Is anyone else having a hard time understanding how a Christian family could let their daughter die?

I remember when I was about 12, I was rushed to hospital in horrendous pain with my stomach. My mother prayed over me - not that I'd be OK or that the wrenching pain would ease - but that if I required surgery I'd bravely serve God by telling the doctors I would not accept a blood transfusion.

Earlier that year, a 15 year old girl we knew was in a car crash. She died as a result of heavy blood loss after being in hospital for several hours - her parents would not allow the doctors to give her blood. The doctor cried on the news, distraught because he was certain he could have saved her.

So I'm no stranger to the mentality that drives parents to refuse medical treatment for their children. I'm an atheist, but I understand the basic principles of Christianity and the fundamental on is LOVE. Who better to love and protect than your own offspring? It's not loving to allow your children to die on an utterly unfounded principle.

The Bible encourages Christians to care for their bodies and value their health.

My daughter has a friend whose mother is Christian Science (I know oxymoron) and has never taken the kids for to a doctor or dentist. She had her daughter fasting when she was in junior high. That really worried me. The funny thing was the mother smoked. I think that when it comes to children's health freedom of religion should not exist.

I'm pretty conservative when it comes to medical treatment. We've had some bad experiences in the past. I don't take my kids to the doctor over small things. I use food as medicine to boost their immune system and they've never had a fever higher than 101 or needed antibiotics. They've each had an accident however that required stitches and a visit to the ER. But I would take them in a heart beat if they started exhibiting signs that his girl did.

One exception is medical treatment that has been proved to have no positive effect or a negative effect. That is true of some chemo therapy on certain cancers.

Yes It is hard to understand. But I should tell you that it happens for not only Chritians. They are people who misunderstand and misinterprete the religion. As a Muslim, I was shocked the other day when I heard from the BBC the then Taliban rule in Afganistan refused to let a woman undergo a life-saving surgery by a male. There was no female surgion in the country, and they insisted she should be operated only by female surgion or die. The UN had to rent a special flight to transport a Saudi female surgion to Afganistan. I guess they have no clue in what Qur'an is as those parents have no clue of their own religion.

First question: Nope. Religion does that to people.

Second question: Yup. It happens all over and it happens all the time.

Somewhere, right now, a baby boy or a half-grown girl is screaming as his/her genitals are mutilated "because that's what our god tells us to do." Somewhere else, another desperately sick child is being prayed over, or subjected to an "exorcism." And somewhere else, young men and women whose brains are awash in sex hormones are being lied to by their elders who refuse to provide them with any information that could help them to protect themselves.

Now don't turn up your nose, Debra. I'm not telling you anything that you didn't already know.

California recently passed legislation to stop this sort of thing; Oregon may be next, and none too soon at that, alas.

Asking a saint to intercede, or pray with you, is like pulling together a quorum ensuring that your prayer will be heard. Of course this is from my perspective, which is sometimes even more abstract in its interpretation than the Catholic churches. From the pragmatic perspective, it was much easier to convert people to Christianity from polytheistic religions if you could offer up something similar, without going against the Bible.

That is a bit hard to understand. I agree with you. I am a Christian also but I know that when my body tells me something is wrong that I need to get to a doctor to get it fixed. I can pray to God to ask Him what to do, but you still get that still small voice that says "Get to a doctor." I don't know what that family was thinking, it's hard to say. I feel sorry for that child because we don't know what kind of suffering she went through.

I have trouble seeing how anyone could do such a thing with a child . People like that { I have to grant them that status conditionally } should not be allowed to have or raise children . In fact should not be allowed anywhere near children .

The Mom was telling the cops that she though the kid could still be resurrected.

No..I get mental illness. Religion only makes it seem OK to them to not question it so they don't look for help. Mom needs to be put where she can't hurt anyone or herself.

I have not read the story or heard much about it but I cannot comprehend how ANY parent could allow their child to suffer. If my children need medical attention, I kick down doors to make sure they get it. Simple as.

I'm a Christian and I honestly cannot understand why somebody would do that.

"Sun Will Shine Again" is right.

That is not of God.