Majority of Docs Believe Miracles have Occurred in the Past and Can O...( Study Reveals Physicians' Views of Fa...),Health

Study Reveals Physicians' Views of Faith, Prayer and Miracles

FLEMINGTON, N.J., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- A new national study among 1,134 physicians revealed that the majority (72%) believe that miracles have occurred in the past and 70% believe that they can occur today. In addition, 69% indicated that religion is a reliable and necessary guide to life.

(LOGO: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071204/NYTU133LOGO )

The study was conducted during December 6-8 to obtain physicians' perceptions of faith, prayer and miracles in the medical field as well as their everyday lives. To view detailed results go to: www.mediacurves.com.

The study was conducted among physicians representing various religious backgrounds, including Christian (Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox Christian and other), Jewish (Orthodox Jewish, Conservative Jewish, Reform Jewish and Culturally Jewish), Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Scientologist, Islamic, Shinto, Sikh, and other religious traditions as well as those with no religious traditions.

Among the findings:

Views of Religious Texts

While physicians claim to be religious, their perceptions of religious texts suggest that they should be metaphorically translated rather than literally translated. The majority of physicians (56%) agreed that the stories presented in religious scripts (such as the parting of the Red Sea in the Exodus for Jews or the resurrection of Jesus for Christians)should be seen as metaphorically true. Among the physicians who claimed to practice a specific religion, 73% considered themselves to be a liberal member while only 27% considered themselves to be a literal believer in their religion.

Perceptions of Pray
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