It’s the p-p-p-p-power of prayer! Or not. We look at several anecdotes that point toward the efficacy (or inefficacy) of intercessory prayer, including:
- The tragic cases of two teenage girls (one in TN, one in KY), both of whom suffered terrible injuries. One recovered (more or less), the other is maimed for life. Both were the beneficiaries of the prayers of hundreds. Why did God heal one and snub the other??? We’ll give you a hint: the answer can be found at www.whywontgodhealamputees.com.
- The Miracle of Colwich Man – A Kansas man was healed after thousands of parishioners prayed to the late Father Emil Kapaun, a Korean War hero who’s currently under “skeptical” investigation by the Vatican for possible sainthood.
- The Case of the Shriveling Glacier – Faithful Catholics in the Swiss towns of Fiesch and Feischertal have prayed for centuries that God protect them from the wintertime advance of the Aletsch Glacier. Now the Aletsch is rapidly receding due to global warming, so now the townsfolk are seeking the Pope’s permission to reverse the prayer.
Science has a few things to say about prayer. Okay, actually science only has one thing to say: it don’t work.
- Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP) – The American Heart Association published the results of a double-blind study on the effects of prayer on patients undergoing heart surgery. Those who were told they would be prayed for–and were actually prayed for–actually did worse than those who were not prayed for.
- A Governor’s Prayer for Rain (scroll down to find the article) – Skeptic magazine publishes a statistical study of Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue’s controversial prayer-for-rain organized on the steps of the state capitol in 2007. Conclusion: Sonny’s God is a penurious God.
- Does TM reduce violent crime? – The World Peace Project claims that Transcendental Meditation en masse actually reduced violent crime during a six-week period in 1993–guaranteed to “less than two parts per billion.” Skeptico thinks not.
Plus: The Voyage that Shook the World! Creation Ministries International has just released a $1 million documentary that insists Charles Darwin was a fantasy-prone nebbish and pathological liar who cherrypicked his data to crank out that addle-brained Theory of Evolution. Plus Darwin was a racist. Local skeptic/freethinker Douglas Scott joins us for the critique. You can read John’s extensive review here or visit the movies official website.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dragon*Con is coming soon! September 4-7 in Atlanta, to be exact. American Freethought will record a live podcast at 11:30AM, Saturday, September 5th with the Skeptics Track.
We (meaning John and David and respective redheads) will also be attending the Star Party at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA on Thursday, September 3rd. The Star Party is organized by the Atlanta Skeptics, will feature dinner, drinks, an opportunity to chat with Phil Plait (Bad Astronomy) and Pamela Gay (Astronomy Cast podcast), and stargazing through the Bradley Observatory telescope. Proceeds go to the American Cancer Society in honor of the late Jeff Medkeff (Blue Collar Scientist).
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Interested in science fiction? Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com.
Theme music by Body Found.
Recorded August 19, 2009. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.
With regard to “The Voyage that Shook the World” is: if the theory of evolution by natural selection is just a simplistic lie Darwin thought up as a result of his personal problem,
1) How do they explain how Alfred Russell Wallace arrived at the same theory through a completely different route, and
2) Why would any other scientist give such a simplistic idea the time of day?
James,
They didn’t address that in this particular movie, but Gary Bates, the head of CMI, which produced this documentary, said in the talk we attended that scientists embrace evolution because they want to live their sinful lives and not have God telling them what to do. You know what a gaggle of libertines scientists are. Remember that one nuclear physicist who was found having an affair with his gay gigolo lover and doing crack cocaine? Oh, wait, my bad–that was a preacher. :)
How does he explain Ken Miller, then?
Oh, wait, he’s Catholic — no doubt that counts double against him…
With respect to the people who made “TVTSTW” and their use of the Grant’s book on finches I think it’s interesting that they used that technical tome. I would’ve thought they’d use the much easier to read the Pulitzer Prize winning book on the Grant’s research, “The Beak of the Finch” by Jonathan Weiner. Excellent, fascinating read and contains all the information you talked about. Interestingly, inasmuch as the people who made the movie didn’t use TBOTF, the book mentions god a little too often for my taste. Check it out!
Kurt,
Perhaps I should have been clearer. Nowhere in TVTSTW do they say from what source they draw their information about finches. The Grant book is a book I happen to be aware of (but haven’t read), and *I* said they must have gotten their info there. I could be wrong. They might have been drawing on Weiner’s book. They don’t say either way. Anyway, my apologies if I’ve caused confusion or unintentionally spread disinformation.
Not at all. If you guys haven’t read TBOTF, please do b/c it’s excellent! I’d love to see a (free) screening of “The Voyage That Changed The World” but it doesn’t seem to be anywhere near Bowling Green, KY.
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I’m on a website for logging your cycling miles called bikejournal.com. They also have a forum, blog and other features. I started a virtual cyling club called Secular Cyclists, so far, 15 riders have joined.
Anyway, this is from my August 12, 2009 bikejournal Blog…
“The Power Of Prayer”
Every week or so on the Bikejournal forum, a cyclist is injured and a thread is started asking for fellow BJ’ers to pray for them.
While I hope everyone recovers completely and quickly from any injury, I really don’t understand this need to pray. (In most cases to a violent mythical Hebrew deity)
Heck, if I were an all powerful loving god, I wouldn’t have let the cyclist get injured in the first place! But that’s just me.
If prayer actually worked, sure I’d pray. But it doesn’t.
The best explanation of prayer I’ve found is here… godisimaginary.com/i1.htm
Another great article on how prayer works… whywontgodhealamputees.com/superstition.htm
Does god answer prayers? Here’s the answer… whywontgodhealamputees.com/god5.htm
Until next time, be safe, heal quickly and completely, and keep riding!
Peace.
Thanks for the great podcast!
Oooops… That should be a virtual “cycling” club.
And the club name is “Secular Cycleism”.
Sorry about that.