Link between faith & healing

Faith Healing

Does deep religious faith help the healing process? A number of recent studies seem to point in that direction. This seems especially true with the increasing popularity of fundamentalist Christianity, New Age beliefs, and alternative medicine. So is there really a link between spirituality and the healing process? But a couple of studies coming out of Columbia University suggest otherwise.

Dr. Richard Sloan and colleagues at Columbia University in New York City contend that the link spirituality, and health is " weak and inconsistent". After all, common sense tells us that people of faith tend to lead healthier lives, i.e. non-use of tobacco and alcohol products. Sloan goes on to say," Avoidance of these risks may influence their overall health to a much greater extent than simple religious belief. Their review appears in the February 20 issue The Lancet. Although the Columbia University team also produced a study that found regular churchgoers did indeed have a lower risk of illness and death than non-churchgoers, they reported a flaw in their own study, i.e the fact that ill health may prevent many individuals from attending church in the first place. Based on that, the Columbia University team concludes "doctors should remain cautious when `recommending' faith as a possible aid to physical recovery".. While a link between faith and healing remains unproved, "respectful attention must be paid to the impact of religion on the patient's decisions about health care," they conclude. [2/19/99, Reuters Health, The Lancet; 353:664-667]