Medical Studies of Negative Effects?

Long-Awaited Medical Study Questions the Power of Prayer

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/health/31pray.ht...

"patients who knew they were being prayed for had a higher rate of post-operative complications like abnormal heart rhythms, perhaps because of the expectations the prayers created, the researchers suggested. "

You may also want to consider the many studies which have shown that pet owners have lower blood pressure and recover better from medical procedures than non-pet owners.

Psychology is a very powerful thing and does not imply any supernatural intervention.

Because no study is ever without a bias or an agenda when you get right down to it. Most of them anywasy. However, God gifted us with common sense, and i use mine. So i firmly believe some of the studies are accurate or at least close. There are so many adoptees who DO have these problems that it would be stupid to disregard the studies and peoples own experiences. I've never attempted suicide, but i've known a few who have. Sadly, one succeeded. And he wasn't adopted.

Interesting....

But why limit your project to only the negative impacts of this "wrong path"?? Why not write a REAL project that outlines not only the positive impacts of the "right path", but also the negative impacts of this "right path." Or, if you want to write about the positive impact of the right path, you should compare it to the positive impacts of the wrong path - thats only fair. Otherwise, you are comparing apples to oranges.

If you wish to learn about the negative impacts of religion, then you are going to have to expose yourself to atheistic views, such as Dawkins and Hitchens. Dont for a SECOND come to the conclusion that there are no negative impacts.

How does one seriously establish a "control group" of non-prayers? "Positive effects" are simply selective perception. People usually want to live in comfort and peace, and when their minds and bodies are able, they naturally try to heal or improve themselves. Claiming that prayer or "spirituality" somehow causes this is wishful thinking. "Luck" is another illusion of selective perception. We pay more attention to favorable coincidences than unfavorable ones, unless we want to concentrate the other way. Deliberate concentration on one's environment can increase one's "intuition" and enable one to pick up on cues to opportunities or hazards. It has nothing to do with spirituality.

"I can find lots in favor of spirituality and religion but I am struggling to find the negative"

Ever thought there may be none?

Why not actually present both sides as they actually are instead of presenting your biased agenda?

It's simply another form of the placebo effect and has nothing to do with actual spirituality...look into that...