Re: [asa] Christianity: balance of truth and solace?

Here's where Dawkins and the Apostle Paul agree. Taking solace in a
lie may make us feel better, but we are to be pitied above all men.

Have a Blessed Easter, everyone!

TG

On Apr 6, 2007, at 4:57 PM, Iain Strachan wrote:

>
>
> On 4/6/07, Michael Roberts <michael.andrea.r@ukonline.co.uk> wrote:
> This is very close to my practise too and I have done a funeral of a
> non-church member last week and another in ten days. I say a few
> things
> about the deceased and then some Christian comment but not say Fred
> who
> never showed any interest in worship has been let through the
> pearly gates.
> However I do give some Christian proclamation - low key - either
> expounding
> a passage often John 14 or explaining the gospel in the hymns they
> chose..
>
> Terry will tell us we are off-topic. However we must make clear
> that the
> Gospel can only give solace if it is true.
>
>
> Michael,
>
> I don't know if I can agree with that last statement. For example,
> in medicine, the placebo effect is well-known and well documented.
> For a new drug to become accepted in trials, in not only has to be
> shown to give an improvement in the patient's condition, but it
> also has to be shown to do significantly better than a placebo drug
> that is administered in a double-blind trial. The plain fact is
> that people often get better after administration of a placebo
> treatment (which should have no effect at all), simply because they
> believe that the treatment they receive is doing them some good.
> The same argument could equally be applied to religious beliefs
> giving solace. Just because a placebo makes you feel better
> doesn't prove that the placebo is genuinely effective. By the same
> token it could be argued that religious faith gives you solace, but
> that in turn doesn't prove that it's true.
>
> Perhaps it goes against the grain as a Christian to say this, but
> I've seen enough papers that show beyond much doubt that the
> placebo effect is "real".

________________
Terry M. Gray, Ph.D.
Computer Support Scientist
Chemistry Department
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523
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Received on Sat Apr 7 17:29:04 2007