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I also have acquaintances who refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds...the woman I know, was diagnosed with cancer, and she refused medical treatment, not because she objected to the chemo which would have been involved, but because she knew she would probably need blood transfusions because of the side effects of the chemo, often lowering blood counts...so she willingly died, convinced that she was doing the correct thing, for her salvation...she left behind a husband(who believed as she did), and two young sons....I have often wondered how the sons felt about this...would their faith be weakened because they saw their mom die from lack of treatment, or would their faith have been strengthened, because they saw their mom stand firm in her beliefs...

Since this is hypothetical, weigh the consequences of the woman abandoning her faith to a futile attempt at cure, followed by a prolonged and lingering death. We cannot see the future, and a cancer cure is not guaranteed.

I dont have any problem at all, with any adult refusing any type of medical treatment...some refuse on religious grounds, but others refuse treatment for other reasons....the reasons why they refuse medical treatment for themselves, is of really no matter, as far as I am concerned...they refuse, and that is that...I do believe that every adult has the right to decide which medical treatment to try, and which medical treatment to refuse...whether they make their decision based on religion, distrust of the medical community, advanced age, fear, whatever...the reason for the refusal, when it comes to an adult, makes no difference...

However, what does concern me, is when parents, entrusted with the care of their children, refuse medical care for their children...this can also be based on religious grounds, or any other grounds, such as I mentioned previously, or some other reasons...are children obligated to be subjected to a lack of medical care, because that is what their parents desire?...

Certainly, nothing in medicine is a 100% cure-all situation...that is why medicine always gives statistics, chances of a cure...some medical treatments offer very low rates, for a cure, tho there are always those who will beat the oddss...other medical treatments offer very high cure rates, tho there are always those who will be the few who wont be cured...

Now, if an adult is going to refuse medical treatment outright, for whatever reason, then the odds, the statistics
dont really matter to him...but what about his children...if a child of his, becomes ill, and there is a cure thats, lets say, 95% effective, is it moral or right for that parents to allow his child not to have the treatment, based on the parents religious wishes?... or for any other reasons as well?

I find this a problem...