Anti-Medicine Doctrine
Continuing the doctrine of John Alexander Dowie, William Branham coerced his listeners to believe that they should rely upon their faith for healing instead of doctors or medicine. According to Branham, medication could only assist in healing and was ineffective in producing a cure.[1] His strategy matched that of Dowie, which aligned with leading members of his campaign team who were trained in Dowie's Zion compound or by Dowie's teaching, such as Gordon Lindsay and F. F. Bosworth. Examples were given of which current medication of the era could only assist in healing, while it was insinuated that medications that did exist to cure disease were of little value.[2]
Continuing the doctrine of John Alexander Dowie, William Branham coerced his listeners to believe that they should rely upon their faith for healing instead of doctors or medicine. According to Branham, medication could only assist in healing and was ineffective in producing a cure.[1] His strategy matched that of Dowie, which aligned with leading members of his campaign team who were trained in Dowie's Zion compound or by Dowie's teaching, such as Gordon Lindsay and F. F. Bosworth. Examples were given of which current medication of the era could only assist in healing, while it was insinuated that medications that did exist to cure disease were of little value.[2]
Instead of encouraging listeners to seek medical help for their diseases and afflictions (which would have had a direct impact to his revenue stream), William Branham warned his listeners that medication would bring death to their household. He often gave examples of his father and his son to dissuade listeners from taking medication.
My daddy was killed with a dose of medicine, my own father. The doctor come up to see him; he had something wrong with his heart. He give him a little tablet; he lived five minutes. We called in another doctor, and he said, "Well, he—he give him strychnine.” And he went and took that strychnine; it was a half grain of strychnine. He said, "I knowed your dad,” said, "His—his heart wouldn’t of stood a fortieth of a grain of strychnine.” But a dose of medicine killed my daddy. A dose of medicine almost killed my boy, Billy Paul. About two years, three years ago, Billy Paul got into a habit, got running around there, and that’s the reason I had to send him to Waxahachie, to the school. Our public school, with the bunch of little boys and things, all smoking cigarettes and things. And Billy come up home one day and said, "How you getting along, daddy?”[3]
Even for common infections, for which penicillin has been proven to be both harmless and highly effective, Branham influenced his audience to seek his healing power instead of doctors. He warned his listeners that hundreds of people were dying after receiving an injection of penicillin.[4] He claimed to know how medicine was produced, and exactly how "dangerous" the medical community could be.[5] Though his exact sources were never given, Branham claimed that the medical community was in favor of his "divine healing" doctrine over their medication. He frequently mentioned doctors at the Mayo Clinic who allegedly confirmed that medication did not exist to cure disease.[6]
While Branham never specifically instructed his listeners not to take medication, he frequently advised against it. He warned them that medication was poisonous, like arsenic, and would kill them. If his listeners did not heed his warning, decided to take medication, and died, Branham said that it was "your own fault after that".[7] He said that humans that took medication were "guinea pigs", and that medicine was dangerous.[8] According to Branham, diseases of the modern world exist because of medication, and without medication, people would be healthy.[9]
References
[1] ex: Branham, William. Fellowship. 1955, Aug, 13. Fellowship (55-0813). "1955/13/08 Fellowship And all good things comes from God. What will we do if we had no doctors, had no health and hygiene, and—and had no hospitals? Wouldn't it be awful? But remember, there isn't one thi—or one dose of medicine that can heal you. There's no doctor will tell you so. I have been interviewed by some of the greatest doctors of the world. I've been to Mayos' clinics for interview…(Mayo)…And many of the fine doctors come to my home to be prayed for. So they say with a big sign; "We do not claim to be healers. There is only one Healer; that is God. We only claim to assist nature." (Assist.) So if the greatest clinic in the world said that, well, that ought to settle it. We'll get into teaching later in the week, but I want to show you how simple healing is. Perhaps, if I cut my hand with a knife…Now, listen close. There isn't a medicine in the world that can heal a knife cut. Now, just be reverent and just use your thinking. There's not a kni…not a medicine that can heal a knife cut. If a medicine was here would heal a knife cut, it would heal a knife cut in my coat. It would heal a knife cut on this desk. If it'd heal a knife cut, it'd heal a knife cut anywhere. Water that would be wet in here would be wet outside. A medicine that would heal a cut in my hand, would heal a cut in my coat William ex: Branham And all good things comes from God. What will we do if we had no doctors, had no health and hygiene, and—and had no hospitals? Wouldn't it be awful? But remember, there isn't one thi—or one dose of medicine that can heal you. There's no doctor will tell you so. I have been interviewed by some of the greatest doctors of the world. I've been to Mayos' clinics for interview…(Mayo)…And many of the fine doctors come to my home to be prayed for. So they say with a big sign; "We do not claim to be healers. There is only one Healer; that is God. We only claim to assist nature." (Assist.) So if the greatest clinic in the world said that, well, that ought to settle it. We'll get into teaching later in the week, but I want to show you how simple healing is. Perhaps, if I cut my hand with a knife…Now, listen close. There isn't a medicine in the world that can heal a knife cut. Now, just be reverent and just use your thinking. There's not a kni…not a medicine that can heal a knife cut. If a medicine was here would heal a knife cut, it would heal a knife cut in my coat. It would heal a knife cut on this desk. If it'd heal a knife cut, it'd heal a knife cut anywhere. Water that would be wet in here would be wet outside. A medicine that would heal a cut in my hand, would heal a cut in my coat."
[2] Branham, William. Fellowship. 1955, Aug, 13. Fellowship (55-0813). "1955/13/08 Fellowship . What will we do if we had no doctors, had no health and hygiene, and—and had no hospitals? Wouldn't it be awful? But remember, there isn't one thi—or one dose of medicine that can heal you. There's no doctor will tell you so. I have been interviewed by some of the greatest doctors of the world. I've been to Mayos' clinics for interview…(Mayo)…And many of the fine doctors come to my home to be prayed for William Branham . What will we do if we had no doctors, had no health and hygiene, and—and had no hospitals? Wouldn't it be awful? But remember, there isn't one thi—or one dose of medicine that can heal you. There's no doctor will tell you so. I have been interviewed by some of the greatest doctors of the world. I've been to Mayos' clinics for interview…(Mayo)…And many of the fine doctors come to my home to be prayed for."
[3] Branham, William. Come, Let Us Reason Together. 1955, Oct, 4. Come, Let Us Reason Together (55-1004). "1955/04/10 Come, Let Us Reason Together Come, Let Us Reason Together (55-1004) William Branham Come, Let Us Reason Together (55-1004)."
[4] Branham, William. Come, Let Us Reason Together. 1955, Oct, 4. Come, Let Us Reason Together (55-1004). "1955/04/10 Come, Let Us Reason Together Let me tell you, if it hadn't been for God, a dose of medicine would've killed my boy. Nothing nigh it, penicillin's helped a many on sulfa drug and thing, on the battlefront for the boys and things like that, but you have to watch, it's killed hundreds. That's right William Branham Let me tell you, if it hadn't been for God, a dose of medicine would've killed my boy. Nothing nigh it, penicillin's helped a many on sulfa drug and thing, on the battlefront for the boys and things like that, but you have to watch, it's killed hundreds. That's right."
[5] Branham, William. Why. 1960, Mar, 9. Why? (60-0309). "1960/09/03 Why Now, why—how do they find medicines? How do they find about a remedy, how to give medicine? The first thing, they take it into the laboratories and begin to mix different chemicals together, and they come to an idea, that this thing tested against a certain germ, that it kills the germ, and leaves the good germ of life live. Sometimes, it kills off the antibiotics and so forth, to take off some of the good germs, the good and bad. But usually, it's tested to kill the bad germ for your body. And then, there—next thing they do, they get a guinea pig, and they inject this serum into the guinea pig, that's—they give him the disease, and see how it acts in the body of a guinea pig. If the guinea pig survives it, then they give it to you. And now, all people—it won't work on all people, because sometimes they can give you a—like a dose of penicillin, it'll—it'll help one, and kill the next one he gives it to. You—you have to take a chance on it, when you're taking medicine, because it's not perfect William Branham Now, why—how do they find medicines? How do they find about a remedy, how to give medicine? The first thing, they take it into the laboratories and begin to mix different chemicals together, and they come to an idea, that this thing tested against a certain germ, that it kills the germ, and leaves the good germ of life live. Sometimes, it kills off the antibiotics and so forth, to take off some of the good germs, the good and bad. But usually, it's tested to kill the bad germ for your body. And then, there—next thing they do, they get a guinea pig, and they inject this serum into the guinea pig, that's—they give him the disease, and see how it acts in the body of a guinea pig. If the guinea pig survives it, then they give it to you. And now, all people—it won't work on all people, because sometimes they can give you a—like a dose of penicillin, it'll—it'll help one, and kill the next one he gives it to. You—you have to take a chance on it, when you're taking medicine, because it's not perfect."
[6] ex: Branham, William. Earnestly Contending For The Faith That Was Once Delivered Unto The Saints. 1956, Apr, 19. Earnestly Contending For The Faith That Was Once Delivered Unto The Saints (56-0419). "1956/19/04 Earnestly Contending For The Faith That Was Once Delivered Unto The Saints William ex: Branham There's never one dose of medicine ever healed a person. And no—no doctor ever claimed to be a healer. 7 I was interviewed at Mayos' Clinic, they said, "We don't profess to be healers. We profess to assist nature; God's the Healer."
[7] Branham, William. Questions And Answers On Hebrews #3. 1957, Oct, 6. Questions And Answers On Hebrews #3 (57-1006). "1957/06/10 Questions And Answers On Hebrews #3 Well, listen! You say, "Well, I tell you, I was taught that." You know better now! That's right. If you or somebody start to take a dose of medicine, and somebody tells you it's arsenic, and you—and you go ahead and take it anyhow, that's your own fault after that. See William Branham Well, listen! You say, "Well, I tell you, I was taught that." You know better now! That's right. If you or somebody start to take a dose of medicine, and somebody tells you it's arsenic, and you—and you go ahead and take it anyhow, that's your own fault after that. See?"
[8] Branham, William. Balm In Gilead. 1961, Feb, 18. Balm In Gilead (61-0218). "1961/18/02 Balm In Gilead Now, medicine, so much for…It's dangerous to take. But oh, you might get by with not taking the doctor's toxin, but you can't get by without God's Toxin, His Balm. Can't do it. It'll—it…You sure can't do it. And then, how do they find toxin? Well, some science reads up a whole lot of stuff and they boil it together, and put it in test tubes and so forth, and boil it. After awhile when they get down to they think they got it, they shoot it into guinea pig. And if he survives it, then they shoot it in you. Right. And you know, medicine will kill some people and help some others. Penicillin has killed as many as it's helped about. That's right. I was reading the other day where a nurse take penicillin for the last fifteen years or more, and she took a dose and it killed her instantly. See? Now, you see, it'll kill some and it'll help the others, because all people are not made like guinea pigs. So we see that—that, that's the reason it helps some and—and—and kills the other. That's right William Branham Now, medicine, so much for…It's dangerous to take. But oh, you might get by with not taking the doctor's toxin, but you can't get by without God's Toxin, His Balm. Can't do it. It'll—it…You sure can't do it. And then, how do they find toxin? Well, some science reads up a whole lot of stuff and they boil it together, and put it in test tubes and so forth, and boil it. After awhile when they get down to they think they got it, they shoot it into guinea pig. And if he survives it, then they shoot it in you. Right. And you know, medicine will kill some people and help some others. Penicillin has killed as many as it's helped about. That's right. I was reading the other day where a nurse take penicillin for the last fifteen years or more, and she took a dose and it killed her instantly. See? Now, you see, it'll kill some and it'll help the others, because all people are not made like guinea pigs. So we see that—that, that's the reason it helps some and—and—and kills the other. That's right."
[9] Branham, William. Thirst. 1965, Sep, 19. Thirst (65-0919). "1965/19/09 Thirst I was in Africa where I'd see them boys that never had a dose of medicine in their life. They eat meat that had maggots in it. They drank out of a pool that it looked like would kill an ox. And I was shooting a target at two hundred yards, and I couldn't see it with a pair of seven-fifty binoculars. And a man my age was standing there, telling me where it was hit, with his naked eye. Now, if all this modern culture has done something…I feel if I had his eyes and his stomach, I would be a pretty good man William Branham I was in Africa where I'd see them boys that never had a dose of medicine in their life. They eat meat that had maggots in it. They drank out of a pool that it looked like would kill an ox. And I was shooting a target at two hundred yards, and I couldn't see it with a pair of seven-fifty binoculars. And a man my age was standing there, telling me where it was hit, with his naked eye. Now, if all this modern culture has done something…I feel if I had his eyes and his stomach, I would be a pretty good man."