We cannot continue to analyse Biblical truth in logical terms because, at this point we are faced with a fuzzy term which the Bible calls faith. The Franciscan monk, William of Ockham, gave his name to the principle of economy in logic which has become known as Ockham’s Razor. The principle formally stated says that entities should not be multiplied without necessity. In other words, simple explanations should always be preferred to complex ones. His principle has proved to be extremely valuable to scientists who have found it to be demonstrably true. He ran into trouble with Pope John XXII, in the twelfth century, because of his dangerous teachings; and was held under house arrest in Avignon for four years. However, his brilliant contribution to the logical debate is widely recognised. Ockham used logic to show that the existence of God can never be proved by the application of reason, but may be perceived only through the direct revelation of God.

THE ANAESTHETIC KISS

Unthread the bold eye of rebellion, and welcome home again discarded faith. - William Shakespeare (King John)

You will, no doubt, have experienced, at some time, the healing which is brought about by the anaesthetic kiss of a parent. If you have children, or come into regular contact with them, you probably will have administered the treatment yourself to some toddler. Consider the following, familiar scenario: a child falls over in the playground and screaming with pain runs to mum for attention. Mum gently lays her hand on the pain, perhaps gives a little rub, and finally applies the kiss. The infant, who was in agony only seconds before, is instantaneously restored. Although where there is a choice, mum’s are generally preferred by the toddler, anyone in whom the child has placed complete trust can effect the cure.

The mechanism at work is what is sometimes termed mind-over-matter; and for this process to operate, both the child and the parent must have complete faith in a positive outcome. The ability does appear to wear off as the toddler approaches school age. At around five years old, the child has gained enough experience of the world and its workings to have lost faith in the treatment, and so the kiss fails to deliver results. But did the kiss ever really work: did it actually relieve pain or is there some other explanation for the apparent miracle which is performed every day by millions of parents the world over?

Let us consider what the medical profession calls the placebo effect: this is the uncanny ability of the human body to produce an expected, beneficial result in response to some hypothetical treatment. So that, for example, if a patient has complete trust in a doctor, and that doctor informs the patient that by taking a pill the pain will go away, then the pain will actually go away even if that pill is not a pain killer. All that appears to be necessary is belief on the part of the patient, and probably also on the part of the doctor, for the body to somehow produce the desired result.