>this list. (For instance, I would suggest that Michael Shermer is showing
as much
>of an irrational bias as any religious person in this interview with his
repeated
>insistance that the M.D. not use words like "prayer" to accurately
describe what
>Christians _think_they_are_doing_ when they put their hands together and
speak
>to their "god". I think he comes off looking as bad as any other zealot
when he does that.)
>
>I suggest that anyone with a RealAudio player check it out and then come
>back here and share they're thoughts about it with the rest of us:
>
I listened to this last night; it was very interesting indeed. Shermer seemed to agree with virtually everything Dr. Bensen said. He was simply concerned, rightly so IMHO, that the media would latch onto the word "prayer", and misrepresent the findings of the studies. The media is likely to state that prayer, and by extension a belief in God, are the vital ingredients, when in fact a belief in anything, eg. a belief in the competence of their doctor, is the key.
I think Shermer was well-spoken, entertaining, and quite moderate (ie. non-rabid) in his presentation.