Should hospitals post signs saying "Prayer for patients is not allowed"?

Question

A recent Harvard medical research project has reported that it's findings on the effectivness of prayer for recovering post surgical patients contributed negatively to the patients ability to show improvement, i.e., that prayer not only failed to help patients improve but that it may have contributed to an increase in post-op complications - patients who were prayed for did worse than those who were not prayed for.

The report of the study can be found here:
http://focus.hms.harvard.edu/2006/040706/research_briefs.shtml#benson

A video opinion of the study results can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-egPod0meE

Should hospitals warn people about the dangers of prayer?
.

Answer 1

Prayer is a healing placebo to some people, to others it is an additional stress (to overcome illness) they don't need when they are ill.

When a believer knows he's being prayed for, he could feel he's disappointing his loved ones when he doesn't get better. When he doesn't know he's being prayed for, objective results suggest nothing happens.

Answer 2

This is a very good question in light of today's community. But the question is resolved by the nurse and patient. A nurse is there to care for the persons body during illness, a nurse is NOT a minister and thus not the one to offer prayer for a patient....unless the patient asks for it themselves. I have been in that situation, and when the patient ASKED for someone, the staff volunteered me to "fill the bill". But I would not have done this without being asked by the patient herself. If a nurse takes to praying over a patient on her/his own without that invite, then that is very wrong much as one might believe in prayer and/ore God.

Answer 3

No. What this shows is just how difficult it is to set up these sort of studies - some of which seem to have shown a positive effect on cardiac patients. I also question the ethics of using a treatment process which is not fully understood by those administering and those participating in such a study. In short I think it impossible to set up a scientific study on a supernatural activity such as prayer.

Answer 4

Ah...gotta love it when people don't even bother to read the article:

“One caveat is that with so many individuals receiving prayer from friends and family, as well as personal prayer, it may be impossible to disentangle the effects of study prayer from background prayer,” said co-author Manoj Jain of Baptist Memorial Hospital.

“Each study builds on others, and STEP advanced the design beyond what had been previously done,” said Dusek. “The findings, however, could well be due to the study limitations.”
_______________________________

You can clearly see that, based simply upon the way they handled the case, this is not a very scientific study:

"the 597 patients in group 2 did not receive prayer after being informed that they may or may not receive it"

Telling a group they may or may not receive prayer means they don't know if they will? Huh? I think their family/friends/other aquaintences might have more to do with it than simply what the study told them. What they really need to do is study who actually thinks people are praying for them vs. who does not and use that as a starting point.

Matt

Answer 5

These studies do not show that.

http://www.plim.org/PrayerDeb.htm

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/botrender.fcgi?blobtype=html&artid=61047

Posting such a sign would be unconstitutional, in any case.

There are some people who believe that prayer WILL make a difference and help them. That alone may make a difference in their recovery and improvement.
A positive attitude is a huge part of recovery. Those who believe they are being prayer for and who welcome others' caring about them would welcome prayer.

To answer your question, "NO."
Any hospital administrator who posted such a sign would be sued, and rightly so.


mattfromasia got ya! Did you read the entire article? I don't think you could have, for you misinterpreted. Look at what he replied. You might want to go back and actually read the entire artice next time, before you post.

Answer 6

It's amazing how just by its nature, the world seems to find new and unique ways to try and influence people to turn away from God. My mother would say "that's the Devil," and you know what, I think she would be right.

Hospitals (or schools, or lawyers offices, or the post office, or wherever) can post all the signs they want against prayer, but frankly, that won't stop the people who truly believe in the power of it. Any good Christian does not view God as a magic genie who answers their every wish - if it's someone's time to go, then it's just time.

When someone is hospitalized, it's only natural for believers to ask God if He can pull them through. But what they really should pray for is the strength to accept His decision whatever it may be. Not all the signs in the world can prevent that.

Answer 7

I see you have stuff to support your argument, but that is still man speaking of human things. I've heard several studies that pointed in the exact opposite of yours. I'm not gonna try and find them now, it's just he said, she said anyway. Hospitals have the most angels per capita than anywhere else. Where do you think they come from? Oh wait...never mind...you probably think that it's the angels smothering the patients. oops sorry.

Peace

Answer 8

Nah, if you want to pray, knock yourself out. But I did also hear that a rescuer is not supposed to say to the victim "everything is ok" until that person is in a hospital, because once a person believes that they are safe, they don't try to survive on their own anymore, assuming the worst is over. When really, they can die on the medivac flight just as easily as munched in their car, you know?

Answer 9

Hospitals should not ban praying for patients. i hope the prayers are for the patients to find a way to pay the bill.

Answer 10

As an Atheist, I say no because that would be mean. Prayer is more so for the friends and family of the victim than for the victim themselves. Can we post a ecumenical posting instead that would not offend?

"Cognitive Laziness is Not Allowed"