"Prayer Is Not Medicine AK Supreme Court finds." Topic

The Alaska Supreme Court just reaffirmed a very important legal and ethical principle – declaring that prayer is not a replacement for medicine. While this may seem obvious to many, this is a critical legal decision. It will probably not have the downstream effect that it should, but it does highlight a vital reality.

The case involves Rachel "O", who has been taking care of her mother, Tiffany "O". Rachel states that because she graduated from a ministry school she is qualified to treat her mother solely with prayer, including her mother's epilepsy, and emergency treatment. The essence of the ruling is this:

"If Tiffany required immediate medical attention, the results could be fatal," the court concluded. "For this reason, while religious liberty is a fundamental right under the Alaska Constitution, the state's actions in this case are justified by a compelling interest."

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Should be filed under bloody obvious.

If that is what her mother wants, why not let her?

why not let her

It would depend on whether the mother is competent. The daughter may have power of attorney but her actions can't constitute elder abuse.

Martin, your comment of

Should be filed under bloody obvious.

Is uncalled for, undoubtedly quite offensive to many

Not to mention this whole post is really religious in its entirety and seemingly an attack on religion in nature.

+1

Some scientific studies:
link

A balanced prescription:
link

Miracle: a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.

That does not prove divine intervention it just considers it. A scientific explanation may or may not be found at a later date. There is no proof of God but that does not mean the concept is wrong and there is no Supreme Being.

Wolfhag

+1 Martin.

Also, if anything the post is legal in nature. The principle seems to be that guardians have a duty of care, and in this case the guardian showed "hostility, bordering on paranoia, toward outside entities" resulting in the parent "losing valuable services and resources to which she is entitled.". I.e. the guardian was not acting in the best interests of the parent.

Nick, it's not the topic.

It's how and why Martin presented it.

To add some scientific basis to this thread:

Gregorian chant "has proven to heal," claims Universal, and it quotes Dr. Alan Watkins, a senior lecturer in neuroscience at Imperial College London, as saying that "the musical structure of chanting can have a significant and positive physiological impact" and that chanting has been shown to "lower blood pressure, increase levels of the performance hormone DHEA as well as reducing anxiety and depression."

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Gregorian Chant, named after Pope Gregory (590 – 640 AD), is a sung form of prayer (song being the higher form of communication as opposed to spoken or even silent prayer.

If the OP was truly interested in determination he would research Fatima, the liquification of the blood of St Januarius (attributed to prayer), St Padre Pio (and his intercessory prayer (there's an entire USAAF bomber group's report to start with and that ties in directly to miniature gaming with a number of contemporary rulesets link and link ), the verified miracles at Lourdes, France ( link ) for a "tip of the iceberg" beginning.