Posted on 03/27/2008 1:39:08 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Could parents should be prosecuted? Should they be prosecuted? I dunno. I can see two sides to this, but I’m leaning toward the parents needing to be severely punished.
It's possible they really didn't know she was this sick or that she had treatable diabetes. Lots of people, religious or non-religious, don't go and don't have their kids go to the doctor unless they're clearly sick. That in itself is not irresponsibility --- in fact, it's the way most people live.
With 20/20 hindsight in these kinds of cases people can say "the kid had diabetes" or "the kid had meningitis" or "the kid had a brain aneurysm" --- but sometimes, the kid just seems tired and you really don't know. Not everybody has typical flashing-red-lights symptoms.
It could be they were negligent, but maybe not. More facts needed. Don't condemn these parents before the jury is in.
If God alone has the power to heal, then why were doctors created?
This child died needlessly because two parents couldn’t take their blinders off and look at the whole picture.
There’s always a time for faith and prayer - but there’s always a time for common sense too.
After reading that statement there's no way I could support their decision. In effect they have said if another of their children become seriously ill they'd not seek medical attention to save them.
Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin, the victim can't help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime: the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.It was the parents' stupidity that caused this child's death. And they probably thought they were doing "god's will" or some such foolishness. Idiots!Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough For Love (1973)
It doesn’t sound like the child was ill very long, faith and science can go together, I mean you can pray for healing and still seek out medical advice. God heals people all the time using physicians. I think the purpose of this article, the way it is written is to bash religion and show how “simple minded” people of faith are. I would have to have more details to know whether or not the should be prosecuted.
Agreed.. A guy (40-something) I work wasn’t feeling well at work one day and he kept brushing it off, just thought he was sick and would get through the day..
Well he started getting pale and clammy skin and someone finally called for help (and an ambulance against his will), it turns out he had diabetes and never knew it. He almost died.
Yep. That was a the deal-breaker for me, too. They had my sympathy right up until that point...
However, I rarely go to the doctor, either. And not for religious reasons; I just come from good genetic stock. ;)
The last time I had to take a full exam was three years ago for insurance purposes. The doctor could find absolutely nothing wrong with me...and told me I was the healthiest middle-aged female she’d ever examined. (Fresh air, sunshine and clean livin’ does a woman wonders.)
Maybe I should sell my cells for cloning? Nah...one of me is more than enough for this world; and my critics heartily agree, LOL!
Yes. If not, where do we draw the the line? How about a toddler who falls into a pool or river, and the parents just stand next to the water and pray while the child drowns?
Excellent Post.
I agree that the parents actions did not have a malicious intent. Rather, it seems more like negliegence born of ignorance.
Considering that the parents told the police chief that they’d pursue the same course of action again leads me to believe that they don’t grasp what they did wrong.
Sometime down the road, they may understand what they did - but for now, their stance is worrisome.
Yep. This was all the rage on the local Talk Radio circuit today.
One caller made a great analogy. He asked, “If they prayed to their COUCH or to a TREE in their yard, versus praying to God over this, would they be any less guilty of her death?”
I think not. However, I am a firm believer in the Power of Prayer, but in the sense that you pray for God to “guide the surgeons hand” or to release your loved one from horrible suffering, etc. God tends to work THROUGH others to help us, in my experience. :)
Not to mention the million babies a year who die because their 'mothers' do seek 'medical care'.
LOL! I side with you there, I absolutely hate going to a doc and I have some problems.
The issue here is that they don’t know how sick their kid is and they just pray and hope for the best. If they want to deny themselves medical care that’s one thing, they’re adults but they shouldn’t put their kids lives in jeopardy, IMO.
If that's actually what they're saying, then they are very much in the wrong. But if they're saying they didn't know she was sick? That calls for a different verdict.
Again, the key questions are "What should they have known? What did they know? And when did they know it?"
My father was like you, Diana. He was never in a hospital, never saw a doctor for anything until he was 86 years old. Just a healthy old guy. Then the last 6 years of his life his health took some deep plunges, and he died at 92.
But he raised my brother and myself the same way. Oh, we got the obligatory shots --- anything legally required --- but other than that, we just never went to the doctor, and never needed to. If we were feeling a sick, we went to bed for a day or two and had lots of Mama's soup. That was it. (I'd say "Jewish penicillin" but he was an atheist and my mother was Catholic!)
the family said “healing comes from God”
But some people need to realize God’s healing comes in many forms. (Doctors, medication, surgery etc...)
Our minister told the story of a man whose town was experiencing a 100 year flood. Everyone was told to evacuate to higher ground but one man stayed saying “God will take care of me.” As the flood waters reached his house a neighbor paddled up in a canoe and told him to get in but the man replied “no, God will take care of me.” When the flood waters reached the second floor of his house rescue personnel came by in a boat and told the man to evacuate with them. The man refused, saying “God will take care of me.” As the waters continued to rise, the man had to climb onto his roof. A helicopter flew over, dropped a line to the man, but again he refuse to leave, saying “God will take care of me.” Then the rushing waters swept the man off his roof and as he was drowning he cried out to God “Why didn’t you save me? I believed in you and prayed.”
God responded “What do you want? I sent 2 boats and a helicopter!”
We covered this yesterday. These parents were horrible and stupid, and should probably lose custody of any other children.
But...should they have been forced by the state to medical care that they don’t agree with. Where will THAT end?
We tackle the tough issues at FR. I am not sure what is right here.
With all due respect…hogwash.
One tries everything there is to save something or somebody.
Short version of a very successful story for me:
Desperate situation at the top…lawyers.
At the bottom…a witch doctor.
A person was causing problems for us three years ago.
No longer.
He dropped dead in front of the very door of the apartment he was causing a problem at 1:30 am.
Granted, he did have a health problem, but not to drop dead at the door where he was causing problems.
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