A randomized controlled trial out of the University of Maryland found that five minutes of in-person prayer beat music therapy for reducing pain and anxiety, with the benefits lasting up to six weeks. The results held across religious backgrounds, meaning even non-Christians and skeptics saw real relief. Faith-based care deserves a serious place alongside standard medicine as a low-cost, effective option for patients.
Rigorous double-blind studies on intercessory prayer — including large cardiac and COVID trials — found zero statistically significant benefit over control groups. The Maryland study couldn't even confirm that prayer itself caused improvements, since the prayer group got human contact that the music group didn't. Conflating human touch with divine intervention is just a design flaw mistaken for a breakthrough.
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