NationStates Jolt Archive

A two-year study (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4167565.stm) includes plans to burn patients to discover how faith, special training, and other factors affect the brain's interpretation of pain.

This is based on a number of false premises.
The first is that all religious faith is identical, and objectively quantifiable in some way.
The second is that God does not exist, and that the sole effect of religious faith is a change in biochemical pathways, or that if God does exist, He willingly submits to scientific study in predictable ways.
The third is that you can artificially manipulate someone's faith levels by, for instance, showing them a picture of the Virgin Mary.
Sounds like very poor science to me.

This is based on a number of false premises.

yup. :)

The first is that all religious faith is identical, and objectively quantifiable in some way.

eh... debateable, They all have in a sense the same goal in life. But the customs are all different.


The second is that God does not exist, and that the sole effect of religious faith is a change in biochemical pathways, or that if God does exist, He willingly submits to scientific study in predictable ways.

Just because you say G-d doesn't exist, doesnt mean it's true.. You cannot make a comment with that, without proof. After all there is no proof of his existence. You need faith to believe in either. As well as why should G-d care for what they're doing? They're just looking to see if Faith plays a role in pain.


The third is that you can artificially manipulate someone's faith levels by, for instance, showing them a picture of the Virgin Mary.
Sounds like very poor science to me.

No such thing as poor science... any science is progress.

Is it really torture if the participants are willing? It's more like some weird S&M fantasy involving religious and scientific imagery.

Is it really torture if the participants are willing? It's more like some weird S&M fantasy involving religious and scientific imagery.

oooh ya got whipped!

hehehe.... what does S&M stand for again? Too lazy to look it up..

Just because you say G-d doesn't exist, doesnt mean it's true.. You cannot make a comment with that, without proof. After all there is no proof of his existence. You need faith to believe in either. As well as why should G-d care for what they're doing? They're just looking to see if Faith plays a role in pain.

No such thing as poor science... any science is progress.
I think you're missing my point.
I know that G-d, if you prefer that spelling, exists. My precise point is that the scientists conducting the experiment assume that He doesn't, or that He will willingly go along with the experimental conditions.

And I really do believe that an experiment with many uncontrolled and unpredictable variables, and assumptions that are not falsifiable included as part of the hypothesis, is poor science. Nothing will be learned, or disproved, from this study.

oooh ya got whipped!

hehehe.... what does S&M stand for again? Too lazy to look it up..
Sadism and massochism in most places, Slave and master in a relatively few others.

Is it really torture if the participants are willing? It's more like some weird S&M fantasy involving religious and scientific imagery.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that harmful activities between consenting parties doesn't count as torture.

I think you're missing my point.
I know that G-d, if you prefer that spelling, exists. My precise point is that the scientists conducting the experiment assume that He doesn't, or that He will willingly go along with the experimental conditions.

And I really do believe that an experiment with many uncontrolled and unpredictable variables, and assumptions that are not falsifiable included as part of the hypothesis, is poor science. Nothing will be learned, or disproved, from this study.


huh..that's weird, my post didn't come up.

anyways, since i;m too lazy to retype it. I was saying, now i understand... since there is no way this experiement could prove or disprove G-d. But still should be studied just for curiosity.

Sadism and massochism in most places, Slave and master in a relatively few others.
Actually, SM is sado-masochism, and S&M is Slave and Master.
Not that I'm particularly proud of knowing that, I'm just a nitpicker, is all.

Actually, SM is sado-masochism, and S&M is Slave and Master.
Not that I'm particularly proud of knowing that, I'm just a nitpicker, is all.
It's a regional difference. You are from the west coast USA maybe?

It's a regional difference. You are from the west coast USA maybe?

why.. Why are you even discussing this?!?!?!?! :confused:

why.. Why are you even discussing this?!?!?!?! :confused:
What? Discussing unusual sexual practices isn't appropriate? This is the internet, afterall.