Introspection
Right, so. This is an article on an interesting study done recently on intercessory prayer -- that is, prayer on the behalf of others, for their health or intentions or what have you. The article's short, so I vote y'all just read that, but the quick and dirty summary is like this:
Three groups were studied, all with statistically significant numbers. The prayers being said for them were for their health. Group A was told they might or might not be prayed for; they were prayed for; the incidence of complications was average. Group B was told they might or might not be prayed for; they were not; the incidence of complications was average.
Here's the interesting part, that a number of articles gloss over. Group C was told they would be prayed for; they were prayed for; the incidence of complications was significantly higher. One theory put forth is that knowing they were being prayed for induced "performance anxiety" -- kind of the placebo effect in reverse. Of course, another theory might be that God doesn't like being tested.
So my parents and I have been discussing all this for the last few days. We're all Roman Catholic (Dad as of a few weeks ago), and of course intercessory prayer is a big part of our religion. But with this fairly airtight evidence that it's either doing nothing or harming those we're praying for, what do we do?
Thus far, we haven't changed much. But I find it to be a bit of a conundrum. I'm not a very religious person, nor extraordinarily faithful, but I do occasionally ask Whoever is up there to spare a moment of time for my friends. If they don't know I'm praying for them, I guess I'm not doing any harm -- but if they ask me to pray for them, or keep my thoughts with them, or however it's put, do I put my faith in science and not pray for fear of causing more harm than good? Do I put my faith in the Church that prayer really will help them out? Or do I put my faith in my friends and their emotions, and the fact that they might feel better for the fact that I'm thinking of them, and that that might do more good than anything else?
I'm not expecting answers from anyone, of course. But I think the study is interesting enough information to disseminate.
Three groups were studied, all with statistically significant numbers. The prayers being said for them were for their health. Group A was told they might or might not be prayed for; they were prayed for; the incidence of complications was average. Group B was told they might or might not be prayed for; they were not; the incidence of complications was average.
Here's the interesting part, that a number of articles gloss over. Group C was told they would be prayed for; they were prayed for; the incidence of complications was significantly higher. One theory put forth is that knowing they were being prayed for induced "performance anxiety" -- kind of the placebo effect in reverse. Of course, another theory might be that God doesn't like being tested.
So my parents and I have been discussing all this for the last few days. We're all Roman Catholic (Dad as of a few weeks ago), and of course intercessory prayer is a big part of our religion. But with this fairly airtight evidence that it's either doing nothing or harming those we're praying for, what do we do?
Thus far, we haven't changed much. But I find it to be a bit of a conundrum. I'm not a very religious person, nor extraordinarily faithful, but I do occasionally ask Whoever is up there to spare a moment of time for my friends. If they don't know I'm praying for them, I guess I'm not doing any harm -- but if they ask me to pray for them, or keep my thoughts with them, or however it's put, do I put my faith in science and not pray for fear of causing more harm than good? Do I put my faith in the Church that prayer really will help them out? Or do I put my faith in my friends and their emotions, and the fact that they might feel better for the fact that I'm thinking of them, and that that might do more good than anything else?
I'm not expecting answers from anyone, of course. But I think the study is interesting enough information to disseminate.