Genesis 30

(February 10, 2014)
We know that faith is the power by which all things come to pass, which is interesting in light of superstitions.  We understand that placebo effect in individuals, but I think we explain that away in light of the mind correcting the body.  But what if the placebo effect was nothing more than the application of the power of faith?  If that was the case, then a firm belief in anything would be sufficient to bring about an increased probability of the event occurring.  Thus, superstitions may not be as crazy as people now think they are.

Of course, many superstitions have been subjected to empirical testing, but that doesn’t fully resolve the issue.  After all, science by its very nature is skeptical, and the doubt that makes a good scientist also influences any determinations of the validity of faith.  But what about the experiments where skeptical scientists bring in believes to pray for the sick (for example)?  I think we have a similar problem with those – after all, don’t we acknowledge that (at least at the quantum level) observing necessarily changes the results.  While the results are mixed (which makes sense in light of the varied beliefs of the experimenters), we still must address those times when faith doesn’t seem to work.  But isn’t it reasonable to presume that a skeptical scientist is actively putting his lack of faith in opposition to the faith of the prayers being said?

I think there is something to that.  I think we see less miracles because we believe less in miracles.  I think that magic (something generally believed by those ancients, including prophets, who had seen supernatural things) has disappeared in large part because we no longer believe in such things.  Science has displaced superstition – a generally good thing, but not in all cases.