When stupidity in the form of 'faith' causes the death of a child, should the parents be prosecuted?

I'm so sorry - what a horrific thing to witness.

Yes, the parent should be liable for the death of a child when their beliefs interfere with reality and the child's best interest. My nephew is legally blind in one eye because of my legalistic fundy sister and her groundless fears about modern medicine.

My cardiologist is Indian and my heart surgeon was from Lebanon. They did a superior job. My surgeon works like 6 days a week only b/c the hospital FORCES him to take a day off. He loves to heal people so much that I thought it was killing him but the day AFTER his day off he looked like he had a two week vacation. The guy is a saint. But that was Loma Linda Hospital too and they are VERY pro-patient there.

The govt would have to come up with a new law or make an old law applicable. The separation of church and state makes it impossible for the govt to act against a parent who does something for religious reasons. In this case I would think that this borders on a hate crime done in some strange retroactive way. They hate the doctor which endangers the child ergo ... it's a hate crime mis-directed toward the child while in the guys of supposedly hating the doctor but no court will tell that to a parent since the courts assume that the parent loves the child but if they did wouldn't they ULTIMATELY do what is best for the child?

Hang the parents and let the courts sort it out later. But then the kid ends up hurt again and no matter what ... wait ... the kids dead ... can't be hurt anymore ... cool ... hang the SOBS. As long as they don't have any more kids at home who will be harmed by killing the parents. And I don't think I would kill them. Give them life in prison to think about their sin. But then I can't judge them either so I guess we have to toss it up to the Universe and wait to see what happens.

A death is a death and it really doesn't matter the reason. But it bothers me that the parent THOUGHT THAT HE WAS doing the right thing. There are no guarantees with medicine and he took a chance and lost. The fact that you TOLD him he might lose his child unless he was transferred cannot be ignored either. But what if the child HAD been transferred and died anyway? Sometimes when it is time to go you can't tell FATE "Hang on ... gimme a sec" ... it's like NOW! We can only assume that it was time for that child to move on to his next assignment. She had already done what she needed to do here ... whatever that might have been ... and now it's time for her next destination.

This is really a tough one. I would send up a prayer for the baby and perhaps just move on on this one. I'm not usually so divided on your questions but this one is tricky. There is NO easy answer for THIS one.

:-)

Peace ... No More DEaths in the name of Religion PLEASE!

f*ck the religion of the your doctor. if they are good is what really matters. yes they should be punished! ignorance does not matter when it comes to law. for example: I'm from michigan. I know michigan laws, but since I live in georgia for right now; if I break a law that I didnt know about, I still get the ticket. that is neglect, if they claim that 'faith' will save the child. that is pretty much just sitting back, waiting for the child to die (or 'miraculously heal') and doing nothing.

I'm a wiccan, and as a nurse, I dont just sit there and hope that the goddess heals my patients. I intervene.

This is beyond sad, I agree they made a horrible choice and hopefully they'll recognize that having faith doesn't mean you can act irresponsibly because of it.

But right now, those parents in all of their ignorant glory are suffering the loss of a child. There is no greater suffering on this earth that I can imagine.

I don't feel he should be executed, I hope enough people have blasted his decision where he feels the weight of his fatal choice unbearably. Who knows, in the future he may very well be the voice of experience who speaks out against others who are facing the same crisis, and maybe he'll save a child's life in the process.

I was raised as a Jehovah's Witnesses and knew of a range of cases in the area where I lived of Jehovah's Witnesses died after blood transfusions were not administered.

In the majority of these cases, the victims were minors. I often wondered if had these minors been adults, with the freedom to make their own choice, without their parents telling them that in order to please God they had to choose death over life...they might still be alive today.

I remember being taken to hospital when I was about 12, in a lot of pain with a stomach complaint. As I was driven to hospital, crying in agony, my mother prayed over me. Did she pray for me to be healed? No. Did she pray that the pain would ease? No. She prayed the doctors would not force a blood transfusion on me should they deem it necessary.

The first thing she told the desk nurse at the hospital was that I had severe stomach pain. The second thing she said was that as a Jehovah's Witness, I would under no circumstances accept a transfusion.

Cases where children die in these circumstances are nothing less than murder and should be prosecuted as such.

Yeah, I don't see why not, to be honest. I mean, there are cases where it's a fundamental part of the faith to not avail themselves of modern medical technology like blood transfusions. Then it becomes a grey area, becasue you have to ask whether the child had the right to avail themselves and survive and deal with any metaphysical consequences at a later date. But if it's just stupidity, then why not prosecute? NB this applies to ANY form of what might reasonably be described as stupidity, not just faith stupidity.

It is sad when that happens. The parents are blinded by their faith, i think they truly, honestly think their lord will help the child. It's very sad that the line between reality and fantasy are blurred for them. I could say it's good the child isn't suffering anymore, but had the father seen sense, the child wouldn't had to have suffered at all, and could be growing up into a young woman.

Dang Babe I would never be able to do the job you do and witness stuff like this..

If a doctor told me that my kids needed to be sent to Mars to be treated by aliens we would be on the first shuttle..

The parents who allow thier children to die while waiting for their god to fix everything should be charged with murder. The Christian people that I know all at least have sense enough to know that thier God is not going to help someone who wont help themselves. And letting thier child die because of the Religious beliefs of the doctor? Unspeakable

As a Christian, the decision not to transfer wasn't smart. If they were that worried, they are aloud to stay with the child to make sure no one else is praying over her & getting proper care. Now if they heard a word from God specifically then that's another story.

I don't think they should be executed, God forgives. If thats so, then all the females who have had abortions should be right behind them in line.

I've seen God work wonders through the skill and training of doctors to save my own son. It's a shame that some people pray for healing then refuse the medicine that can bring about the cure. The parents have lost a child... if they gain wisdom they will feel the pain of their choices for the rest of their lives,... if they remain ignorant no action you can take can make them see the truth.