Do not discount power of prayer.

I am writing to express my concern over a statement made in your editorial in the October issue of the Journal. I disagree with the categorical statement that “hand wringing, prayer, and expressions of concern don’t work.” In my opinion, any statement that one’s personal efforts in advocacy are more effective that another’s prayers indicates either a considerable degree of arrogance or a disbelief in the power of prayer. For instance, if there comes any improvement in access to health care in our state, I would not be the one to claim that it is a result of my efforts as president of the Wisconsin Medical Society any more than I would say that it is due to my prayers on the subject. The Journal should not publish statements minimizing the effect of prayer unless it is willing to publish testimonials as to the power of prayer and exhortations for readers to pray on matters related to health care access and quality. It is my personal belief that both prayer and advocacy are urgently needed in our efforts to improve access to care and equity in quality.