57.4% SAY PRAYER CAN CURE A TERMINAL ILLNESS

According to a new survey, 57.4% of Americans believe that prayers to God can cure a family member from a terminal illness, even after doctors declare that treatment would be futile.

I find that number bewilderingly high.

I am not here to criticize religion, however. If somebody I love were told that no medical technology could save him or her from a fatal illness, I would probably pray to every deity every known, including Xenu, Poseidon, and the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

I am here, however, to submit that there must be a positive correlation -- indeed, a causal relationship -- between the high percentage of those who believe in the healing power of prayer and the fact that 47% of Americans do not have health insurance.

Why would one need health insurance if God can cure even terminal illnesses?

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On a related note, after this past weekend's spiritual forum in Orange County, I now predict that McCain and Obama's religion/faith (which are very similar) is going to be a bigger political issue in the 2008 presidential election than their health insurance plans (which are very different), much to my dismay.

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Now is as good a time as any to spotlight the Spiritual Science Research Foundation's (a real foundation!) guide to the efficacy of various types of prayer positions:

Keep in mind that the chart above must be accurate since the foundation has the word "Science" in its name.

--Junichi