Faith Healing Trial

I was going through our paper and came upon an article by the AP out of Oregon City Oregon. A couple Jeff and Marci Beagley have been charged with negligent homicide of their 16 year old son. He had a urinary blockage, type and cause unkown, which was proximate cause of his death. The real cause is the parents who belong to the Followers of Christ Church. They avoid medical care and go for prayer. The Beagleys are the grandparents of another child who died from negligence due to faith in prayer. That death occured in 2008. There daughter, the mother of the child who died in 2008, was aquitted. Her husband was convicted of criminal mistreatment. So Jeff and Marci didn't learn anything from that episode. I am not surprised. Most people like them believe, mind you believe, that if a bad outcome occurs it is due to their not praying hard enough or their faith was not strong enough. This is really a capital offense against a child and should be treated as such. The problem in this country is that if religion is involved then it is ok and their right. What about the right of the child to live and not having to be subjected to superstition of his or her parents? Remember the case not long ago involving the boy with leukemia and the mother left with him because she was ordered by the courts to provide treatment and her "faith" didn't agree with medical treatment. When we allow superstition and magical thinking the same status in the courts as far as rights and all that goes with that, not requiring evidence. Then the consequences are people get hurt and die. And unfortunately that usually means children suffer the most, because their parents or guardians were not discouraged from magical thinking.

In a lighter note. All MSS meeting will be on the 3rd week of the month on a Wed. night at 7 pm. For now we will use the CFM accross the street from Magic City HS campus, because we have power point possiblilities and renting from library can get expensive. Please see the meeting announcements below for the next meeting, and topic.
Peace
Skeptical DoDo