Re: Belief and the Brain

Iain,
I was replying specifically to Jack's use of the brief account of the
woman who touched Jesus' robe, but your response brings up a couple of
matters. First, I know that placebos and nocebos can have measurable
effects, especially now that we can measure activity in specific parts of
the brain. However, there are areas that still puzzle. For example, why
are some people sensitized to pain? The same stimulus will produce
moderate pain in one person and intense pain in another. Second, I
suspect that the lame man became aware of strength in his limbs, a change
in what he had felt or failed to feel down through the years. He knew he
could walk. The closest in common experience I think of is the different
sensation when an extremity falls asleep because of pressure in contrast
to its normal state.

Jack,
I was only drawing the narrow conclusions implicit in your citation of
Matthew rather than the other two more extensive reports. I was not
implying that you are a crypto-heretic, just selective. Proof-texting
does that.

The lack of faith impaired the work of Jesus (Matthew 13:58). With what
you mention, this gives us a positive correlation between faith and
miracle. However, I don't find a specific mention of faith in connection
with the healing ministry of the twelve and the seventy.
Dave
Received on Sat Jan 14 14:05:07 2006