Have they tested the "power of prayer" against chemotherapy as the control group?

Answer 1

This question reminds me of a story someone sent me.

A flood came and this man was trapped in his house so he prayed for help. The National Guard came by to pick him up and the man declined saying that God will help him. The flood got worse and the man had to climb on top of the roof and he asked God again to help him. A boat came by and the people in the boat asked this man to get in. He declined saying God will help him. Then the flood waters covered the roof of his house and part of this man was underwater. He prays to God and a helicopter comes by to pick him up. The man declines again saying God will help him. Finally the man drowns and when he is in heaven asks God why God didn't help him. God tells the man that he sent the National Guard, a boat and a helicopter.

God has already provided the way. We just need to open our eyes and use what is available. Sometimes prayer will work, but other times using the chemotherapy is what should be done.

Answer 2

True story (imagine that from me):

My father has a brain tumor and he's been in the hospital over the last week. There is this group of crackpot 'nurses' (I haven't seen their degrees) who do 'healing touch'. Basically, they hold their hands over him and close their eyes and I don't know, chant or something. They seem to think this is helping him, when I have clearly seen that it does not.
He was coughing really hard one day. This crackpot comes in and does her voodoo and my dad fell asleep (they'd just drugged him up five minutes before she came in). So of course the crackpot is all proud of herself that SHE was the one who made him stop coughing. Fifteen minutes later he wakes up and starts coughing harder than ever. WOW, what magical powers!

Another part to this story while I'm thinking of it. The other day he is in the middle of a seizure. My sister and I are on either side of him hoping he will stop. This isn't a light seizure either, his face was twitching violently. Then this Nun comes in and starts babbling at him. "Oh it's so good to see you are doing better (WHAT?). I just want you to know I am praying for you. If there is anything you need..."
My sister and I look at each other like, is this madwoman for real? Finally, my sister had enough and said "You know, maybe now isn't the best time." This didn't stop the nun. She grabs his arm and starts praying. About ten minutes later the seizure stops. The crackpot nun says "Ah, he's getting better now, good." AS IF SHE WAS THE ONE WHO MADE IT STOP. Just one of many reasons to be sickened by the 'power' of prayer.

PS. My father is a firm believer in evolution. He even has one of those Darwin fish on the back of his truck. If he were able to tell these people to piss off, I'm sure he would.

Answer 3

Prayer can work, but it really depends on who is praying, and what their level of faith is. If they do it as a routine exercise, then most likely nothing will happen. If they really put their faith into it, God may move. Healing also depends on God's timing, as well as prayer. But if the praying people persist, then eventually God's timing will come and the person will get better. There is one exception. We all have a time limit on this earth. The only way to heaven is by dying here, and going there. There is an appointed time for each person. It may also be that the appointed time has come for someone and this is God's decision. But since we are only human, and we do not know if it is a time to heal, or a time to leave, then we must pray for healing, but also pray for God's will be done in that situation. The greatest healing is to receive a glorified body, to live forever in heaven with the Lord. I have seen people with cancer get healed. You just have to pray, and then trust God to do His will in that situation.

Answer 4

There was a test done recently on prayer and critically ill people in the hospital. "the Power of prayer" actually was less effective than people who did not get prayed for. They think it had something to do with the people who had others praying for them didn't have the power of the body behind them. They believed the prayer would help them so their minds were lazy. People who had no one pray for them got better on their own free will and motivation.
Prayer kills.

Answer 5

10 - You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of other gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of your god.

9 - You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from lower life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.

8 - You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in three gods- the trinity.

7 - Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" --including women, children, and trees!

6 - You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that some spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.

5 - You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (4.55 billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a couple of generations old.

4 - You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs --though excluding those in all rival sects - will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet consider your religion the most "tolerant" and "loving."

3 - While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in "tongues" may be all the evidence you need to "prove" Christianity.

2 - You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.

1 - You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history - but still call yourself a Christian.

Answer 6

I doubt it. I think most Christian sects believe in using whatever is available to go after a disease as insidious as cancer. The prayers are also very useful. After all there is a saying that God helps those who help themselves. It would be pretty foolish not to take advantage of any and all medical advances when dealing with a disease. I think most Christians believe that God helped those discoveries be made.

Answer 7

I don't think so, but they have tried prayer extensively as a way to achieve world peace, with the Pope, Dalai Lama and many other religious leaders all joining forces and things only got worse.

Answer 8

Any time someone prays for healing and it happens, it's "proof" that prayer works, and the believers continually discount the ten thousand other times that praying didn't do a darn thing.

Answer 9

Thou shalt not temp the Lord thy God.God does not participate in experimentation nor bend to the will of men.

Answer 10

Prayer is passive and has not proven to work in any case - I think you better not try it as only mean to beat cancer.