By SEO OGBONMWAN KSC.

In the last few weeks there have been many articles posted on this forum to prove that prayers, religion and spirituality are of no effect. That science is all, that is the beginning and the end. That is obviously a view from one sector. We agree that there are many perspectives to view from. It may be possible to show in the course of this discuss that there is a strong relationship between prayers, religion, spirituality and science.

Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional connection to some greater power in the universe through deliberate intentional practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words, song, or complete silence. Prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creedal statement, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person. There are different forms of prayer such as petitionary prayer, prayers of supplication, thanksgiving etc.

Prayer are directed towards a spirit, deceased person (ancestors), or lofty idea, a deity for the purpose of worshiping, requesting assistance, guidance orconfessing sins to express one's thoughts and emotions. Thus, people pray for many reasons such as personal benefit or for the sake of others.

The active word in the definition above is that prayers are deliberate intentional practice learned from parents, elders or from the community and culture one was born into. It is agreed that one is most likely to imbibe the culture, religion of our parents.

Scientific studies regarding the use of prayer have mostly concentrated on its effect on the healing of the sick or injured people as posted by one of our forum member. The efficacy of petition in prayer for physical healing to a deity has been evaluated in numerous studies, with contradictory results.I can confidently say that those who prayed before and during assisted conception treatment cycle tended to achieve a pregnancy and subsequent better take home baby rate although the methodology was criticized. Studies that showed prayers were ineffective in the outcome of heart disease patient were also similarly criticized for methodology.

In the scientific analysis of the role of prayers in the outcome of ill patients, cognizance of the spirituality and or the belief systems of the patients were not taken into account. Those who believe in the supreme nature of God believe in faith and they receive in faith. That is the corner stone of answered prayers. Prayers does not return void. It will also be the way you wish it to be when you pray. That is the role of prayers.

This is also similar to placebo effects of drug administration. Studies have shown when two groups of individuals diagnosed as suffering from the same condition were treated; one with true drug and the other with a placebo, the outcome was similar as the patients and those administering the medication were blind to 1, what they were administering 2, what they were being administered. This research shows the belief of the patients may underlie the outcome of his or her treatment in most cases. In motivational speeches, we say if you believe you can, then you can and the converse is also true; if you believe you can't, you cannot. In the thought of the week I posted a few days ago we agreed that boldness has the power, the genius and magic in it to succeed so it is with prayers. Whilst you pray you have to work towards manifesting the object of your prayers in faith.

The term spirituality refer to the search for the Absolute amongst animists, or God amongst Christians' Allah amongst the MoslemsDifferent people experience spirituality in different ways and religion is one way of experiencing spirituality.

One can therefore be"spiritual but not religious and the converse is also true that one can be religious and not spiritual and it is only those who are spiritual and religious at the same time which we term being 'born again' that can really benefit from prayers.

People generally believe in the existence of many different "spiritual paths" - emphasizing the importance of finding one's own individual path to spirituality. Whereas religion is externally practiced, spirituality is practiced in the mind and only keen observers can see the spirituality of another person

The experience of 'spirituality'; the human emotions of awe, wonder and reverence, are also the province of the secular or scientific, in response to their highest values, or when observing or studying nature, or the universe.

Religion on the other hand is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a supernatural Being usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. There are many aspects of religion which include narrative, symbolism, beliefs and practices that are supposed to give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life. Whether the meaning centers on deity or ultimate truth religion is commonly identified by the practitioner's prayers, ritual meditation and music Religion also encompasses ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology as well as personal faith and religious experience.

Science is, in its broadest sense, any systematic knowledge-base or prescriptive practice that is capable of resulting in a prediction or predictable type of outcome. In its more restricted contemporary sense, science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge based on scientific methods and to the organized body of knowledge gained through such research. Science is a continuing effort to discover and increase human knowledge and understanding through disciplined research.

From our primary education days in Benin City, we were informed that the acquisition of knowledge is a march which will never end as long as man is keen to increase his store of knowledge. Let us illustrate the desire of knowledge by the work of Michael Faraday between 1820 -1830 on electricity generation. He detected electricity from electromagnetism but today electricity is now generated by electromechanical generators primarily driven by heat engines,fueled by chemical combustionor nuclear fission but also by other means such as the kinetic energy of flowing water and wind. The other technologies that can also be and are used to generate electricity include solar photovoltaic and geothermal power.

There is therefore a link between spirituality, science, prayers and religion. All questions were once spiritual as man grappled with the unknown. Once a phenomenon can be explained by scientific knowledge, then it is no longer spiritual and may not be approached in prayers or religious terms.

Since the beginning of time, spirituality and religion were called upon to fill the gaps science did not understand. The rising and setting of the sun were once attributed to Helios. Earthquakes and tidal waves then referred to as the wrath of Poseidon. Science has now shown that these belief systems are false as earthquakes and the rising and setting of the sun can be explained scientifically. Does it there mean that in due course all Gods will be proven to be false? I do not know. Science has now provided answers to numerous questions although there are still some questions that continue to bog the mind especially the esoteric ones. Questions like where do we come from? Where are we going? What is the purpose of life? This quest for knowledge we call science does not undermine the existence of God but rather reinforced it. So one can say that science, religion and spirituality are not enemies but allies, which are two differentpaths or languages telling the same story. It is a story of symmetry and balance for example heaven and hell, night and day, hot and cold, God and Satan. Both science and religion rejoices in God's symmetry but what about the church. We recall what happened to Galileo. That is a discussion for another day.

In conclusion, Africans are not atheist or animist, because they believed in the Supreme God. I saw my grandmother praying; I saw my mother and father praying. They believed in God so I believe in the existence of God as well because that was the concept of my childhood. I believe God answers prayers and the benefit of prayers. It is an innate individual thing. I cannot tell if all my parents' prayers were answered but I can recall 99% may have been answered. I can also confirm that that spirituality, religion and prayers have been positive for me and would recommend it in spite of the inconclusive nature of the outcome scientific studies to confirm the effectiveness of prayers. There must be a purpose for existence and my cultural beliefs that life does not end on this plane agrees with my spiritual and religious beliefs. Call it the unknown. I do not play lottery as I have always worked for what I have as I do not believe in chance. The questions we should ask ourselves are suppose life does not end on this plane; suppose we have to answer to how we lived our lives on this plane. Suppose if we were found to have led a suboptimal life and asked to atone for it?

Let us be good boys scouts and be prepared. I am trying to be prepared; are you?

SEO OGBONMWAN

© February 2010.