Hi Jim,

I agree with much of what you posted here...but i also think you are missing the mark in several areas.

1.  science benefits from people that do not believe in it's conclusions...and oftentimes in such a case, scientific conclusions are proven "wrong".  thalidomide is not safe for a developing fetus, despite the "science" that showed it was beneficial...would it really matter if one declined to take thalidomide because their psycic told them not to or because they had read the literature and had doubts?  in both cases they would still be a data point for scientific study showing what happens when thalidomide is not adminstered.  wrt beekeeping, one might consider the scientifically accepted role of bees in flower pollination.  from "beekeeping tips and topics" by jaycox, p111-112:
"Pastor Sprengel wrote a book about his observations.  However, instead of renown for his writing, he acquired only problems.  Scientists ignored him, he lost is pastorage, and he was forced to teach languages and conduct botanical field trips on saturdays to make a living.  much of our present knowledge about pollination has been built on the observations made by Konrad Sprengel during his lifetime, which ended in 1816."

2.  your willingness to discount belief in reincarnation as a sign of ignorance would hold more water (imho) if you were also willing to add "virgin birth" and "resurrection" to that litany.  i don't know your own religious/spiritual beliefs/worldview/whatever...and it doesn't much matter to me.  i know enough smart (even brilliant) christians who are scientifically minded _and_ believe in virgin birth/resurrection that i can't simply discount everything they say because i don't believe in the same things....likewise with hindus and reincarnation.

that said, i do share your concern about apitherapy.  there are likely some easily demonstrated benefits to many products of the hive...and there is a real risk/tendancy to group these in with "a magic cure for death" or somesuch....diluting the truth and making it less accessable to those who apply critical thinking.  unfortunately, in our current system of things, it is near impossible to do good research in this area (and others) due to the fact that there is nothing propriatary to sell...which is why we are seeing specific honey from specific places and "engineered hive products" studied.

my gf/beekeeping parter has attended one of the biodynamic beekeeping weekends at the pfieffer center a few years ago, and got a lot out of it.  but neither of us think of it as "truth".

deknow

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