Friday, January 14, 2005

DOES FAITH PROTECT AGAINST TORTURE?

Oxford University plans to find out:
Oxford University scientists will carry out experiments on hundreds of people in a bid to understand how the brain works during states of consciousness.

One aspect of the two-year study will involve followers of both religious and secular beliefs being burnt to see if they can handle more pain than others.

Some volunteers will be shown religious symbols such as crucifixes and images of the Virgin Mary during the tests.

I think I'll pass on the opportunity to volunteer for that. In the meantime try Hebrews 11:36-40.

[Bonus points to Cronaca for her post headline: "Nobody expects the Oxford Inquisition" found via Instapundit]

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm no Oxford scholar, but it seems to me that the "results" of this "study" will be inconclusive, at least from the religious standpoint, based on the fact that a true believer would know not to put our God to a foolish test. I also think that any willful subjection to pointless pain does not qualify as torture. How absurd.

-kati
http://riehlworld.net