Posted on 07/14/2005 7:17:31 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
PRAYING for people who are facing heart surgery does not raise their chances of a cure or of avoiding death, according to an unusual study published in the British medical weekly The Lancet.
US doctors enrolled 748 patients with coronary artery disease who were about to undergo cardiac or arterial treatment using a catheter, a technique that can be done under local anaesthetic and is less invasive than open surgery but still carries a risk. The patients were assigned to two groups of roughly equal numbers.
The first group had prayers said for them at a distance by Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and others; the second one had no prayers said for them.
In addition to this, half of each group received bedside training in music, imagery and touch - practising relaxed breathing and listening to laid-back music to prepare for their operation - and half did not.
At a six-month follow-up check, there was no significant difference in the outcome between the prayer and no prayer groups, in terms of mortality, the number of heart attacks or readmissions to hospital.
But in both groups, the patients who received the "music, imagery and touch" treatment did get a perceptible benefit.
They were less stressed and worried prior to the operation, and their death rate at six months was slightly lower when compared with patients who did not get this treatment.
One day they will ALL find out...how big a shock are they in for?
We don't always get our way when we ask God for something but we do get what God wants for us. Prayer is a comfort in any case.
The first group had prayers said for them at a distance by Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and others; the second one had no prayers said for them.
Yep. That's right, at a distance.
In addition to this, half of each group received bedside training in music, imagery and touch - practising relaxed breathing and listening to laid-back music to prepare for their operation - and half did not.
This is a great testing method. Prayers are said at a distance, not with the patient, but relaxing methods are taught in person to the patient.
People of faith benefit from the act of praying and being prayed for in person. While it's great to know others at a distance are praying for them, the personal aspects could clearly increase positive outcomes, just as the relaxtion techniques did.
Prayer may also provide a more serence and relaxed condition than music. This test did not take that into account.
I'm not surprised.
Perhaps they should have only used Christian prayer... and Christian prayer trees?
ducking for cover
You nailed it dead center.
I have seen the miraculous answer of God to prayer.
God is not a reagent in a test tube to be weighed and analyzed.
Prayer in the name of Jesus works wonders and miracles
Why not take a group of Christian patients, who know Christians are praying for them versus any other control group and see what happens, to the greater glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Gee, did they ever think of actually having a Christian patient? THAT would be the critical key ingredient. :o)
LOL! Can't get to the Truth, now can they?!!
God forbid if those folks start experimenting with Seed-Faith [writing checks to "televangelists" or "megachurches" denoting exactly who and what they expect from the Lord in the "For" corner of the check.]
Yep, God's gifts are totally free :) Including healing...
Apparently those Brits haven't seen the FReeper prayer pings.
Their arrogance is astounding.
Sometimes, God's answer is "No"
And, are we truly to believe that the other group didn't have any family praying for them?
If so, what heartless family they must have!
The prayers of evil Muslims and Buddhists cancelled out the good prayers of the Christians, who were probably liberals.
actually their survey seems almost accurate.
praying to allah and buddha will get no response.
How do they know that?
Methinks God doesn't much need to follow the rules of the scientific method.
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