There is some proof that faith in some religion can heal an illness?

Question

but thats not because faith has any logical proof. its because faith works as some kind of medicine to stimulate the brain and that takes effect on the body

when i was travelling through south africa i met a man who told me that his cancer got better because he had faith in a sangoma (voodoo priest)

another woman told me that she was cured from a nasty body rash because she believed and prayed to a god who is the caretaker of a certain tree in s/a

what do you think friends?

Answer 1

I believe that the voodoo priest and the tree have nothing to do with it, but that a strong, focused and believing mind can have a positive effect on mental and physical health.

The external objects such as trees and priests are just like a placebo. I suppose if someone needs an external force to help the mind to believe that is ok, however it seems it would be more efficient (and more true) simply to believe in the power of mindfulness.

Of course, this does not 'guarantee' that you will be able to heal yourself, but it may provide great assistance.

Answer 2

Richard Dawkins interviewed a priest at some holy water site. The priest said that 80,000 people a year have visited that site over the past 100 years. That means that somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 million visitors. During that time, he claimed that there have been 66 confirmed cases of people being cured. Even if we ignore the fact that these cures were all for minor ailments, 66 out of 8 million is statistically significant only to people who have no ability at all to think.

Answer 3

Google "Placebo Effect" and you can see why. If you take that out this is what happens: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/health/31pray.html?ex=1301461200&en=4acf338be4900000&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

No difference at all. See the problem with an individual story is that there is a certain element of chance. You have to compare large groups with and without something to establish a cause-effect relationship.

Answer 4

People can say a lot of things but only a few miracles have been recognized and logged as one like the French nun who was healed from Parkinson`s decease after she prayed for the intercession of John Paul II.

Answer 5

I met a woman who wasn't religious. But she did believe she could heal herself. She completely believed that.

She began meditating daily (not praying), in her meditations she imagined her tumors getting smaller, she visualized herself healing.

This is a common practice for people with cancer. They will be taught this usually, by someone on their health care team.

It does work for some people. But you have to have faith in your belief that the body can heal itself.

It's called the power of the mind. The human mind can accomplish wonderful things! If people would only choose to use it.

Answer 6

My family is catholic, but arent really practicing. more just by name. We used to attend church sort of regularly, then we sort of slowed down. I was going to the church classes and learning stuff. I never really payed attention, i thought they were boring. Never really gave it much thought whether it was wrong or not. went through communion and was training for my first confession or w/e. Then came something that took place on sunday mornings pretty much every week, then we pretty much stopped going. I never really gave faith and religion thought. then as i turned 17, 18 i started noticing how much it sucked and didnt make sense. so, religion was never really an important aspect of my life growing up. i think that helped make me see why religion is pointless and not needed.

Answer 7

Its all in the mind. Doctors have done studies on people, giving one group placebo's (sugar pills), and the other group the real medicine. People who were getting the fake pills, but thought they were getting the real thing, had good success rates, and noticed an improvement in their health.

Answer 8

Anecdotal evidence does not prove a hypothesis.
There have been many, many studies that have shown
that faith has absolutely NO effect on medical outcomes.
None.

Answer 9

I was raised in a Pentecostal church, so I was exposed to the "testimony" of several people who said God had healed them of various terminal illnesses (even my own Mother). There were two things they had in common: They all had Faith that they had been Healed, and they ALL eventually died from the illness they had been "Healed" of.

Answer 10

Anecdotal evidence there. Won't help you much in courts.

You can use such evidence to prove UFOs exists and aliens sleep with you every night and Big Foot comes to your place for dinner at 8pm every saturday.