Child dies due to faith healing; parents get 6 months of jail time

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 11-13-2009, 09:44

Originally Posted by HoreTore

Intent would've made it worse, but this is still bad enough.

And yes they were neglectful in the same way. What the difference between food and medicine? What's the difference between being high on drugs and jesus?

I dunno, what's the difference between being high on Jesus and being high on Socialism?

**jabarto** · 11-13-2009, 10:02

Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

They believed they were doing the right thing, the best thing.

How can you possibly substantiate that?

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 11-13-2009, 11:08

Originally Posted by jabarto

How can you possibly substantiate that?

They believed God heals people, not medicine, so they prayed instead of going to a doctor.

Ergo, they tried to do the best thing. Prove otherwise, criminal cases presume innocence.

**jabarto** · 11-13-2009, 11:17

Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

They believed God heals people, not medicine, so they prayed instead of going to a doctor.

Ergo, they tried to do the best thing. Prove otherwise, criminal cases presume innocence.

Are you seriously arguing that these people were so isolated for their entire middle-aged lives that they couldn't have learned that even the most die-hard of fundmaentalists take their kids to the doctors?

I'm not saying intent doesn't matter. I'm saying that every life form, no matter how primitive, has an instinctual urge to ensure that its offspring don't die. These people ignored that and thus have no excuse.

**Cronos Impera** · 11-13-2009, 11:58

If they ware underprivilaged because of theri revenue then I truely understand the parents (in a way). In Romania we too have an excellent medical system.
If you have to pay to heal your child most parents chose "alternatives" even if sometimes those alternatives are wrong.

Their loss is more painfull than any sentance.

**jabarto** · 11-13-2009, 22:39

Originally Posted by Cronos Impera

If they ware underprivilaged because of theri revenue then I truely understand the parents (in a way). In Romania we too have an excellent medical system.
If you have to pay to heal your child most parents chose "alternatives" even if sometimes those alternatives are wrong.

Their loss is more painfull than any sentance.

You have a point, but that can only be take so far. Remember, the kid couldn't even SPEAK.

Also, Philipvs, I might have given the wrong imporession in my responses to you. I think you're one of the most reasoanble and knowedgeable psoters here, and I don't want to come off as being pissed at you for defending these people. I'm more pissed at the blatant religous favoritism the judge is showing here; if these people were *anything* other than devout Christians, they would have had the book thrown at them. But they prayed first (to the right deity) so I guess that makes it all okay in the eyes of the law.

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 11-13-2009, 12:48

Originally Posted by jabarto

Are you seriously arguing that these people were so isolated for their entire middle-aged lives that they couldn't have learned that even the most die-hard of fundmaentalists take their kids to the doctors?

I'm not saying intent doesn't matter. I'm saying that every life form, no matter how primitive, has an instinctual urge to ensure that its offspring don't die. These people ignored that and thus have no excuse.

You are still assuming that the parents believed that modern medicine was better than prayer. It seems they actually believed that modern medicine evidences a lack of faith in God, which might therefore endanger their own, or their daughter's souls.

**miotas** · 11-13-2009, 13:41

The way I see it is that there are two possibilities:

1. They knew that modern medicine would probably heal their child but chose not to use it, in which case they are psychopaths and should be in gaol, or

2. They believed that prayer would treat their daughter's sickness better than modern medicine, in which case they are delusional and should be in a mental institution.

**HoreTore** · 11-13-2009, 18:36

Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

I dunno, what's the difference between being high on Jesus and being high on Socialism?

I'm Norwegian remember, that means I'm a social-democrat

Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

You are still assuming that the parents believed that modern medicine was better than prayer. It seems they actually believed that modern medicine evidences a lack of faith in God, which might therefore endanger their own, or their daughter's souls.

Irrelevant. Let's say you have a serial killer who believes that he's saving his victims from going to hell(I'm sure there's been at least one). Does he get a free pass to kill people?

**Rhyfelwyr** · 11-13-2009, 19:14

Originally Posted by HoreTore

Irrelevant. Let's say you have a serial killer who believes that he's saving his victims from going to hell(I'm sure there's been at least one). Does he get a free pass to kill people?

He still intended to break the law. These parents didn't.

**Viking** · 11-13-2009, 22:51

Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

You are still assuming that the parents believed that modern medicine was better than prayer. It seems they actually believed that modern medicine evidences a lack of faith in God, which might therefore endanger their own, or their daughter's souls.

They could instead have been eager on proving themselves and their beliefs; despite being fully aware of the risk they were potentially taking.