Praying in hospital.

[modeller]

If being prayed for in hospital gives a patient comfort there is probably no harm but one should point out, that when a double blind experiment was carried out in the US ten years ago, on a large group of cardiac patients awaiting by-pass surgery , it was the group who were not prayed for who made the best recovery in both the short and long term.

[123everton]

That's funny, cos I heard of an experiment were the opposite was true.
The point of your question is?

[bednobs]

of course anyone "quoting" studies, makes themselves look like a complete idiot unless they actually include the study details so that people can read it and make up their own minds ....

in a recent study of answer bankers, it was conclusively proved that 95.45% of people just randomly make things up whenthey post.

See what i did there?

[WaldoMcFroog]

There have been many studies conducted on the efficacy of intercessionary prayer and both positive and negative results have been reported.

Methodology is often extremely problematic and many are significantly flawed. It should be noted that it is extremely difficult to run proper double-blind trails (not least because a necessary factor is God, who even if he existed could not be guaranteed to answer any prayers for intercession) and where there is no double blinding, it is impossible to determine the extent to which a placebo effect accounts for the observed effects.

A 2006 meta-study, which analysed the results of previous trials discovered that there was no benefit to patients as a consequence of intercessionary prayer.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/x7rtu32722 145572/

I know of at least one earlier meta-study that initially concluded there was some benefit, but upon further analysis and with the inclusion of more methodologically sound trials found the opposite.

It's a bit like the way that homeopaths claim there are scientific trials that show a benefit to their snake oil - they do exist, but they just happen to be the methodologically flawed ones. Strange that, innit?

In the specific case of the heart patients, it was concluded that the patients regarded the fact that they were being prayed for as indicative of the seriousness of their predicament and thus they experienced a negative reaction.

[modeller]

My point is ,123everton that when prayer is put to a test that can be verified, it fails, and it has nothing to do with the intensity or the numbers involved.. Think of the billions of prayers offered for Madeline Mc Cann all over the world, and the result . Nothing !

[Nannyjillx2]

How do you know what would happen if they didn't pray though?

[Ice.Maiden]

I think modeller made the best point of the post within the first two lines. If someone wishes to pray, or be prayed for, then it does no harm at all.
How many folk made recoveries during the US "experiment" has nothing to do with it, although there are still plenty of people who DO believe in the power of prayer.

[Nannyjillx2]

I do believe in the power of prayer but I also believe that prayer will not change what God has planned for you.

[Ice.Maiden]

In a round about way, I think that's what all of us think, be it a belief in some god, or just what personal fate has in store.

[Nannyjillx2]

yep I believe in God and some believe in fate /fait - can't spell it

Each to their own and we shouldn't condemn others who think differently to ourselves

[Ice.Maiden]

I agree, so long as it's hurting no one.

[Nannyjillx2]

Yep Ice Maiden I forgot about that good point

[Ice.Maiden]

I believe that each person has the right to believe in whatever they think's best, so long as it isn't forced down anyone's throat.

[Nannyjillx2]

I am quite a devout catholic but I wouldn't dream of preaching my religion to anyone.

If they ask I'll tell them but I don't preach the word so I'd have made a rotten disciple.

[naomi24]

To pick up on Waldo�s point, does praying for someone lead them to believe that their illness is more serious than they thought? I believe so, and that can negatively affect the patient�s own will to recover. Whilst prayer no doubt brings comfort to some, it does not engender innate personal determination. Positive thinking and strength of mind is vital to recovery. Whilst we believe the ability to defeat disease lies within ourselves, we�ll fight. Prayer equates to divesting ourselves of our ultimate responsibility, and hence, weakens our resolve, leaving us with only the frailty of hope.

[modeller]

We need also to remember that prayer and religion are not the same thing . Religion is a belief in a doctrine set out by man who claim to have contact with a supernatural entity, which of course can never be proved. On the other hand most people would like to believe that there is something outside what we perceive as reality, be it gods, spirits , aliens or fairies and it is to these entities that they are praying when all else has failed. Very occasionally their prayers are answered in the way they want and that of course reinforces their belief. They ignore all the failures because it undermines their basic need.

[Ethel]

Prayer brings comfort, maybe hope, to some people which can only be a positive thing in times of illness and distress.