I agree.
a court ordering that certain scientific research cannot be conducted ?
Bright line between church & state, you know the gig. The court wouldn't be ruling that the study couldn't be done, just that no public funds or facilities could be used to do it.
That decision would make mighty good reading ...
I'd do a search on it for you, but a good portion of my searches tend towards being like stereotypical female shopping expeditions. I may forget what I went to the store to buy. ;o)
It would seem though that the atheists would want to see the testing proceed, and the religious folks would be the ones to block it.
Most of us religious folks would see no reason to block it. As far as I know, there's no way to scientifically quantify the faith of someone else. God answers all prayers, but sometimes His answer is no. Rationalize in, rationalize out, pretty sure you've heard that one. If you think you haven't heard of it, I'll decipher my shorthand.
Meanwhile, someone motivated to join an atheist group, gotta think we're dealing with true believers. Correct public policy would have a higher priority than scientific inquiry.