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The deadly scam of Faith Healing
These people deserve to die a slow and very painful death.
C
Dale and Leilani Neumann, of Wisconsin, could have
received up to 25 years in prison over the 2008
death of Madeline Neumann, who was known as Kara.
The 11-year-old died of an undiagnosed but treatable
form of diabetes.
C
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According to the article, there was other people gathered around her and praying when she died on the floor. There should be a "good samaritan" law that would require these people to call 9-1-1 or anyone to report a child that had become "too weak to speak, eat, drink or walk."
And from the quotes from the father, it didn't sound like they would do anything different next time.
October 7, 2009 12:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
As I said.
C
October 7, 2009 12:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don’t expect they would do anything different next time. I know it sounds outrageous to most of us, but there are people whose religion genuinely leads them to believe that medicine is antithetical to God’s plan. Sounds like these are such people.
I have a great deal of trouble with cases like this. Part of me agrees that the parents deserve to suffer for letting their daughter die. Part of me thinks that the parents are entitled to their religious beliefs. Part of me thinks that although they are entitled to their religious beliefs they aren’t entitled to let anyone other than themselves die because of those beliefs. Part of me thinks the daughter probably shared those religious beliefs and wouldn’t have opposed what they did. Part of me thinks the daughter wasn’t mature enough to really know if she shared those religious beliefs.
On the whole, I think I come down on the side of protecting minor children from death or debilitating illness due to religious beliefs that they aren’t mature enough to be really sure they share with their parents or guardians. So yes, that “good samaritan” law would be a good idea. Although if the witnesses were people who shared the same religious beliefs they’d probably ignore the law. And if they were neighbors, friends, or relatives they might prefer to walk away rather than cause disharmony in their relationships with the parents. Just speculating on how effective the law would actually be, not saying it shouldn’t exist... Humans are such kittle cattle.
October 7, 2009 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
This one sentence says it all. I do not have any problem with other people beliefs.
But when their beliefs are forced on me or any one else, this is NOT OK. And when their beliefs impact the happiness, health and well being of anyone else even their own children, this is NOT OK.
What these people did was premeditated murder plain and simple.
C
October 7, 2009 12:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
These cases are straightforward in principle, but tough emotionally. I see it as necessary for the law to punish the parents as a deterrent to others, although there will always be others who are not deterred. On the other hand, I expect the parents have already been punished severely by the loss of their child, and are suffering greatly, whatever their public statements or even their attempts at self delusion. Probably the best resolution in cases like these is for the imposition of a well publicized penalty, followed later on by some reduction in the severity of the penalty when the public is no longer paying attention.
October 7, 2009 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sounds like Karaand her pafents arw victims of a cult. I would be more comfortable with an investigation and prosecution of their church's leadership than punishing parents for following their beliefs vis a vis child care.
This a direct consequence of child abuse. But there are a myriad of less distinct cases of child abuse that remain either occult or accepted.
How about the death of John Travolta's son? Can the same outrage be reserved for them, or is their case not germaine ti thus one? Or the rise of childhood morbid obesity and diabetes?how much of that is parenting and how much is federal nutrition and advertising standards? How about corporal punishment. Does the Dobson wooden spoon method fall under church-approved sadism, or is it effective?
It appears to me that this one instance where a family goes over a recognizeable legal line is going to be overpunished at the expense of a discussion over violence and delusional beliefs that plague families throughout the world.
October 7, 2009 2:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
One person's religion is another person's cult.
Do you really believe the Scientology stuff?
Then how can you really believe the Mormon stuff?
Then how can you really believe the Protestant stuff?
Then how can you really believe the Muslim stuff?
Then how can you really believe the Catholic stuff?
Then how can you really believe the Jewish stuff?
The death is a tragedy. But the greater tragedy is that the parents were loving the child and hoping for a better outcome. So, why commit them to death for their sincere religious beliefs?
Unless you want to enlighten yourself and recognize that no religious beliefs is the answer.
Just like John Lennon sang about...
October 7, 2009 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do you really believe the Scientology stuff?
Then how can you really believe the Mormon stuff?
Then how can you really believe the Protestant stuff?
Then how can you really believe the Muslim stuff?
Then how can you really believe the Catholic stuff?
Then how can you really believe the Jewish stuff?
Yep...how can any thinking person believe in that crap. Pure mythology.
And to risk ones own offspring with this mythology ??
Inexcusable.
CT You made my case.
Thanks
C
October 7, 2009 8:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's not about my case vs your case. It's about reality!
That you want to call all religion mythology is awesome.
Of course, you didn't really say that in your original blog. But I'm glad you are clear about it now.
Expect to hear some dissenting views. But not from me.
October 7, 2009 8:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
By the way, anyone that utters that "technology will save us from our overpopulation woes" is practicing faith-healing of our society -- which will yield the exact same results as exhibited here.
People are so narrow in their viewpoint they can't see the connection between someone else's ludicrous ideas... and their own.
October 7, 2009 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Check out the background information on Principia College in Illinois. They have had a number of students die in faith healing exercises over the years.
Comparative longevity in a college cohort of Christian Scientists. JAMA. 1989 Sep 22-29;262(12):1657-8.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2769921?dopt=Abstract
Darwin was right.
October 7, 2009 11:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is cute too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgxzSUxxRzE
October 7, 2009 11:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's one thing to be religious. It's quite another to be such an idiot that you don't take a seriously ill child to a doctor even if you believe in the healing power of God. Any moron can see through living daily life that God does not intervene in biological processes like diabetes. There's simply no excuse for behavior of this kind and the parents should have been given a far harsher sentence than that which was given them.
October 8, 2009 1:14 AM | Reply | Permalink