Prayers for patients increase their chances of dying.

[Nemmet]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/03/30/prayer.study.ap/index.html

This is actually quite amusing.

There was a study done on the effects of prayers on dying patients and the results show that the patients that were prayed for had an increase in their fatal condition.

[Morwan]

The difference isn't statistically significant. The 'prayer helps recovery' point of view was based on insignificant variations in similar studies.

[Scree]

I like how it's seemd slightly surprised that prayers don't cure illnesses. I can just imagine someone getting really mad that someone died in heart surgery even though they prayed. Like prayeing gets you what you want like that simpsons episode.

[GrimReality]

Like there was ever any doubt as to otherwise.
This falls under "common sense", along with all other associated issues.
Duh, people.

[Alexander]

That's some interesting research, but, like the doctor said science "is not designed to study the supernatural."

[Raze]

It's best to keep a low profile. When you pray you're just making God hungry.

[everluck]

The way I see it, the big guy has a lot of people to choose from. Praying is sort of like you're calling God on his cosmosphone. Imagine God inside a super-Cerebro (X Men). When you pray, you light up. God sees this and delivers whatever judgment he sees fit. On generous days, he might toss a miracle or two at you. But there're so many people on Earth, chances are akin to winning the lottery. Some days God just doesn't feel like it and decides to let you wait it out. And then there are times when God's just in a pissy mood, just waiting for someone to lay the smitedown on. But besides that, what if you call God while he's sleeping? He's busy, and contrary to the belief that he only does so once a week, the man needs his rest. Of course he's going to give you pretty crappy results.

[Galactic]

Leading scientific studies show that 98.74297612895% of ALL statistics are made up on the spot.

^_-;

[Angelo]

There was a study done on the effects of prayers on dying patients and the results show that the patients that were prayed for had an increase in their fatal condition.

I decided to RTFA, and it doesn't actually say the above.  It said that more of the patients who knew they were being prayed for developed complications than those who didn't know (making it more of a psychology study than a medical one).  The article also does not say anything about the patients being on their deathbed.  There's no award for outspinning the news media.  Really.

[Cowboy]

Leading scientific studies show that 98.74297612895% of ALL statistics are made up on the spot.

^_-;

Oh Galactic. Your hijinks are wonderful.

[Serene Prophet]

Well my opinion on this...well sorta related, more with how Prayer can help those survive...in my opinion, is because when people Pray, they have a soul infused hope of living, and therefore during illnesses, when if they were to just accept the inevitable and give up, they instead use prayer as a means to continue fighting on, and hence allows them to make it through.

Granted its still highly unproven in most senses, but thats how I see it..