Another example of trying to find scientific evidence to support faith truths and practices: "Does Intercession Work?"
I thought the analysis of the limitations of the study was helpful, but again, it all seems to be a little beside the point. All this focus on the "most effective" way to pray is, I'm sure, important to the ones asking for prayers, but where is the reflection on prayer's role in helping us to see that we are all interconnected, and that our connections to other people are what can help us to draw closer to God?
There are many assumptions made in religious communities about the reasons for and value of prayer that cannot legitimately be analyzed in a scientific study, and there are many understandings of prayer that go way beyond the "vending machine" approach to God or spirituality (put your token prayer in, get your healing effect out). I'm no naysayer of science and medicine, by any means, but I think a holistic approach to health and wellbeing - one that takes into account the psychological and spiritual as well as the physical - by definition cannot be broken down into the cumulative effect of partial approaches.
In other news, I'm going to see a play tonight called "Praying with my eyes open." I'll let you know if they have anything new to add to the scientific study's results.
No comments:
Post a Comment