I believe that positive thinking is important to healing, because of the mind-body connection regarding stress hormones and other aspects of the immune system. Insofar as prayer can be a form of positive thinking, like meditation, it could help that way. I am a non-theist, and personally dont believe that prayer has any effect whatsoever on others in and of itself, but if it is in the context kf a larger support network, eg family, friends or church showing their support (email, phone, in person, whatever) , well, it's obvious that strong social support makes you feel less hopeless, and that makes a difference in how someone with an illness feels, and therefore how they will heal- not the prayer per say. I certainly dont knock anyone for their beliefs it it makes them feel better, or for saying they are "sending prayers"- far from it, the thought is appreciated, and counts.
As far as that Friedman article from the huffpost link- I think if there is any differential between religious and non-religious longevity, it is because strong church attendance equates to a strong social network. If someone has a strong social network- I mean real BFF's or people you can count on, not friends in the facebook sense of the word- then they can be irreligious and get exactly the same benefits. And what was with the crazy auote that the good dont die young, but father the "bad" do. It is a fact that prison populations in the US are disproportionately religious. Of course, I wouldnt infer from this that the religious are bad, but the point is that the quote connoting religiosity or its absence to being good/bad was a silly one.
Post Edited (Probiotic) : 4/9/2013 8:26:22 AM (GMT-6)