacks, may cause a heart failure in some in some individuals. So every medication that passes clinical trials and is deemed "safe" can be potentially harmful. We've all heard the stories of those prescribed certain anti-psychotic medications, becoming more violent or depressed. It's not often, thank God, but it is a risk.
All medications have risks associated with them, it's part of the deal and no way to escape it at the present time.

So here's my question. If hydroxychloroquine has been given to some patients, with their consent, to treat CV-19 and it has been successful, why are we disregarding this as a valid experiment just because it wasn't done in a "controlled environment"? I'm sure some have been harmed but that was a risk they were willing to take. As stated, ALL clinically approved medications have risks, including death. So why is one side of the scientific argument being removed from public debate by a few elitists who are not scientists and have decided to listen to only one side of the debate? Makes you go MMmmm.

Why are google, facebook, and others deciding which scientific voice is right and which is wrong by stifling public debate?
Which scientists are the social media guru's listening to when it comes to hydroxychloroquine? What are their names? Where do they practice their clinical studies? When is the last time they conducted a clinical study? And why is their opinion considered more valid than practicing physicians who have had success?

At the end of the day, suppression of other's voices won't matter, because just like Tesla, the truth will become reality and what works will become the norm. Unless of course, the passion of greed suppress what works in the pursuit of personal gain.

Finding Meaning, Purpose, and Value

 

"An existential crisis is a moment at which an individual question if their life has meaning, purpose, or value"  (Richard K. James, Crisis intervention strategies, 2012).

Viktor Frankl called this frustration the will-to-meaning.  In other words, failing to find meaning and a sense of responsibility in this life.  Thinking about my addictions class at school, and some recovery meetings I've been to, this seems to be a common thread in the life of the person suffering from the condition of addiction.

This sense of meaningless also seems to stem from a deep sense of shame and feeling of worthlessness.  After all, if we have been made to feel defective and we believed that lie, then we conclude that our life has little to no meaning.

If there is one major positive outcome from giving our life to Jesus, it is that we begin to find meaning to life and meaning to our existence.  We begin to discover our true character and calling in life.  That's not to say that finding meaning in suffering causes all suffering and pain to end.  However, it does mean that even while dealing with painful situations that may trigger feelings of shame, we can still know that we have value and know that we have a destiny i.e. we have meaning to life regardless of present and future triggers or temptations.

Jesus clearly said that in this world we would have trouble, but he also said that we can be positive in the face of trouble because he overcame trouble.  Not only that, but he promises to make us over-comers of our trouble.  What this means is that trouble i.e. suffering, has at least one meaning and purpose and that it is to present us with an opportunity to build self-confidence, build our faith up in Christ, and make us more aware of our abilities.  In short, troubles give meaning our existence, and that is to learn to become an over-comer through our sufferings.  (Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 1:4 &6; 4:7-13, 17)

Being an over-comer can be as simple as organizing our room or as difficult as learning new behaviors and thought patterns as we recover from behaviors such as gambling, compulsive helping, toxic anger, sexual irresponsibility, excessive spending, or over-eating.  The reason these behaviors begin is that we lack a sense of meaning; Jesus said it best when he said he came to save the lost sheep.

I understand that the nature of sin may be involved, but we can't just tell someone to quit sinning so that they can find a sense of meaning.  Jesus said, come to me and I will give you rest, he did not say quit sinning and I will give your rest.

Sin may lead us to make poor choices but being lost and feeling worthless and meaningless happened through a process of decisions or substance use.  It will take a process of understanding the love of God and his valuation of us as priceless that begins to give us a sense of meaning and purpose.  (2 Corinthians 7:6) But God encourages those who are troubled.

I think I’m going to make a small series of teachings about finding meaning, value, and purpose in our life, regardless of the age bracket we currently find ourselves.