It's been proven that praying for a sick person is detrimental. Should patients be able to sue faith healers?

Question

Assuming the faith healer did not tell the patient that praying for the patient has been proven to be detrimental.

They can sue doctors, why not faith healers? Faith healers claim they can heal the sick, but it's been proven they can't.

Here's a link to the story about how prayer is detrimental:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/health...

Sorry abotu the link not working, try this:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/31/news/pray.php

Answer 1

Yes they should. Why cant a country where church and state are separate prevent a fiasco like this from taking place.

Answer 2

As I've stated before there have been both Net Work and Print Media reports on the positive effects of prayer and positive books, especially the Bible. The report at the link states the contrary. But this is not proof. It is anecdotal. If prayer doesn't work then please feel free not to use it.
But in my case if you don't mind I will continue to do so. One the greatest examples of the positive effects of prayer was of the British Battalion Commander during WWII who ordered his troops to reveille each day at 5 AM when not actually engaged in combat. They would recite in unison the 91 Psalm and the entire Battalion went through the entire war with few and minor casualties, even though they fought valiantly in many of the worst and horrific battles in Europe.
I have heard first hand both officers and enlisted make similar claims of units in Iraq. Once again the 91 Psalm is the key.
I Cr 13;8a

Answer 3

I think its only detrimental if the ill person feels all they need is prayer. I'm sure does work for some but for the majority there needs to be more. I have heard of kids dying b/c parents honestly belived they needed nothing more than prayer and the "touch of the Lord" I'm not sure where I stand in this issue. People are entitled to belive whatever they choose, but for a minor, or someone incompetant there needs to be medical intervention. How people are declared incompetant varies. Most people in their right minds would rather take a pill than die.
Is prayer detrimental? no I don't think so. But I also belive that there are medications for a reason.

Answer 4

What a looney study - praying for, maybe praying for, and not praying for bypass patients?

Seriously - the post-operative period for bypass if frought with potential complications that cannot be eliminated or brough on by prayer - they have to do with the fact that someone has had their chest cracked open and their heart messed with!

As a nurse I have seen things that I cannot explain - and I am not a religious person at all. When someone tells me a prayer lifted them - then I believe them because it works for them. No one has ever said "someone prayed for me and I got worse!". Most people for whom prayer has an impact pray on the concept of "God's will be done".......not specific actions to occur.

Does prayer help - I dunno, but I can sit here and think of 7 patients in my 15 year career who should have died and their recovery has no explanation.....so it's up to each person to judge.

Answer 5

You need to learn how to evaluate the results of research more carefully. Actually the research showed a detrimental effect in 59% of patients who were prayed for where such an effect was seen in only 51% of those who were not paid for. While this is probably a statistically significant difference, it is not particularly noteworthy in scholarly literature.

Answer 6

I'm used to reading nonsense, especially from the left, but this has to be the worst. Are you talking about witholding medical treatment in favor of prayer alone?? This is the only way in which claiming that prayer is detrimental can possibly make sense.
Any claim that prayer in and of itself has been "proven" detrimental is absolutely assinine.

Answer 7

You are totally high. Prayer is completely inoccuous. It neither hurts nor helps physically, and sometimes it can help very much psychologically. There can also be a very robust placebo effect (greater than 30%) among people who truly believe. I don't care what kind of bullsht the New York Times has to say. Prayer can't hurt...

Answer 8

If patients are so sick, they don't have the time or energy to worry about suing. Why does everyone think about suing? That's not right, and not the way to go through life. imo

Answer 9

Sorry...I do not believe prayer is detrimental. Nor do I believe it is beneficial.

It does no harm, (nor any good) and makes the person who prays happy....as long as they don't try to charge for it, what's the harm?

Answer 10

You may want to post a working link.