Study: Prayer doesn't affect heart patients

[no1JesusFreak2006]

NEW YORK (AP) -- In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that having people pray for heart bypass surgery patients had no effect on their recovery. In fact, patients who knew they were being prayed for had a slightly higher rate of complications.
Researchers emphasized their work does not address whether God exists or answers prayers made on another's behalf. The study can only look for an effect from prayers offered as part of the research, they said.
They also said they had no explanation for the higher complication rate in patients who knew they were being prayed for, in comparison to patients who only knew it was possible prayers were being said for them.
The work, which followed about 1,800 patients at six medical centers, was financed by the Templeton Foundation, which supports research into science and religion. It will appear in the American Heart Journal.
Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School and other scientists tested the effect of having three Christian groups pray for particular patients, starting the night before surgery and continuing for two weeks. The volunteers prayed for "a successful surgery with a quick, healthy recovery and no complications" for specific patients, for whom they were given the first name and first initial of the last name.
The patients, meanwhile, were split into three groups of about 600 apiece: those who knew they were being prayed for, those who were prayed for but only knew it was a possibility, and those who weren't prayed for but were told it was a possibility.
The researchers did not ask patients or their families and friends to alter any plans they had for prayer, saying such a step would have been unethical and impractical.
The study looked for any complications within 30 days of the surgery. Results showed no effect of prayer on complication-free recovery. But 59 percent of the patients who knew they were being prayed for developed a complication, versus 52 percent of those who were told it was just a possibility.
Dr. Harold G. Koenig, director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health at the Duke University Medical Center, who did not take part in the study, said the results did not surprise him.
"There are no scientific grounds to expect a result and there are no real theological grounds to expect a result either," he said.
Science, he said, "is not designed to study the supernatural."
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

More attempts to put down our faith by the media/scientific community in this country?

 

[JamMasterJaysus]

More attempts to put down our faith by the media/scientific community in this country?

I hear you, homeboy. Those scientific types are crashing our party

 

[Jesusmahomie]

I hear you, homeboy. Those scientific types are crashing our party

Yeah definately dawg. But when judgement day comes, they will know not to mess with the almighty Lord.

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

Interesting - this actually reverses what people were saying about 10 years ago. Back then they were saying that prayer HAD been scientifically demonstrated to have beneficial effects, and the non-spiritual folks were mystified as to how to account for this.

Unless that was just churchianity urban legends back then ... Readers' Digest -style anecdotal tripe ...

 

[mnphysicist]

Interesting, it runs counter to an earlier, and larger study.
http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=61047

And this is the study the AP article refers to.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...serid=10&md5=6a8a896479bcd5e40b2d7b46fef2a118

Otoh, this is an apples and orange scenario, and many additional factors were not included. Personally I happen to like Jesus parable of the mustard seed....

 

[seminarywifealicia]

What is interesting to me is how do they think they measured whether or not the prayers were effective. When loved ones are ill our family and friends typically pray for God's will while asking for healing. How dare they think they can know the mind of God.

 

[anticonformist]

What is interesting to me is how do they think they measured whether or not the prayers were effective. When loved ones are ill our family and friends typically pray for God's will while asking for healing. How dare they think they can know the mind of God.

I totally disagree with that. God works in strange and mysterious ways, and I for one have seen Him at work. I have had many heart problems, and all the doctors and specialists I went to said that it was cancer. But through it all, my friends and family were praying for me, and when I returned to the cariologist (Praise The Lord!), it turned out to be only a strong type of Tachycardia (rapid beating of the heart, sending up to much blood to the brain). I know that God was with me, and I KNOW that the prayers helped, because when two or more are together in His Name, He is with them.
When they say that people who have people praying for them only get worse, then maybe (no, definately) it was their time to go home to be with Jesus. God always answers with Yes No and Maybe. And whether or not we like the answer, he DOES. And all things work out to the Glory of Him!
People these days will do anything and everything to discredit Jesus. You wont see them attacking any other religions (ofcourse there are people who do) but Christianity is the number one threat to people everywhere, because people dont want to believe the truth.