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Prayer Does Not Help Heart Patients
mu22le writes "A recent study conducted by the Duke University Medical Center on 700 patients, found that having people pray for heart bypass surgery patients had no effect on their recovery. Researchers emphasized their work does not address whether God exists or answers prayers made on another's behalf.
This result seems to contradict a previous study by the same authors that reported "cardiac patients who received intercessory prayer in addition to coronary stenting appeared to have better clinical outcomes than those treated with standard stenting therapy alone"."
In other news... wishing upon a star will not make dreams come true. Details at 11.
Now that they have two conflicting results they'll need a new grant to conduct another study so they can conclude which of their first two studies was correct. Yay! 5 more years of research funding.
You never really know how close to the edge you can go until you fall off.
Cthulhu was displeased with the family's offerings.
Unfortunatley since they awoken the great Ancient one with their pleas for mercy, the heart patients and their family (and next of kin and family pets) will be eaten first and slowly.
"I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
-Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
Of course the real problem is that God is too busy helping rappers get their bling bling. This is obvious if you've ever watched a music awards show.
Religion for nerds. Stuff that really matters
"Prayer comes from the heart, and can't be done in a cold and scientific manner in the name of research." (emphasis mine)
Well, obviously then, the reason the prayer didn't work is that the patients all had defective hearts.
Even as a heartless bastard, though, I can attest that at least some of my prayers to The One Who Lies Dead but Dreaming have been answered. Though not all those prayers involved positive thoughts.
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
Perhaps the real reason is that the people studied were not worthy of divine intervention? Did anyone check their level of evil before praying for them?
...But I digress. TREMBLE PUNY HUMANS!ONE DAY MY SPECIES WILL DESTROY YOU ALL!
Exactly. But I certainly hope you weren't referring to the Flying Spaghetti Monster and His noodly appendage, otherwise I'm going to have to ask you to step outside.
http://www.rootstrikers.org/
> They put the control group inside a Faraday cage.
And the test group in a Prayer-a-day cage?
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Now I don't buy into the whole story either, but as devils advocate I feel I must point out not every kind of life was included in the ark. God in his infinite wisdom did not see fit to include fish or other sea life in the ark.
The days of the digital watch are numbered.
Oh, I see..The scientist were praying wrong ... Well that explains everything then...
"But this one goes to 11!"
> none of the praying people were vested in the lives of those being prayed for
I am sure they thought they were. Most religous people pray for others they don't know.
>all this study does is confirm that either (1) there is no
>God or (2) God isn't amused by pseudoscientific studies.
Or God prefers to punish those who pray for him. Least thats what I read from the study.
Obviously the One True God got pissed off that the researchers couldn't even decide which one of them He was, so He sat this one out.
Wow. Just.. wow. I can't believe I just read those words. Can I sig that?
This has to be one of the funnest statements ever made on Slashdot. Your logic is completely impenetrable. Kudos!
If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
Greetings slashdot Christians! I have to say, that I'm not in the least bit surprised that God declined this opportunity to be used as a drug. However, "carefully examining the role of the human spirit in healthcare does not diminish its mystery, but it separates the mystery from the question of utility in healthcare practice," Krucoff said. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16 I would like to remind the world that the reason prayer even works in the first place is because the Almighty God who is listening to the prayer decides to contiually look upon us with His grace and mercy. It works because GOD chooses, not because man chooses. It wrenches my heart to think that God may choose to decline the prayers of so many based on the faults of a few men. Ultimatly though, He is a jealous God, and a force NOT to be reckoned with. I might also add, while His grace reaches to all men, saved and unsaved, His promises to never leave nor forsake, to answer when we call, and to take us home to heaven are made explicitly for those who believe and follow Him.
This reminds me of a great bash.org quote that I'd like to share with you all:
Fractured Element
Silly people -- did they really believe the Flying Spaghetti Monster would allow his plans to be unraveled by such a blatent manipulation? Hasn't he said, "Thou shalt not tempt thy FSM, except it be with grated cheese?" These silly mortals have no idea who they're messing with. Beware the noodly appendage filled with wrath!