Should Parents Who Call God Instead of the Doctor Be Punished?

The parents should be punished. The death of their child because of their own foolish faith in silly superstition is criminal.

Absolutely, they should be. It's one thing to decide for yourself that you don't want to go to a doctor, but to deny medical care to a child who is dependent on you is wrong.

Prayer is great, but God made doctors too. When you're sick, go see one.

If a "pagan" ritual had been performed and the child died, there would be no question as to whether the parents are guilty or innocent.
But since it is "christianity" there is a question.
Go figure.

Suppose a Muslim fundamentalist slays his daughter in a so-called "honor killing." Should he be charged with aggravated homicide? Yeah. Should parents who slay their children by withholding medicine or denying a transfusion be tried? Yeah.

Child neglect.. send'em to jail

Is negligence, I don’t care for the reason, don’t care if it’s because they were busy or because they thought faith can heal her, is just negligence.

This is ridiculous.
The only reason this had bad press is because religion is included. If the family had been too poor to see the doctor, child abuse wouldn't be the question, health care would be.
If not seeing a doctor is child abuse, there are many more people to be tried.
Leave the family and their ignorance alone. Now they'll know that there is more to life than religion alone.

ship them off the jail... if they have this much faith they will under stand, its in gods plan.

now to dawn my magic undies.... err... ya... pass the bottle of jack

This is why I belive couples should take IQ test if the wish to conceive. If you fail you may not participate. Clearly these parents do not possess the neccesary maternal and paternal skills to raise and care for a child properly.

The IQ test should also be applied to those who wish to vote.

I guess, according to this: "Part of the legacy of the 1996 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, which included a landmark exemption for parents who do not seek medical care for their children for religious purposes, is that parents cannot be accused of child abuse or negligent homicide if they genuinely believed that calling God, instead of a doctor, was the best option available." That means nothing can be done. But really, that shouldn't be in there. Parents shouldn't be allowed to do that, it's terrible. That poor child.

The parents made the choice to withhold medical treatment, negligence that resulted in death . . . and that is criminal homicide by definition.

"Criminal homicide occurs when a person purposely, knowingly, recklessly or negligently causes the death of another."
http://www.nolo.com/definition.cfm/Term/51AB22D3-86AB-4B55-8648BC28B45909C0/alph...

Personally, I look at the silver lining: one less brainwashed idiot in our society.

Maybe if they called upon satan, a river troll, a mun chi chi, a unicorn, or sasquach.... their child would be alive today

Assuming that she would automatically be better from going to a hospital isnt exactly the best way to go either.. "If her parents had called the hospital that day, Kara might have lived." Key word there is MIGHT. not guaranteed. And what if they didnt have health insurance? You can't be rash and jump to conclusions with out going through all the possibilities.

This is what the mother has to say for herself, I found this rather interesting (and scary):

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Leilani Neumann - 4/03/09

Dale and I went to court on March 31st and received a major financial victory. My lawyer is now court-appointed. The Defense Fund will remain open and whatever comes into this fund will go to take care of the monthly payments we still are required to make. These payments are very small compared to what the total is that we are billed for (over $100,000), so this is a major breakthrough blessing!

We have no income since our business closed October 31st, due to the media vilifying us. One of these days our reputation will be restored, but for now it has been difficult for us to secure employment since there are criminal charges against us and with the negative reporting of our case. Our time is being used to prepare us for the upcoming trial. Intimacy with the King has been the most crucial element in weathering this storm. We are completely dependent on God in every way because of our circumstances. God is our provider and has been faithful to supply our needs through the giving of compassionate and obedient people. Thank you for thinking of us. We are very encouraged by the cards and support that comes through the mail, as well as donations to the Defense Fund. Our new mailing address is listed below.

It is our desire to see God's power manifested here in Wisconsin. These charges have been a mockery against the name of our God, and we have become so passionate about PROVING THAT OUR GOD TRULY DOES HEAL... As we PRESS IN TO GOD, this trial has become smaller than it is. We know it is part of our journey for now but because of where we see God taking us it has become just a bump in the road, compared to the greater things God is going to do in this town and to our nation. Our spirits have been greatly strengthened as we have learned the importance of worship and praise.

This last court appearance Dale and I practiced what we have been learning by using praise as spiritual warfare, and we've also been learning how to pray some very powerful specific prayers binding up and destroying any witchcraft against us. Fasting has also been essential, along with daily communion. When you're in battle, you must be fully prepared and protected. Praise has turned the tide completely in our favor; it's just a matter of time and these charges will be dropped and everything will be restored to us.

We still believe in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Almost daily we receive scriptures to encourage us and give us hope. The victory is ours and we confidently move forward into trial. Mine is set for May 18-22 and Dale's is set for July.

Dale and I (Leilani) wish to thank you for being diligent in prayers on our behalf. We are known for our faith, but it grows even more daily. There is a very real enemy who targets those who stand for righteousness, but the more we learn to abide in God, the weaker this enemy gets.

(After writing this letter to you, we received news just this morning that all of our things, like computers, private journals, books, etc. which were taken the day our daughter went to be with the Lord, will be returned to us this afternoon. This is another miracle breakthrough that came through praising God for the victory.)

Praise the King of Glory with us,
The Neumanns

http://helptheneumanns.com/#Victory
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Obviously they remain a danger to their other 3 kids. I hope the state locks them up until their other kids reach adulthood and that they put said kids in the hands of the more sensible aunt from California that called the police.
http://www.isthmus.com/isthmus/article.php?article=23430
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/21faith.html

They cared In a way, and this chruch should rethink there policies

So no one here thinks losing their child might be punishment enough? Not only the pain of losing their child, but think about the implications on their faith. Their lives must be Hell already. To me, prison would be small potatoes compared to losing a child.

Absolutely they should be punished. It's reckless endangerment, neglect, and since the child died, I'd argue it's involuntary manslaughter.

The parents should be executed. Everyone knows that if your child is ill, the FIRST thing you do is smear bats blood on their forehead and recite the Declaration of Independence naked. If only they had done that, and not have been so ignorant, their child would most certainly be alive today.

people this stupid are disgusting.

It happened in the USA, right? Why should they be punished? For being devoted to their faith? Even the US government is tied to religious beliefs...

Hospitals are not necessary. When God decides it's your time to die there's nothing we humans can do.

God created everything, including diseases... if God created them, there might be a [bad?] reason for that... so stop trying to cure!

Ok, but since I don't believe in God, every time my kids get sick I sure take them to the hospital (I got no one to pray for... but seems like praying doesn't help anyway, right?)

This is not a good point at all. If some pagans slaughtered a goat or whatever in hopes to heal a sick child, it would be no different than this situation. If they tried to get all new-agey and give some sort of "healing elixir" to save her, they should still be charged with negligence (though I would give more sympathy towards them in this case, at least they would have *tried* something).

This question is something that should get all the way to the Supreme Court. If it's a matter of rights, then whose rights have been violated? Were the child's rights violated ending in her death or was this no different than an accidental death (live and learn)...

Negligence comes to mind... and that's a legal misdemeanor if I remember correctly. That said we already have second-guessed parenting of children down to deciding whether or not spanking is abuse... and that's still in a legal gray area.

Yep... I'm pretty sure they broke the law. And violated not only the child's rights but committed involuntary manslaughter as someone mentioned previously in this thread.

It's the equivalent of crashing a car and killing your passengers. You are responsible for their deaths.

Failing to provide access to adequate medical care to children should be punished regardless of the ideology behind the decision. There are plenty of Amish that live in my neck of the woods and I used to work at the Hospital here in town and even the Amish take their children to the Hospital.

It is interesting too because when an Amish child ends up in the ER the entire extended family shows up there. The lobby ends up packed. They truly have a unique society and they support each other in a way that we have lost.

When I was a kid my parents let me watch TV all day long, even though it was scientifically proven to rot the brain. Now, all these years later, I drool mostly. The part of the brain that isn't rotted (and it's not even the good part) is the part responsible for liking the 80s rock band KISS. I leave it on the nightstand when I'm not using it, which is, like, always (since the 80s, at least).
I guess my point is this: I still like to eat cheese, so all is not lost (unless you hate cheese). (NOTE: If you hate cheese, then you are obviously inhuman and should not be participating in the human forums here. Go find your own inhuman internet forums, demon!)

Believeing that an invisible, nonprovable, magical being in the sky will save your kid when real medical help is available is a crime. The parents should be tried and convicted of manslaughter and stupidity.