Poll: 57% of Americans say God can revive the dying

[Newsjock]

Source: Associated Press

When it comes to saving lives, God trumps doctors for many Americans. An eye-opening survey reveals widespread belief that divine intervention can revive dying patients. And, researchers said, doctors "need to be prepared to deal with families who are waiting for a miracle."

More than half of randomly surveyed adults — 57 per cent — said God's intervention could save a family member even if physicians declared treatment would be futile. And nearly three-quarters said patients have a right to demand such treatment.

When asked to imagine their own relatives being gravely ill or injured, nearly 20 per cent of doctors and other medical workers said God could reverse a hopeless outcome.

... The survey, which appears in Monday's Archives of Surgery, ... involved 1,000 U.S. adults randomly selected to answer questions by telephone about their views on end-of-life medical care. They were surveyed in 2005, along with 774 doctors, nurses and other medical workers who responded to mailed questions.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/08/18/divine-trauma.html

[Arugula Latte]

1. Not coincidentally, 57 of Americans have the IQ of mold spores.

[Indenturedebtor]

16. Actually in terms of problem solving mold spores are pretty ingenous....

:eyes:

[mike_c]

2. with or without the intervention of a witch doctor...?

Fifty-seven percent of Americans are superstitious idiots.

[Kutjara]

3. Superstition and magical thinking dominate the American psyche.

This is why there'll be no "Science Forum" for the Presidential candidates. Science isn't magical enough.

[Skittles]

4. it's pretty easy to convince a lot of people of ANYTHING

[Wizard777]

5. I agree with that. I had a near death experience. The doctors had given up when God sent me back.

It can and does happen. But not as much as people would like. I'm sure.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BurtWorm]

21. How do you know it was God?

Did it introduce itself?

[Wizard777]

33. He doesn't have to. You just know and feel it with every fiber of your being

He is an awesome spectacle to behold. But yes he does introduce Himself. "I am your lord God. I am Ahura Mazda." The really weird part is that I had never heard that name before that. I knew nothing of Zoroastrianism or Mazdaeism before that. But I'm one now. He will call you by the name He has given you. Not the one your parents gave you. That name applies to the body they have given you. Not the soul He has given you.

[Dukkha]

23. your soul was rejected by God? Damn!

pun intended by Damn!

[Wizard777]

34. Ha Ha! Not rejected. He's still with me. I talk to Him from time to time.

So you better hope He thinks that funny.

You're not the only one that can make jokes. :hi:

[Odin2005]

26. "God" had nothing to do with it. Near-Death Experiences are...

hallucinatory experiences caused by lack of oxygen in a dying brain.

[Wizard777]

35. This is America and you are free to believe that. But that's not my experience.

Both in and out of life. I've done my fair share of paranormal investigations. I have to say that ghosts are real. There is life after death. Also there has been a guiding force in my life since then reinforcing the knowledge given to me while I was there. Constantly disspelling the human inclination to doubt. Halucination can't do that.

[wuushew]

30. How do you know it was God and not Pinhead from Hellraiser?

:shrug:

[Wizard777]

36. Standing in His presence is the most intense feeling of love you will ever have.

The love you have for your parents and siblings. Then your wife and children. Even your pets and hobbies. That all comes from Him and flows through us. When you find the eternal source of all the love ever felt. You just know it. It's undeniable. It's just like finding a water source. Like an overflowing fountain. Oh so that's where all that water has been comming from. But when you find the source of all love. That's got to be God.

[Tindalos]

6. Maybe that's the only health care they can afford.

Kind of like all those people relying on winning the lottery to finance their retirement.

[ColbertWatcher]

8. $cientologists believe something similar. n/t

[anonymous171]

9. "nearly 20 per cent of doctors and other medical workers said God could reverse a hopeless outcome.

Well if it's hopeless, why not hope for some kind of divine intervention? It's certainly not hurting anything.

[ConsAreLiars]

10. Sure, just look at those 2000-year-olds their various gods decided to save from death.

Just goes to show that the ignorant crazies have never encountered a reality they don't have the ability and will to deny. And how many of them there are.

(slight edit)

[krispos42]

11. Of courseGod could

He (or she) is GOD, for chrissakes!


The problem is getting God off of his (or her) couch-potato ass and atually intervene.

It doesn't happen very often, it seems.

[sakura]

12. It's scary that 20 percent of physicians and med workers agreed.

It says something about the quality of training they are getting. Too much memorization, not enough training in critical thinking.

My latest doctor (my previous one just retired) is just out of his residency, and seems very willing to learn, despite evidence that he is a victim of this type of training. He recently recommended glucosamine chondroitin for my deteriorating knee. I asked him what research supports its use. He hadn't read the papers underlying such a recommendation, but was good enough to jump online to look them up-- the group he works for provides that type of resource within the exam room, precisely to deal with patients like me. Once he found the relevant papers, I asked him what the sample size was for the study that showed the greatest effect-- that is, how many people were tested. Answer: 7. Seven.

He was surprised. He fully recognized that testing only seven people is NOT good science. It makes me wonder how many other recommendations are based on junk science like this.

[Odin2005]

27. Also, the medical profession is a refuge for fundies that are into biology.

They don't have to worry about studying that "anti-God evolution stuff."

[SoCalDem]

13. And yet...

Everything that has ever "lived", eventually does die :rofl:
Imagine how crowded the earth would be if nothing ever died :scared:

I'm entering my "4th quarter", and frankly, I'm glad I don't have more time left :)

[Greyhound]

14. So it's only 57% of us that are, literally, too stupid to live? n/t

[asteroid2003QQ47]

15. Prayer WORKS, Goddamn it! Just ask cousin Tommy!

He prayed every night for God to send him some one to kill.
After closing his convenience store for the night, he, sack of
money in hand was walking his clerk to her car in the parking lot
at the rear of the store when out of the shadows, her boyfriend
struck him with a shovel, snatched the cash and sprinted for the
far side of the parking lot. With God's help, Tommy recovered in
time to rain a hail of lead into the perp thus ensuring that his
career in crime had come to an abrupt end.

Don't ever tell cousin Tommy prayer doesn't work!

[Vinca]

17. If someone truly believes in God, heaven and the rest of it,

why would they want to be revived? It appears their lives are lived for the sole purpose of getting into heaven. So just die. In fact, the rapture people need to get together immediately and go meet the mothership.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

32. I will second that sentiment.

If Heaven is so fabulous and wonderful, and earthly life is a vale of tears, why not hurry up and get there??????


:wtf:

[MiniMe]

18. Does this mean that only God can revive McSame's chances of being elected

President of the US?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. Let's see, God is the Author of All Things, including the illness that causes death..but..

He has a change of heart when appealed to...or bribed?

Sounds like a Mafia protection racket.

[scheming daemons]

20. Alternate survey: 43% of Americans wish the rapture would come already and take the 57%

[SammyWinstonJack]

28. !!!

:evilgrin: :applause:

[tomreedtoon]

22. God CAN do it. He doesn't WANT to.

He wants us to die. Why do you think He started and encouraged Bush's war?

See the short story "For I Am A Jealous People" by Lester Del Rey.

[lonestarnot]

24. So what's wrong with dat?

:shrug:

[Odin2005]

25. 57% of Americans are complete morons.

The average person's stupidity really damages my faith in democracy, sad to say. :-( Sometimes I fantasize about being a global version of Plato's Philosopher-King.

[Dr.Phool]

29. Another 30% are undecided.

[Morning Dew]

31. Demand which ?

"57 per cent — said God's intervention could save a family member even if physicians declared treatment would be futile. And nearly three-quarters said patients have a right to demand such treatment."


Demand which? The Medical treatment or God's intervention? I know, I know, it's clear enough but it hit me funny.


As for me, I don't think of God as a micromanager.

Think ant farm and you're close to my suspicion.