Belief and skepticism Efficacy of prayer

1 belief , skepticism

1.1 medical views

1.1.1 medical skepticism
1.1.2 medical hopes
1.1.3 different approaches medicine


1.2 skepticism on scope of prayer
1.3 prayers , miracles
1.4 massive prayer

belief , skepticism
medical views
medical skepticism

an article in medical journal of australia says 1 common criticism of prayer research prayer has become popular therapeutic method there no known plausible mechanism.

medical professionals skeptical of new claims studies until have been experimentally reproduced , corroborated. instance, 2001 study researchers associated columbia university has been associated controversy, following claims of success in popular media.

medical hopes

in 20th century, florence nightingale, pioneer of modern nursing, believer in effects of prayer. wrote, when people seem unconscious, word of prayer reaches them .

today, although different medical studies have been @ odds 1 another, physicians have not stopped studying or recommending prayer. may partly because prayer increasingly used coping mechanism patients. according larry dossey m.d.: in 1993, 3 u.s. medical schools had courses devoted exploring role of religious practice , prayer in health; currently, 80 medical schools have instituted such courses , though many factors other efficacy of prayer involved in such courses.

different approaches medicine

apart traditional medicine, alternative approaches based on prayer have been proposed. prayer becoming increasingly used in approaches healing.

skepticism on scope of prayer

a family @ prayer

in debate/interview in newsweek christian evangelical rick warren, atheist sam harris commented lay perceptions of efficacy of prayer (personal impressions opposed empirical studies) related sampling error because know humans have terrible sense of probability. is, humans more inclined recognize confirmations of faith recognize disconfirmations.

harris criticized existing empirical studies limiting prayers relatively unmiraculous events, such recovery heart surgery. suggested simple experiment settle issue:

get billion christians pray single amputee. them pray god regrow missing limb. happens salamanders every day, presumably without prayer; within capacity of god. find interesting people of faith tend pray conditions self-limiting.

within christian teachings, comment harris regarding called self-limiting nature of prayer had been addressed years before multiple authors. instance, in 19th century william peabody discussed efficacy of prayer in face of called immutability of laws of nature. said:

night follows day, , day night. seasons preserve succession... may not hope suspend operation our prayers... , yet notwithstanding of this, hold in undoubting faith doctrine of efficacy of our prayers, or use language of another, of influence above diversified , unceasing requests below .

peabody argued @ length prayers may have efficacy in form not interfere arrangement of laws of nature, , god may respond in ways not anticipated, without changing arrangement of nature. george burnap echoed same concept when wrote:

god governs universe fixed , uniform laws, not sake of order, human good... fulfillment of every human desire break order, , bring disorder , confusion.

prayers , miracles

a group of women praying

the view expressed harris above regarding relatively unmiraculous petitions used in prayers has been addressed in religious circles in context of miraculous outcomes prayer. there different theological classifications of miracles, 1 of common being 3 categories: surpassing nature (latin supra naturam), against nature (latin contra naturam) , alongside nature (latin praeter naturam).

the raising of dead considered supra naturam event , not reported in theological writings beyond christian bible, ten resurrection events recorded. contra naturam events require significant changes order of world (e.g. regrowth of limbs) , hardly ever reported. praeter naturam events can proceed along laws of nature. have been reported in number of cases, , have been subject large amount of debate. examples include claims of miraculous cures @ pilgrimage site such our lady of lourdes. many of these claims have been analyzed , few have been accepted lourdes medical bureau.

massive prayer

the scientific measurement of efficacy of massive prayer requires coordination of activities of large number of people, , no direct citations existence of such studies appear in scientific literature. however, non-scientific instructions massive prayer have been issued in past, , conclusions effects of prayer have been drawn large number of believers, outside scientific framework.

in historical context, in 1571 pope pius v called of europe pray rosary victory @ battle of lepanto, in christian belligerents included papal states. trophies battle enshrined in various christian churches attribute victory massive prayers.

directions more massive, long term prayers provided messages of our lady of fatima reported lucia santos, stated virgin mary asked believers pray conversion of russia. 9-day fatima novena prayer includes petition conversion of russia. blessing pope pius xii (who called himself world chief against communism ) millions of members of blue army of our lady of fatima instructed pray several years in publications such soul magazine. christians attribute fall of communism in revolutions of 1989 massive prayers, while economists attribute them market forces , socioeconomic conditions.