Hi Sondra.  Well, this is getting interesting...
-> LP So far I've figured out that one of our missing back issues of
-> Saturday Night Magazine had a cover story about Sister Theresa, which
-> is probably what I'm remembering.  I'll keep looking.  There was also
-> the unfriendly book about her, The Missionary Position.
-> SB> I'll look for both in my local library.
If they have Saturday Night, look for the following four issues:  Nov
95, Dec 95/Jan 96 (a double issue), Feb 96, Mar 96.  It has to be in one
of those.
-> LP>Anyhow, let's say that she does spend more effort praying than
-> tending to worldly medical needs.  This is a good or a poor idea
-> depending on one's notions of the afterlife.
-> SB> Well, it also depends on how much you believe prayer influences
-> things in *this* life.
Oh, very good observation!  Though, without sarcasm, I'd prefer nursing
care over my 'nurse' praying for me if I were forced to choose.  I do
pray for myself and for others, as you know.
-> On the other hand, prayer has been proven, in double blind
-> experiments to help in healing.  By double blind experiments, I mean
-> that neither the patient nor the doctors treating the patient knew
-> which patients were being prayed for and which were not, so that the
-> placebo effect and different treatment plans could be eliminated as
-> causes. Those being prayed for required less pain medication, healed
-> quicker, and were less apt to die than those not being prayed for.
-> The studies have been duplicated several times
Well, now you've piqued my interest and I'll have to look through
Medline for completed studies about praying for others.  There was a
post on the Skeptic echo outlining a proposed study like you've
described above.  There were no results as yet from that one.
I'm pleased when people tell me I'm mentioned in their prayers.  When I
pray for someone, I tell them about it.  I know that praying is
psychologically beneficial but I don't know how it works.  I'm not
convinced of the existence or non-existence of 'god'.  There, now that
should offend everybody.  :)
I'll get back to you when I've done my literature search.  If the AMA
agrees that prayer is beneficial, that's a great step forward partly
because our doctors are in desperate need of humility about their
limitations. They're much too eager to take the credit when someone
does well.  (I know, I've seen them step forward to credit my
neurologist with my extended 'remission'.  I hardly ever see the woman,
and besides, I probably never had MS in the first place.)
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