Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!decvax!ittvax!wxlvax!rlw From: rlw@wxlvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Prayer, efficacy of Message-ID: <1345@ittvax.UUCP> Date: Mon, 19-Mar-84 08:29:12 EST Article-I.D.: ittvax.1345 Posted: Mon Mar 19 08:29:12 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 20-Mar-84 01:26:46 EST Lines: 21 In the late 1800s, a statistician published a paper (approximately) entitled 'A statistical enquiry into the efficacy of prayer' in which he posited that perhaps the most common prayer in the British Empire was for the long life of the monarch. Therefore, if prayer is measurably effective, he should be able to detect a lifespan for kings and queens of England greater than that of nobles and upper class citizens. In fact he discovered that their lifespan (including only those who died naturally and whose dates were reliably known) was below the norm. Therefore, either prayer is ineffective or those praying were in some sense insincere. (??Don't Buddhists accept rote prayer as worthwhile??) An alternative explanation is that the prayer is contraindicated and was effective but got a/the Deity pissed off. A quick review of the limited figures indicates not too much statistical significance. This was, so far as I know, the only sincere attempt at applying scientific method to religion. --Dick Wexelblat (...decvax!ittvax!wxlvax!rlw)