Old joke in medical research.
Patient. "will this drug work"
Dr. "depends. Define" will" and "work."
I prayed this morning that I'd feel better about some stuff at work. Do you know what? I felt better about that stuff afterward. Thus, by most definitions, prayer worked.
I'm now going to pray for scarlett johansson to appear in my office and do a lapdance for me.
....
Nope, nothing. So by any definition, prayer didn't work.
In example A there was an outcome which was directly attributable to the prayer, and is as repeatable as most things we take as standard "work". So from that point of view prayer works. In some circumstances and for some things. Like my phone works, in some circumstances (battery and signal) for some things (making calls). Does my phone work as a light saber? Tragically not. Doesn't mean it doesn't work.
So for me a statement like "prayer does not work" is too broad. It didn't work, then, for that, as advertised. But it's not strictly true to say it Doesn't work. It depends what you expect from it.
Patient. "will this drug work"
Dr. "depends. Define" will" and "work."
I prayed this morning that I'd feel better about some stuff at work. Do you know what? I felt better about that stuff afterward. Thus, by most definitions, prayer worked.
I'm now going to pray for scarlett johansson to appear in my office and do a lapdance for me.
....
Nope, nothing. So by any definition, prayer didn't work.
In example A there was an outcome which was directly attributable to the prayer, and is as repeatable as most things we take as standard "work". So from that point of view prayer works. In some circumstances and for some things. Like my phone works, in some circumstances (battery and signal) for some things (making calls). Does my phone work as a light saber? Tragically not. Doesn't mean it doesn't work.
So for me a statement like "prayer does not work" is too broad. It didn't work, then, for that, as advertised. But it's not strictly true to say it Doesn't work. It depends what you expect from it.
"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken."
Sith code
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken."
Sith code
