Witch Doctor?

So some people have invested yet even more time and money into something that the reasonable among us already know, Praying Won't Affect Heart Patients.

But apparently some doctors still don't accept the results:

Dr. David Stevens, executive director of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations, said he believes intercessory prayer can influence medical outcomes, but that science is not equipped to explore it.

So let's explore this doctor's logic a little closer:

1. Science is not equipped to explore the effects of prayer (or I'm assuming God's intervention in our world in general)
2. The good doctor still believes that prayer can affect medical outcomes

The obvious question is how the doctor knows that prayer affects medical outcomes if we don't have the ability to measure the effects of prayer in the first place? If we have no way of determining whether prayer works (i.e. we can't quantitatively measure the results using our puny little scientific method), then we have no way of detecting any correlation between prayer and medical outcomes. Thus, we cannot in any way positively assert that prayer influences medical outcomes because that would imply that we were able to measure the effects of prayer (which we cannot).

The next question is why the doctor still believes that prayer can affect medical outcomes when he has no evidence to back up his beliefs? Of course, he has faith.

The final question you should be asking yourself is whether you want to go to a doctor who makes decisions based on sound empirical evidence and medical research or on whatever personal faith he happens to adhere to?

No offense, but if I ever go into a doctor's office and see a certificate from the Christian Medical and Dental Association hanging on the wall, I'm going to turn around and run like hell. They can pray for me all they want, just as long as they don't try and send me a bill for their services.