Faith-Healing causes another death

[Depot Denizen]

Another sad story from Oregon where a teenager with an easily treatable disease dies.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080619/..._healing_death

Not sure if it goes here or in the Church / State forum.

This is not the first case in this town, several months ago his toddler cousin died to a very treatable disease.

The families believe that faith healing will overcome any disease, and refuse to seek medical treatment...that's really heartbreaking.

[AFPheonix]

Gladstone is close enough to Gresham to have that toothless dumb people element.

It's a difficult case because while he was old enough to make a decision to be treated or not under our laws, he was really still under the influence of his parents and church. If his upbringing was anything like mine, he probably didn't have much contact with other ways of thinking and had been well trained to not seek out other opinions other than those he'd been instilled with from infancy.

It's sad and stupid and preventable, and it makes me angry that it can still happen in this day and age.

[blas87]

A little girl with asthma died a few months ago because her parents refused to take her to the doctor, because God would "heal" her.

This makes me sick. If only something could be done and the police or CPS were allowed to intervene...

[Amethyst Hunter]

When are we going to start locking these assholes up in mental wards (or prisons) like they ought to be? This is child abuse, plain and simple.

[DesignFox]

When are we going to start locking these assholes up in mental wards (or prisons) like they ought to be?

Well, if they keep going the way they're going...they'll die out and we won't have to....

I'm sorry that was a rotten thing to say.

Still...we have the knowledge to treat the disease. If you are too ignorant to go through and get that treatment for yourself... See ya.

I feel awful for the children. Mostly because they have no choice and are under the strict brainwashi-...er...influence of their family.

Adults can make their own decisions and deal with their own lapses in judgement. A child's only choice is to do what they are told.

[rahmota]

Well as much as I agree that this is a case of child abuse if you want to live in a country with freedom of religion you sometimes have to take the kooks, nutjobs and idiots who perform evil acts in the name of religion as well as the saints and plain decent folk.

Basically you cant legislate intelligent behavior.

[Amethyst Hunter]

Basically you cant legislate intelligent behavior.

As much as I agree with this, I also feel compelled to point out that there is a (mostly) recognizable line between common sense and just pure stupidity that - I would hope, anyway - most people should understand.

As DesignFox pointed out, kids don't have the reasoning skills, nor do they have the independence, to be able to make their own decisions regarding healthcare. All they know is that they're hurting and they don't understand why Mommy and/or Daddy don't do anything other than insist that "Jee-zus will fix it!" and meanwhile there's no sign of this magical "Jee-zus" anywhere and the suffering's getting worse. (Of course, the kid(s) could well be brainwashed into believing what the parents think, but I'm going by your average child's thought process)

And somehow I seriously, seriously doubt that any God is going to look at parents who don't get their kid the help he or she needs and go "Hey, guys, GREAT job, you know we totally needed some more dead children up here in Heaven!" When Christ said "suffer the little ones to come unto me" that wasn't exactly what He was talking about.

Of course, I personally think the whole "O NOES ALL SCIENCE IZ TEH EBIL!!" total avoidance of all healthcare because of some supposed religious edict is complete bullshit, but once you're old enough to think it through for yourself, well, then fine, it's your ass. But the kids shouldn't have to suffer and die just because their parents were brainless lemmings - God does tend to help they who help themselves, after all.

[anriana]

How is euthanesia illegal but this isn't?

[AFPheonix]

In Oregon euthanasia is legal.

[CancelMyService]

How is euthanesia illegal but this isn't?

Because religion doesn't endorse it. Humanely ending someone's pain is a slap in the face of God but making them suffer in the name of Jesus somehow isn't.

[crazylegs]

Basically you cant legislate intelligent behavior.

Quite correct, however abuse by neglect (refusing health care) is still abuse.

[MystyGlyttyr]

Unfortunately, like rahmota said, when it comes to religious freedom, you have to take the bad with the good. Unless it's made illegal to refuse treatment for your children, or vaccines, or whatever, then people will choose to do it. I don't approve of it, but there's not much to be done about it. CPS can try, but as the Texas FLDS case proves, the government probably won't back them and it'll be for naught.

I think there has been some efforts to the effect of illegalizing some of this sort of thing, but I don't see it going anywhere, to be honest.

[CancelMyService]

Isn't it illegal to refuse treatment for a child? That's neglect isn't it? You can't beat your child and claim its because your religion instructs it, why is this allowed?

[blas87]

The last time the government tried to intervene on religious nuts, look what happened in Waco Texas.

It's sad but true.

[rahmota]

Isn't it illegal to refuse treatment for a child?

In some instances it has been not illegal to refuse treatment on religious grounds. The Christian Scientists come the most stronly to mind as well as the local amish. The local amish did not believe in vacinations as they felt that would be worse on the child than catching it the old fashioned way. Exposure to a live virus would be strong and more in line with the non-technology directive from god.

Unfortunately the state of Ohio has been cracking down on personal and religious freedoms and that is now illegal. As is most things. CPS has been strengthened too much to the point where if your child isnt up to date on their shots or taken for regular checkups it can be considered a case of neglect.

That's neglect isn't it?

Not necesarily it isnt IMO. Running to the doctor for every slight scrape bruise or sniffle leads to a soft kid that is afraid of the world or becomes a hypochondriac. It can also lead to building an antibiotic resistance within the child so that if a serious disease does come along and the child cannot take the usual antibiotics they ahve to use much stronger stuff that is usually more adverse to the good parts of the system then other stuff. Exposure to some forms of illness and bacteria and virus can help give a person a natural immunity and make them less likely to get sick in general.

Now I will admit that serious stuff should always be dealt with by a trained medical professional. I have basic first aid training and I'll do triage on my kids but I would not dare feel comfortable to try and set a broken bone even if it was legal for me to not take the kid to the ER for it.

CPS can try, but as the Texas FLDS case proves, the government probably won't back them and it'll be for naught

Sad thing is Ohio at least has granted the CPS a lot more powers to interefere in peoples lives. In my home county the Amish now have to give birth in the hospital. They can still have a trained and certified midwife instead of a doctor but they are no longer allowed to give birth at home. CPS will come in and take their child from them. The Amish in Ohio are no longer allowed to refuse to have vacinations. The government in Ohio and my county especially has been turning the CPS into a lot more powerful and scary enforcement agency.

The last time the government tried to intervene on religious nuts, look what happened in Waco Texas

Even sadder thing is though. It may start out only affecting the fringe nuts but power creeps. Evil slides in very quietly and subtly until one day people notice that hey it aint just the fringe nuts being hurt by this but everyone else is too.