My doctor asked me to pray.

[Jehanne]

No, I went to an urgent care clinic; the doc had no knowledge of me prior to coming into the exam room.  He was still reading my chart when he walked in.

I pray for people I've never met all the time, pray for their families also. What requirement do you believe Christians have to abide by to pray for strangers.

GC

I see no evidence for prayer, none whatsoever; I might as well pat my head and rub my tummy.

[Jehanne]

No, I went to an urgent care clinic; the doc had no knowledge of me prior to coming into the exam room.  He was still reading my chart when he walked in.

So he just assumes everyone around him is religious. Nice. I get that all of the time here in the heartland.

Wonder if he did the Alan Shepard prayer prior to seeing you?

That's where I live, too!

[abaris]

As nice as they are, I still find it hard to believe that some would suggest that. As if all those years of medical training and experience just isn't "quite" enough, pray... because well, religion!

Well, Carson was a brillant surgeon, but at the same time he's a religious nutter. As for me, not one doctor I ever met, asked me to pray or suggested religion as a possible remedy. The closest I came was when my mother lay on her death bed and the doctor got a bit spiritual. Nothing outspoken, only the suggestion that we still don't know what outside influences reach a dying person in a coma.

[Joods]

Yeah, Carson's a nut alright. He's no longer running right? Please tell me no.

[robvalue]

If your doctor wants to pray for you, that's all well and good. He can do so in his own time.

But instructing you to do so, in his capacity as a medical professional, is extremely poor practice.

Of course prayer doesn't work. Placebo effect plus confirmation bias. And even if it did work, it means god needs our guidance in order to do his job properly. He was going to allow something bad to happen but didn't realize it. Prayer is completely stupid. If he really thought it would work, why is he also giving medicine?

[Godscreated]

I pray for people I've never met all the time, pray for their families also. What requirement do you believe Christians have to abide by to pray for strangers.

GC

There's many things one can do on their knees, that give actual results, thus avoiding the extreme disappointment of prayer.

 Prayer releases the power of God, there is nothing more satisfying than to see it in action, and it doesn't require being on one's knees.

GC

[Godscreated]

I pray for people I've never met all the time, pray for their families also. What requirement do you believe Christians have to abide by to pray for strangers.

GC

I see no evidence for prayer, none whatsoever; I might as well pat my head and rub my tummy.

 Could be you never believed it would work or truly believe in God.

GC

[The Grand Nudger]

Strange, a light bulb works regardless.

[Brian37]

I got sick today, and after going to a very nice doctor, he gave me a short "laundry list" of things to do, which concluded with "pray".  i was amused, but instead of praying, I went home and took my medicine, and now, I feel much better.  No prayers of any kind.

Uggggg, I really hate it when otherwise educated people offer you superstition. Don't they understand that Muslim countries and Buddhist countries and even India have hospitals and doctors too? If prayer worked nobody would need doctors.

[Jehanne]

I see no evidence for prayer, none whatsoever; I might as well pat my head and rub my tummy.

 Could be you never believed it would work or truly believe in God.

GC

I might as well pray to a milk jug.  If god truly existed, I would not need to have people such as you tell me that he/she/it does exist.  Pray to god to heal 1,000 adult amputees; he/she/it can even pick which ones.  I'll even give him/her/it a week to perform the miracle; after that, I'll believe in your god.  For me, I'll be meeting you half-way on this one.