Remember the parents who refused to give their 11-year-old daughter the medical attention she needed for her ketoacidosis? Instead they opted to pray for her healing? Then she died?
There is now a bit of potential retribution:
Marathon County District Attorney Jill Falstad announced at 1 p.m. at a press conference in Weston that Dale and Leilani Neumann each will be charged with second-degree reckless homicide, a charge that carries a punishment of up to 25 years in prison.
Hallelujah.
This guy is in support of the parents.
He scares the bejesus out of me.
While it is true that God created the world and all that is in it, including doctors, we must note: Jesus never sent anyone to a doctor or a hospital. Jesus offered healing by one means only! Healing was by faith. Yes, God created doctors but only to give man a choice between man’s ways — the doctor — or His way — faith! When we don’t have faith we need the doctor and it’s obvious that most want-to-be Christians need the doctors because they have no faith in God; their faith is in man. God created good and evil. Witchcraft can heal also. Should Christians also seek witches?
…
When the mark of the beast comes and you don’t take that chip in your hand and forehead you will not be able to pay for meds or doctors; then you will be deemed negligent and your children will be taken away.
The guy does make one good point, though:
Wisconsin law, Section 948.04 (6) states: “A person is NOT guilty of an offense under this section solely because he or she provides a child with treatment by spiritual means through prayer alone for healing…”
As far as I can tell, that law (PDF) is still in the books.
So is the law that says this regarding types of abuses (PDF):
EXCEPTION. Nothing in this section may be construed to mean that an individual at risk is abused solely because he or she consistently relies upon treatment by spiritual means through prayer for healing, in lieu of medical care, in accordance with his or her religious tradition.
So how can those laws be reconciled with the charges against the family?
The answer lies in the fact that the charges are for homicide, not neglect or abuse.
Here’s Falstad once more:
“Second-degree reckless homicide has two elements. The first element is that the defendant caused the death of another. The second element is that the defendant caused the death by criminally reckless conduct.”
“In this case that (criminally reckless) conduct was the failure to seek medical intervention. The failure to seek medical intervention created an unreasonable and substantial risk of death or great bodily harm to Kara and the Neumanns were aware of that risk.”
…
Because there was a death involved, Falstad said she had to consider homicide charges rather than neglect charges.
Medical science isn’t perfect. But it’s the best option we have. It certainly has better odds than prayer, which wouldn’t have helped the family’s daughter with her condition.
(via Dallas Morning News)
[tags]atheist, atheism[/tags]
It’s Moving Day for the Friendly ..."
It’s Moving Day for the Friendly ..."
It’s Moving Day for the Friendly ..."
It’s Moving Day for the Friendly ..."