Ayn Rand Institute Response to Prayer Study

A Harvard Medical School study on the effects of prayer on patients undergoing bypass surgery showed that patients receiving prayer faired no better than those not receiving prayer.

1,800 patients were used in the study, split into three groups, 1) were told they might or might not receive prayers and did receive prayers, 2) were told they might or might not receive prayers and did not receive prayers, and 3) were told they would receive prayers and did receive prayers. In group 1 52% of the patients had post-surgical complications, group 2 51% had complications, and in group 3 59% had complications.

The Ayn Rand Institute commented in this study with the following:

The Harvard medical study showing that prayer has no effect on recovery from heart surgery is shocking. It is not shocking that prayer has no medical effects--what's shocking is that scientists at Harvard Medical School are wasting their time studying the medical effects of prayer.

Science is a method of gaining knowledge by systematically studying things that actually exist and have real effects. The notion that someone's health can be affected by the prayers or wishes of strangers is based on nothing but imagination and faith. Such blind belief represents the rejection of reason and science, and is not worthy of serious, rational consideration. What's next? A study of the medical effects of blowing out birthday candles?

Every minute these doctors spend conducting this sort of faith-based study is one minute less spent on reality-based research--research that actually has hope of leading to real medical cures.

From Boingboing