Prayer Does Not Heal the Sick

[Crash]

<p><a title="In fact it might be bad for you." href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2112892,00.html" target="_self">In fact it might be bad for you.</a></p>

[UnknownPD]

<font size="2">Christ failed...let's try Allah</font>

[Judge Smails]

When I was back there in seminary school, there was a person there who put forth the proposition that you can petition the Lord with prayer. Petition the Lord with prayer.&nbsp; Petition the Lord with prayer. You cannot petition the Lord with prayer.<br /><br />

[Furtherman]

<p><strong><font color="#ffffff" size="1"><font color="#000000">Prayer Does Not Heal the Sick</font> </font></strong></p><p><font color="#000000" size="1">No shit.</font></p>

[Judge Smails]

<strong>Furtherman</strong> wrote:<br /><p><strong><font color="#ffffff" size="1"><font color="#000000">Prayer Does Not Heal the Sick</font> </font></strong></p><p><font color="#000000" size="1">No shit.</font></p><p>I'm trying to line up investors to fund my research to conclusively prove that stepping on cracks, in fact, will not break your mother's back.</p>

[FUNKMAN]

<p><strong><font size="1">Prayer Does Not Heal the Sick</font></strong> </p><p>They only heal the soul,,,,,,, brother!</p>

[angelinad128]

it really just to make the person who is praying fel comfortded. if it helps you cope, there is nothing wrong in doing it.

[Recyclerz]

<p><strong><font size="1">Prayer Does Not Heal the Sick</font></strong></p><p><font size="1">Maybe not, but it will get you laid.</font></p><p><font size="1">No, wait, that's pleading and whining that I'm thinking of.&nbsp; A little different.</font></p>

[Crash]

<p>What I find amazing is that someone actually said &quot;Look, I've got an idea for a study where I get a bunch of people to pray for pre- and post-operative heart patients. But I'm gonna need $2.4 million right quick. I'll take a check&quot;.</p><p>This is the reason I'm not rich. Never would have occured to me that anyone would take this seriously.</p>

[mendyweiss]

<img height="400" src="http://www.havelshouseofhistory.com/Rev%20Ike.jpg" width="263" border="0" />Now listen here, Rev Ike will heal you, for a little donation, also he will guarantee a life of PROSPERITY!!!

[FUNKMAN]

<p><strong><font size="1">Prayer Does Not Heal the Sick</font></strong> </p><p>oh yeah! then why is bon jovi living on it?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>kneeslapper</p>

[Recyclerz]

<p>Not a statisically valid poll but</p><p><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12083226/">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12083226/</a></p><p>54% of the people who bothered to click on the site say this study doesn't affect their belief that prayer can heal someone.</p><p>We are living through another &quot;Great Awakening&quot; style religious revival that rolls over this country periodically.&nbsp; And it feels pretty weird being on the outside, lemme tell ya.</p>

[SatCam]

Like anybody in the Church has a reason to trust modern science...

http://www.vega.org.uk/images/series/tnbt/endevolution/150.evolve.jpg

[FezPaul]

God always answers prayer....sometimes the answer is no.

[sr71blackbird]

Imagine what&nbsp;the&nbsp;Native American&nbsp;would say if we said that the medicine man was hogwash?<br />Prayer also helps those who pray for the sick, bacuse your reaching out to a higher power when you are powerless.&nbsp; Wether or not&nbsp;prayer actually makes a difference to the sick persons health is not nearly as important as prayers effect on the faith of the one praying for the sick.&nbsp; Anyone who has had a sick loved one in the hospital who was on deaths door and prayed for and whos prayers were answered by their survival would attest to their prayers being answered.&nbsp; But sooner or later, your loved one will die and your faith may be shaken, and if you were to lose faith and question a priest or rabbi or whoever, they will tell you that your prayers were not in vain, for other reasons.

[Furtherman]

<strong>sr71blackbird</strong> wrote:<br />Anyone who has had a sick loved one in the hospital who was on deaths door and prayed for and whos prayers were answered by their survival would attest to their prayers being answered.&nbsp; <p>But look at it from a realistic approach - they survived either due to medicine or the body healing itself, which can happen.&nbsp; Thier situation would have been the same as if the thought of prayer never existed.&nbsp; </p>

[Death Metal Moe]

<p>I think the point always was that prayer helped people who were believers, it put them in a more positive frame of mind and therefore with that better outlook they were more likely to heal.</p><p>It's all in your mind, and if prayer convinces your mind it's helping, it probably will.&nbsp; But I haven't had time to read that link yet.</p>

[DarkHippie]

I think prayer heals the sick, but in the was that laughter is the best medicine.&nbsp; Good morale is important to getting better, but it wont do the job by itself.

[Death Metal Moe]

<strong>Furtherman</strong> wrote:<br /><strong>sr71blackbird</strong> wrote:<br />Anyone who has had a sick loved one in the hospital who was on deaths door and prayed for and whos prayers were answered by their survival would attest to their prayers being answered.&nbsp; <p>But look at it from a realistic approach - they survived either due to medicine or the body healing itself, which can happen.&nbsp; Thier situation would have been the same as if the thought of prayer never existed.&nbsp; </p><p>That's the problem with faith.&nbsp; Can't really prove or disprove it.&nbsp; </p>

[TheMojoPin]

It makes far more sense that prayer puts people in a more optimistic or confident or postive state of mind, and that can most likely help people heal...but saying that the act of praying itself specifically heals or cures someone is flat out ridiculous, and I say that as someone who believes 100% in a higher power.&nbsp; Why would whoever is supposedly listening to these prayers only act on some of them and ignore the others?

[Furtherman]

<strong>TheMojoPin</strong> wrote:<br />Why would whoever is supposedly listening to these prayers only act on some of them and ignore the others? <p>Exactly.&nbsp; There lies the illogical.&nbsp; When people say, I'll pray for you, I feel a little bit of an insult... because it does nothing for me, but it is a selfish expression for the person claiming to pray.&nbsp; It makes them feel better.&nbsp; </p><p>I'd rather you make me some food.&nbsp; I'm sick, a little tired and not exactly running to the kitchen to make some food.&nbsp; Bake me some ziti and it will do more for me and everyone else than any of the &quot;gods&quot; could do.&nbsp; Mmmmm ziti.&nbsp; </p>

[legroommusic]

maybe the people who were prayed for in the study were Homos. You don't know.

[Death Metal Moe]

<strong>legroommusic</strong> wrote:<br />maybe the people who were prayed for in the study were Homos. You don't know. <p>Nice!</p>

[FUNKMAN]

<p>god's neat let's eat</p>

[sr71blackbird]

<strong>Furtherman</strong> wrote:<br /><strong>TheMojoPin</strong> wrote:<br />Why would whoever is supposedly listening to these prayers only act on some of them and ignore the others? <p>Exactly.&nbsp; There lies the illogical.&nbsp; When people say, I'll pray for you, I feel a little bit of an insult... because it does nothing for me, but it is a selfish expression for the person claiming to pray.&nbsp; It makes them feel better.&nbsp; </p><p>I'd rather you make me some food.&nbsp; I'm sick, a little tired and not exactly running to the kitchen to make some food.&nbsp; Bake me some ziti and it will do more for me and everyone else than any of the &quot;gods&quot; could do.&nbsp; Mmmmm ziti.&nbsp; </p><p>Why would you feel insulted if someone said they would pray for you if you were ill?&nbsp; By your logic, you shouldnt then feel insulted if they said they hoped you take a turn for the worse and then they said they did a satanic ritual on your behalf.&nbsp; When things are beyond your power to control, what else can you do?&nbsp; What else can you say?&nbsp; Or are you saying that if a person who you always cared for was to get very ill and they asked you if you would keep them in your prayers, that you would refuse them this? Would you not attend their funeral service?&nbsp; Im not a religious zelot, but I do know that there are people who have strong undying faith in God and for them, knowing that their&nbsp;name&nbsp;is being petitioned makes them feel a little better.&nbsp; Thats what its really all about I think.&nbsp; <br />Maybe when we think about this in a differnt way, it clarifies it. After 911, when we heard about Osama bin Laden, virtually every American hated this person and all wanted him caught and brought to justice with feelings of great intensity.&nbsp; Did this cumulative wish manifest into reality?&nbsp; Does millions of Islamic extremists fondest wish for ill will to befall on Bush or the US actually cause anything to happen?</p>

[Death Metal Moe]

<p>Why would you feel insulted if someone said they would pray for you if you were ill?&nbsp; By your logic, you shouldnt then feel insulted if they said they hoped you take a turn for the worse and then they said they did a satanic ritual on your behalf.&nbsp; When things are beyond your power to control, what else can you do?&nbsp; What else can you say?&nbsp;</p><p>How about you say &quot;If you need anything, I'll actually do it instead of putting all my hopes into my imaginary man in the sky to do the right thing.&quot;&nbsp; And don't forget, the guy you're going to pray to is the same one who let this horrible thing happen to the person you're praying for.</p><p>They've done enough.</p>

[Bulldogcakes]

<p>&nbsp;</p><strong>Death Metal Moe</strong> wrote:<br /><p>I think the point always was that prayer helped people who were believers, it put them in a more positive frame of mind and therefore with that better outlook they were more likely to heal.</p><p>It's all in your mind, and if prayer convinces your mind it's helping, it probably will. But I haven't had time to read that link yet.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>There's something to be said for that. If someone you love is sick, you feel powerless to help them. So prayer makes you feel like you're doing something. Cant hurt. And if it makes someone in that spot feel better, then it serves that purpose, if no other. <br /> </p><p>Its like funerals, they're for the living too. The person they're gathering for doesn't care how many flowers are there or how good a job the coroner did. &nbsp;</p><blockquote /><p>&nbsp;</p>

[keithy_19]

<p>I can only speak from experience. While I was in the hospital for a bad bout with multiple sclerosis I had many people pray for me. From my school, from my local church, friends of the family, ect. Maybe those prayers did nothing for me medically, but it sure as hell made me smile and feel glad knowing people cared enough to think of me during my time of crisis. </p><p>I also feel that positive thought does a tremendous amount. A neighbor of mine, an elderly lady was diagnosed with cancer. She went through chemo and they thought they had stopped the cancer. After a follow up test, they found that the cancer had not beens topped. Her husband was the one they told. Instead of telling her, he decided to elt her live out the next three months (that's what the doctors gave her to live) without being scared. Three months turned into three year and she died of old age. Power of positive thought and thinking you're healthy does wonders. </p>

[Death Metal Moe]

<p>I'd believe that all the &quot;Good Karma&quot; people put out wishing you well helped you before I ever believed your petitions to a God were answered.</p>

[Furtherman]

<strong>sr71blackbird</strong> wrote:<br /><blockquote /><p>Why would you feel insulted if someone said they would pray for you if you were ill?&nbsp; By your logic, you shouldnt then feel insulted if they said they hoped you take a turn for the worse and then they said they did a satanic ritual on your behalf.&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>There is no difference in praying to a god or to a devil.&nbsp; The Church of Satan themselves can curse me every Tuesday for all I care... it will never make a difference in my life.</p><p>I would never just say to someone &quot;I won't pray for you because it won't help&quot;, because that's just being a meanie.</p><p>I will say &quot;I'll keep a good thought for you&quot;, because that's all you can really do, is hope someone gets better.</p>

[landarch]

<strong>Recyclerz</strong> wrote:<br /><p>We are living through another &quot;Great Awakening&quot; style religious revival that rolls over this country periodically.&nbsp; And it feels pretty weird being on the outside, lemme tell ya.</p><p>I didn't read past this post yet, but I found this very interesting.&nbsp; When would you say the last one hit us, and can you name others?&nbsp; I'm not challenging you, just looking for examples other than the one I think I am thinking of, which seems to be around Huck Finn/Tom Sawyer times.&nbsp; </p><p>I'm living on the outside of this one too.&nbsp; 8-10 years ago, back in Mississippi, I began to notice that the shows on the station I had dubbed &quot;Church TV&quot; began to look and sound a lot stranger than before.&nbsp;&nbsp;Football stadiums full&nbsp;of crying people with their hands in the air sure was a far cry from the church I, or anyone I knew&nbsp;had grown up in.&nbsp; Since then, I have noticed a growth of this and other modern ideas and practices that I don't have the time now to research and specify.&nbsp; For me, it and other factors has served only to push me further to the outside of this &quot;movement&quot;.&nbsp; </p><p>On the flip side of this, I have also seen a counter-movement of people who seem to be saying &quot;hey, don't be so ridiculous.&nbsp; You don't still beleive in Santa Claus, do you?, etc&quot;</p>

[PapaBear]

<p>One example would be in the early to mid 1980's when the Moral Majority had so much influence. The religious right had a very strong influence over politics in that era.</p><p>I think the temperance movement of the early 20th century would count, too.</p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by PapaBear on 4-3-06 @ 2:38 PM</span>

[landarch]

Yep, there's one I had neglected to think of.&nbsp; I was young then so all I remember is &quot;moral majority&quot; being a regular buzz word on the news every night.&nbsp; It'll be interesting (scary) to see where this one leads, assuming our current movement is any way related to the last one.&nbsp; Doesn't help that our president talks to angels

[PapaBear]

<p>This one will fade away just like all the others. That is unless they do something drastic while the ball is still rolling... such as nuke all the non-Christians. I remember thinking (back in the 80's) that it would never end. Especially when the first Bush followed Reagan. But then Bush did such a lousy job, that the pendulum swung the other way.</p><p>I wouldn't be surprised if it happens again. Bush will finish his second term, another&nbsp;Conservative will win after him, fail to be reelected, and it will be party time again.</p>

[Doctor Manhattan]

<p><a href="http://www.ronfez.net/messageboard/viewmessages.cfm/forum/87/topic/49495">Prayer Does Not Heal the Sick</a> </p><p><font color="#000066" size="2">But that guy told Tony that it does. He also said Man and Dinosaurs were together on earth (which is only 6000 years old)</font></p><p><img src="http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/167/ep69019sq.jpg" border="0" /></p>

[Judge Smails]

<p>Here's a new study that says <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4876666.stm" target="_self">going to church may extend your life</a>.</p><p>So, I guess the lesson here is to go to church regularly, just make sure not to pray while you're there.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[Furtherman]

Unanswerable Prayers (http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/10/hitchens-201010?currentPage=1)

Brilliant, yet simply a man who can face the facts and truth of the absurd selfishness too many indulge.

[KatPw]

Unanswerable Prayers (http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/10/hitchens-201010?currentPage=1)

Brilliant, yet simply a man who can face the facts and truth of the absurd selfishness too many indulge.

It's really a win-win for the praying people. If Hitchens is cured they will claim God and their prayers healed him, if he dies they can claim that it's because he's an Atheist. The only ones I see "losing" are the ones that are praying for him to die; if he does not die they have to either admit their prayers weren't answered or that the people praying for him to recover over-rode their death prayers.
Believers are a funny lot.

[angrymissy]

I have never been prouder to be an Atheist. These people disgust me.

Who else feels Christopher Hitchens getting terminal throat cancer [sic] was God’s revenge for him using his voice to blaspheme him? Atheists like to ignore FACTS. They like to act like everything is a “coincidence”. Really? It’s just a “coincidence” [that] out of any part of his body, Christopher Hitchens got cancer in the one part of his body he used for blasphemy? Yea, keep believing that Atheists. He’s going to writhe in agony and pain and wither away to nothing and then die a horrible agonizing death, and THEN comes the real fun, when he’s sent to HELLFIRE forever to be tortured and set afire.

[Furtherman]

If laughter truly is the best medicine, Hitchens will be fine.

[A.J.]

I have never been prouder to be an Atheist. These people disgust me.

Christianity: religion of peace and tolerance.

If you maintain that god awards the appropriate cancers, you must also account for the numbers of infants who contract leukemia. Devout persons have died young and in pain. Bertrand Russell and Voltaire, by contrast, remained spry until the end, as many psychopathic criminals and tyrants have also done. These visitations, then, seem awfully random. While my so far uncancerous throat, let me rush to assure my Christian correspondent above, is not at all the only organ with which I have blasphemed …

:laugh: