Comments on: Doctors want to bring the church in to the NHS

By: Siobhan

Siobhan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:13:40 +0000

@ Kaz, okay, but that’s just one study (and one citation from the entire study at that)… you’ll find numerous studies saying that prayer IS helpful (some which are fundementally flawed in terms of methadology to be fair) – within these (when some ‘evidence’ is found fopr the successfullness of prayer) I think that it could often be the result of placebo effect…

Also, is this the study where people were told that strangers were praying for them? I have some memory of the researchers saying that the finding could be put down to the fact that people may have become worried becasue they knew that strangers were parying for them (“I’m that sick”!!) – this would be a slightly different set of circumstances…

(Was there something on this blog around this before??)

By: Kaz Dragon

Kaz Dragon — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:20:00 +0000

@Siobhan:

Actually, the exact opposite has been demonstrated in studies:

http://dermatology.jwatch.org/cgi/content/citation/2006/523/7
Abstract: “The prayers of strangers didn’t lower patients’ risk for complications after heart surgery; knowledge of such prayers actually increased risk.” (emphasis added)

By: Siobhan

Siobhan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:20:42 +0000

@ flapjack, a friend of mine was in hospital recently and was asked her religion, when she said atheist the nurse looked slightly bemused and said, ‘Oh, I’ll just put down Catholic then’ – we have some serious catching up to do!!

By: flapjack

flapjack — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:58:21 +0000

I pretty much agree with Siobhan… I think that if it’s a choice or if it’s requested that’s all well and good, though I wouldn’t necessarily want someone praying by my deathbed as I don’t personally subscribe. If they wish to pray in their own time, that’s not a problem, it doesn’t concern me either way as I simply don’t believe in the power of prayer.
I don’t think it should be a sackable offence to offer prayers, but the wishes of the patient should always come first.
I’ve noticed some clinics now ask what religion you are from the moment you sign up to avoid culture clashes later, and ‘atheist’ is one of the options.

By: Siobhan

Siobhan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:57:22 +0000

I’m all atheististic and largely dissaproving of all of the religion in public sector stuff, that said, if knowing you are being prayed for demonstrably shows improved recovery rates for the religious (as some kind of placebo or whatever) then pray away, its just getting the balance between a religious presence and forcing religion on others that don’t want/ need it.

For example – I don’t know if this is still the case but women in Ireland who wanted to have their tubes tied were sent off to a scolding by the priest and were often refused permission by doctors on religious ground, and some doctors here will refuse contraception to unmarried women (though they aren’t really supposed to get away with this) – this is all religion overstepping its boundaries in the health sector whereas old lady lying in bed after her hip operation feeling a little better for a visit from a priest or nun and a bit of praying, I don’t think I can really object to that.

By: Berber Anna

Berber Anna — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:10:36 +0000

BellaFiga: Well, crucifixes tend to not hover in the air or be stuck to the wearer’s skin, which leads to what I think is the actual health and safety issue: The chain they’re attached to. Any necklace, regardless of what’s dangling from it, can be a hazard in an environment where it can get caught on or entangled in equipment. If they kept their cross charm in a pocket of their work uniform, I doubt there’d be much of a problem, actually.

By: Tash

Tash — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:45:50 +0000

I would rather die a horrible death that have that god crap rammed down my throatt whilst in hospital!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Ms G

Ms G — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:52:56 +0000

Aha …. all your minds are belong to us is a broken phrase I read ….
Those who were not familiar with this as well, like me, but did not bother
to look it up sofar either (like me):

Quote wikipedia
All your base are belong to us” (often shortened to “All Your Base”, “AYBABTU”, or simply “AYB”) is a broken English phrase that was central to an Internet phenomenon, or meme, in 2000-2002, with the spread of a Flash animation that depicted the slogan. The text is taken from the opening cut scene of the 1991 European Sega Mega Drive version of the video game Zero Wing,[1] a Japanese video game by Toaplan which was poorly translated. It was popularized by the Something Awful message forums.[2] The line Captain: For great justice is often replicated as a secondary meme, with the phrase for great justice applied to an ordinary or inappropriate action.

The previous before the announcing of the new blog layout was also kinda broken … so it might be a cause of a slightly slushed brain as well …. who knows … when Derren is around …

By: Maura

Maura — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:36:27 +0000

Isn’t the proper guideline here, as in most situations, “just don’t be an asshole”? I wouldn’t want to talk religion with my doctor and if she brought it up I’d tell her so and hope that would be the end of it. But I have family members who would appreciate an offer of a prayer. It would be nice if respect didn’t require legal enforcement.

By: BellaFiga

BellaFiga — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:53:00 +0000

Wearing a crucifix to work is only a health and safety issue if you run with it in your mouth OR it’s the same size as the jesus one he got done in on.