Holyfield's Heart
In 1994, Holyfield retired after a physical examination revealed a heart condition (prompted by a performance suggesting Holyfield actually fought Michael Moorer "in near cardiac arrest"). Yet Evander Holyfield went on to take out Mike Tyson not once but twice, in 1996 and 1997. It is reported that the Mayo Clinic exam, required by boxing officials before clearing him to fight again, revealed the man never had any condition to begin with.
Holyfield's website states it very simply:
"His faith in the healing power of God proved stronger than his medical prognosis. Holyfield returned to his doctor and was told he was getting better. A second follow-up visit to his physician indicated more improvement in his condition. A third visit revealed that his heart was healed."
"Renewed in 1995, convinced that his heart had been healed by God, he returned to the ring to fight Ray Mercer, the 1988 Seoul Olympics gold medalist. On May 20th, Holyfield dropped Mercer in the eighth round, proving to the world that his heart and his spirit were both strong."
News reports cite doctors patently denying any miracles with Dr. Elias Ghanem plainly stating, "It just doesn't make sense. No doctor will ever tell you someone can be cured by a faith healer."
The crux of this incident are claims the heart condition was never there to begin with, denying any healing could have occurred (with nothing needing to be cured).
It is hard to accept that one of the premier boxers in the sport at the height of his career would so easily withdraw from the sport entirely without second and third opinions at that time. Something must have been awry to leave millions on the table and walk away. The boxing commissions forced him to get examined a few times before they allowed him to fight again. It is hard to imagine this all occurring because of a single error that misidentified his health. Science has to allow for the concept of his heart healing. Ruling this out by virtue of improbability seems unfair.
Likewise, religion has to concede for the concept of the healing actually being the result of a misdiagnosis. Charlatans make much use of healing diseases that never existed in the first place, all beliveers need to keep vigilance for this obvious potentiality. Religion has to respect that its miracles are not applicable with the scientific method, wherein anyone can replicate the results if following the steps taken. To do so would make the event thereby not miraculous, robbing it of the very qualities making it so meaningful in the first place. Religion ultimately has to leave science to the scientists. Complete objectivity demands it, such is the way of science.
It's hard to retrofit the examinations of today's Evander Holyfield backwards and draw a conclusion in his case. Either you believe he had a serious problem that healed or you believe he had a misdiagnosis and never had a problem to heal. It strikes me most that this incident should draw open the borders between science and religion instead of closing them. Believers want their miracles chronicled so they can demonstrate the reality of their faith to the world. Scientific minds want to explore the mysteries of the world rationally and clearly draw out the truths of reality. Drawing a line among the two never addresses their myriad of overlapping interests. Case in point; it would have never been deemed an incident had Holyfield never been examined in by doctors with advanced scientific knowledge nor had he never been motivated by his faith to seek re-examination.
Holyfield's website states it very simply:
"His faith in the healing power of God proved stronger than his medical prognosis. Holyfield returned to his doctor and was told he was getting better. A second follow-up visit to his physician indicated more improvement in his condition. A third visit revealed that his heart was healed."
"Renewed in 1995, convinced that his heart had been healed by God, he returned to the ring to fight Ray Mercer, the 1988 Seoul Olympics gold medalist. On May 20th, Holyfield dropped Mercer in the eighth round, proving to the world that his heart and his spirit were both strong."
News reports cite doctors patently denying any miracles with Dr. Elias Ghanem plainly stating, "It just doesn't make sense. No doctor will ever tell you someone can be cured by a faith healer."
The crux of this incident are claims the heart condition was never there to begin with, denying any healing could have occurred (with nothing needing to be cured).
It is hard to accept that one of the premier boxers in the sport at the height of his career would so easily withdraw from the sport entirely without second and third opinions at that time. Something must have been awry to leave millions on the table and walk away. The boxing commissions forced him to get examined a few times before they allowed him to fight again. It is hard to imagine this all occurring because of a single error that misidentified his health. Science has to allow for the concept of his heart healing. Ruling this out by virtue of improbability seems unfair.
Likewise, religion has to concede for the concept of the healing actually being the result of a misdiagnosis. Charlatans make much use of healing diseases that never existed in the first place, all beliveers need to keep vigilance for this obvious potentiality. Religion has to respect that its miracles are not applicable with the scientific method, wherein anyone can replicate the results if following the steps taken. To do so would make the event thereby not miraculous, robbing it of the very qualities making it so meaningful in the first place. Religion ultimately has to leave science to the scientists. Complete objectivity demands it, such is the way of science.
It's hard to retrofit the examinations of today's Evander Holyfield backwards and draw a conclusion in his case. Either you believe he had a serious problem that healed or you believe he had a misdiagnosis and never had a problem to heal. It strikes me most that this incident should draw open the borders between science and religion instead of closing them. Believers want their miracles chronicled so they can demonstrate the reality of their faith to the world. Scientific minds want to explore the mysteries of the world rationally and clearly draw out the truths of reality. Drawing a line among the two never addresses their myriad of overlapping interests. Case in point; it would have never been deemed an incident had Holyfield never been examined in by doctors with advanced scientific knowledge nor had he never been motivated by his faith to seek re-examination.
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