America has always been a praying nation. But rarely have those prayers been so organized. In the last couple of years, millions of people have signed up to pray in virtual prayer groups on the Web. Now an organization called The Presidential Prayer Team is asking people to register on a web site and “adopt” a government official or an overseas soldier, and pray for them.
More than a million have signed up. Intuitively, many people believe in the power of prayer. But this question is also a matter of scientific debate. Recent medical studies have shown that praying for others, intercessory prayer, as it is known, can actually make a difference. Critics say that such research amounts to “squeezing God into a test tube.”
Guests:
Larry Dossey, author, “Healing Words,” and executive editor, Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
Stephen Post, professor and associate director for Educational Programs, Center for Biomedical Ethics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University