All the World's Problems; Was, Can wizards cure cancer?

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 125763


Lupinlore: " To put it even more strictly, let us suppose wizards are
capable of curing cancer (we know they don't suffer from it, at any
rate). I grant you there is nothing in the books that says this, but
let's suppose for an example. By holding themselves apart and denying
muggles the cures they can provide, are they not guilty of a grave sin
of omission, in effect murder by implied consent?"

"Carol responds: As Nora has frequently pointed out, argument from
absence isn't a very solid argument. IOW, just because the narrator
hasn't mentioned any wizards dying from cancer doesn't mean that "we
*know* they don't suffer from it." 

Absolutely, it doesn't even suggest anything at all strongly.

Carol: "Note that St. Mungo's is not a hospital of the type we're
familiar with. It doesn't treat cancer or heart disease or perform
surgery (stitches are an alien treatment used by Muggle doctors, who
are regarded with suspicion by both Ron and Mrs. Weasley). "

We don't know this, either, for the same reason. We just haven't seen
it.  Some of what Madame Pomfrey does could be considered [magical]
surgery. Bloodless and painless to be sure, but something akin to
surgery.  Wizard Healers might treat both cancer and heart disease
with varying degrees of success.

Without meaning to, Lupinlore answered the question why wizards don't
dare reveal themselves.  If the wizard world has some kind of moral
obligation to fix things like cancer, then wizards have a lot to
answer for if they ever come out.  Even if wizards can't cure cancer,
a lot of people won't believe it, and will think wizards are guilty of
grave sins of omission, in effect murder, for everything from cancer
to heart disease to not preventing 9/11 or the tsunami, and nobody
will be listening to explanations.  

It won't be long before people believe that wizards are running things
behind the scenes to suit themselves. It'll be a short step for some
people from believing that the wizards could have prevented the
tsunami to believing wizards **caused** the tsunami for some purpose
of their own.  We live in a conspiracy theory world.

 Envy, resentment, and persecution are almost sure to follow if the
wizard world reveals itself.

Jim Ferer