"Is Prayer Good Medicine" lecture

Rose · 13th November 2005, 12:20 PM

Just finished attending this lecture at the Virginia EMS Symposium. The class/discussion was off to a rough start when it turned out the original presenter had to bow out. A family emergency had a child in the hospital....

One of the state employees stepped up to the plate, one who happened to be an ordained minister. The discussion, such as it was, went fairly predictably. Some quotes of a University of Virginia study, more quotes from other sources indicating that faith plays a positive role in personal health( a point I tried to point out was different than that of the effectiveness of prayer). The bulk of the time was spent in what amounted to personal testimonials on how prayer helped people, or how "intuition" saved them from bad outcomes.

I limited my responses during the discussion, simply because it was self defeating to try to "shoot down" every example. I did try to correct certain misconceptions about science. There was an insinuation that science tries to "disprove" God or "hates" God because God can't be seen or touched.

All in all a disappointment in how the whole thing went. I dont have any idea of what direction the original presenter might have gone. But of the 26 people there, only one other expressed something that could be construed as a low key statement of criticism, and one other holding to more of a "new age" nebulous form of theism. I've submitted a suggestion to have a discussion along the lines of "Religion in the back of the Bus", a look at what sort of discussions, if any, are appropriate in the EMS setting. We'll know in a few months if the idea sells.

pgwenthold · 15th November 2005, 06:37 AM

Did anyone point out the irony of how the original presenter couldn't make it because they had to bring a child to the hospital? They could have just prayed for her...

Rose · 15th November 2005, 05:51 PM

I didn't voice it aloud. I was trying not to alienate the group( or at least that half of the audience that didnt tune me out as soon as it was apparant I wasn't buying into the group mindthink and testimonials). I tried to keep it civil, and settled for noting that there is a difference between believing in a diety and suffering fewer health problems, and actual prayer affecting a cure. I'm hoping to see a related topic next year, perhaps with the original speaker being able to make it. It will be interesting to see if she believes it was the hospitalization or the prayers that did her child the most good...

Ceritus · 16th November 2005, 12:06 AM

Here in an interesting site talking about prayer and its effect on physical health. http://www.acu-cell.com/sh.html

13th November 2005, 12:20 PM	#1
Rose Thinker Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 154	"Is Prayer Good Medicine" lecture Just finished attending this lecture at the Virginia EMS Symposium. The class/discussion was off to a rough start when it turned out the original presenter had to bow out. A family emergency had a child in the hospital.... One of the state employees stepped up to the plate, one who happened to be an ordained minister. The discussion, such as it was, went fairly predictably. Some quotes of a University of Virginia study, more quotes from other sources indicating that faith plays a positive role in personal health( a point I tried to point out was different than that of the effectiveness of prayer). The bulk of the time was spent in what amounted to personal testimonials on how prayer helped people, or how "intuition" saved them from bad outcomes. I limited my responses during the discussion, simply because it was self defeating to try to "shoot down" every example. I did try to correct certain misconceptions about science. There was an insinuation that science tries to "disprove" God or "hates" God because God can't be seen or touched. All in all a disappointment in how the whole thing went. I dont have any idea of what direction the original presenter might have gone. But of the 26 people there, only one other expressed something that could be construed as a low key statement of criticism, and one other holding to more of a "new age" nebulous form of theism. I've submitted a suggestion to have a discussion along the lines of "Religion in the back of the Bus", a look at what sort of discussions, if any, are appropriate in the EMS setting. We'll know in a few months if the idea sells.
Rose Thinker Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 154

15th November 2005, 06:37 AM	#2
pgwenthold Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 12,067	Did anyone point out the irony of how the original presenter couldn't make it because they had to bring a child to the hospital? They could have just prayed for her...
	__________________ "Baseball is a philosophy. The primordial ooze that once ruled our world has been captured in perpetual motion. Baseball is the moment. Its ever changing patterns are hypnotizing yet invigorating. Baseball is an art form. Classic and at the same time...progressive. Baseball is pre-historic and post-modern. Baseball is here to stay." (Stolen from the side of a lava lamp box, and modified slightly)

15th November 2005, 05:51 PM	#3
Rose Thinker Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 154	I didn't voice it aloud. I was trying not to alienate the group( or at least that half of the audience that didnt tune me out as soon as it was apparant I wasn't buying into the group mindthink and testimonials). I tried to keep it civil, and settled for noting that there is a difference between believing in a diety and suffering fewer health problems, and actual prayer affecting a cure. I'm hoping to see a related topic next year, perhaps with the original speaker being able to make it. It will be interesting to see if she believes it was the hospitalization or the prayers that did her child the most good...
Rose Thinker Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 154

16th November 2005, 12:06 AM	#4
Ceritus Suspended Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: I am the mind that you call home. Posts: 650	Here in an interesting site talking about prayer and its effect on physical health. http://www.acu-cell.com/sh.html