the issue isn’t whether G-d is real. The issue is scientific studies on whether praying over somebody worsens their outcome. Some studies indicate you do worse if you know someone is praying for you if everyone is religious. the theory; too much social pressure to get well; like, if you don’t get better, somehow you’re disrespecting G-d. If you are prayed over and the prayer recipient doesn’t know he’s being prayed over, then, no worries; you aren’t harming anyone. but if you tell someone you’re going to eb praying hard for them, the extra pressure of that prayer might be enough to worsen their outcome. indeed, in thiscase, it might very well have killed herman cain!
it kidn of makes sense. like, if i tell another church member i’ll be praying for them, it’ll be like they’re letting the whole congregation down if they don’t get better.
A safer tactic would be to tell a person who is sick that you personally lvoe them deeply, that you will ahve a tremendous void in your life if they were gone, and for that reason you deeply hope they will recover. If you must speak to G-d about the issue, it is only for personal strength to support the prayer, who is so deeply impacted by the sickness. this way, you communicate love, but put no pressure on the prayer recipient.
so, if instead of praying for herman, we had said, herman, we love you so much. please hang in there for me. I can’t go on living ona planet without you herman. dear lord, please give me the strength to carry on without herman, that would cheer herman up.
If on the other hand, you go to herman, and say, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, i command the evil spirits within to leave! that puts a lot fo pressure on poor herman to get better and prove the religious belief to be true.
problem is, the person praying probably doesnt really egenrally care all that much about the prayer recipient, btu is actually just trying to show that theyr’e praying is efficacious in the apparently physical world.
it wouldnt be bad if there werent some evdience that we are actively harming people with prayer.
