Like today’s imaginary, albeit impregnable, wall of separation between church and state, there is also a supposedly impenetrable partition between modern-day science and religion. For instance, evolutionists insist that intelligent design be removed from the equation before figuring commences on the question of origins. Approaching the question of origins with the preconceived conviction that no Creator exist is considered good science, while approaching the question with common sense—creation is inexplicable apart from a Creator—is considered religious superstition and immediately dismissed as unscientific.
Whereas they demand that the hands of religion be kept off their science, today’s scientists give themselves a freehand when it comes to poking their noses into religion. Although they insist that religion is outside the pale of true science, they unhesitatingly, not to mention hypocritically, evaluate religion’s worth by means of scientific examination. Take for example scientists’ recent examination of the power of prayer to help and heal the sick.
This study, to be published in the April 4th issue of the American Heart Journal, examined whether hundreds of heart bypass surgery patients fared better or worse when prayed for by others. Two groups, one which was prayed for and one which was not, were kept in the dark about whether or not they were the subject of other people’s prayers. In both of these groups, patients fared about the same, with about 52 percent experiencing complications from surgery. In a third group, however, patients did worse. In this group, which was informed that it was the subject of other people’s prayers, 59 percent of the patients experienced complications. In the end, the study’s long-awaited results suggest that prayer for the sick is at best inconsequential and at worse detrimental.
Well, to say the least, I’ve got some serious issues with this so-called science. To begin with, who were the study’s employed intercessors? We know that two Catholic groups and one Protestant group were recruited by researchers to pray, but just who were these intercessors? Did any of them regard iniquity in their hearts so that the Lord would not hear them (Psalm 66:18)? Were their prayers for the sick the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous (James 5:16)? Were they all children of God with access to the Heavenly Father through faith in His beloved Son Jesus Christ (John 1:12)? Did each one of them pray in faith (Mark 11:24), in Jesus’ name (John 14:13-14), and in accordance with God’s will (1 John 5:14-15)?
In addition to questions about the identities of the study’s intercessors and the effectualness of their prayers, there is also the question of the subjective nature of the study’s findings. How do we know that those who were prayed for would not have fared worse without prayer and that those who were not prayed for would not have fared better with prayer? Perhaps, someone who experienced complications with prayer would have died without it, while someone who died without prayer would have been saved by a prayer of faith (James 5:15). Why don’t scientists put that in their test tubes and shake it?
Furthermore, I don’t understand why today’s scientists can jump over the line between so-called science and what they call religion whenever they want to, but people of faith, like myself, are forbidden from ever stepping foot into science’s roped off territory. Why are scientists allowed to call people’s faith into question, but people of faith are never allowed to question the ever-changing and frequently discredited findings of scientists? I for one have no problem with science poking around in my faith. My problem comes when scientists object to me poking around in their science. I don’ know about you, but I’m getting sick and tired of being told to toe the line between religion and science while scientists are free to play hopscotch on it.
It should come as no surprise to any of us that today’s faithless science dismisses prayer as an exercise in futility. After all, if today’s scientists can’t see the Creator in creation, how can we expect them to see divine intervention in the lives of those for whom we’ve prayed? Although today’s faithless scientists readily dismiss prayer as a waste of time, I say we pray for them anyway. What do you say?
Don Walton
