Do you think that it should be legal for parents to use prayer as a method of healing to their children?

I recently read an article on a mother who relied on prayer to try and heal her now dead child. Do you guys think prayer should be allowed as an option? This is open to everybody, so please keep it civil.

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Permalink Reply by James on January 1, 2011 at 9:06pm
To a point, I feel that it should be allowed solely due the freedoms we enjoy. But I certainly think that anyone who refuses to seek proper medical attention should be liable to be charged negligent death or some form of manslaughter. Sadly, we can't legally force an individual to seek medical attention. But in most of these cases it is a child in the care of parents or guardians that suffers the worst possible fate. Thusly, they are legally responsible for the child's well being. People that hide behind religion when a child dies from lack of proper care should be made an example of, such that everyone else will understand that there are consequences to inaction in these cases and that proper medical care should never be ruled out due any religious conviction.
Permalink Reply by Wayne on January 1, 2011 at 9:16pm
It's obviously your choice to take treatment or not, but to endanger a child... that's going a bit far, but yeah...
Permalink Reply by James on January 1, 2011 at 10:01pm

Iagree that refusing a child proper medical care is horribly disgusting negligence, and should certainly be a punishable offense.

 

Do I think that parents should use prayer as an alternative to actual medical care? No, of course not. However, I don't think there is any legal way to tell parents that they can't pray. We can however hold them accountable if praying is ALL they do.

 

The best option I can think of is if people that see this going on report it to child services. If that is done, there is the real hope that they will intervene, get the child the help it needs, find the parents unfit and a child will not need to needlessly die. That really is the most important part here. Even if the parents go to jail after the fact, that doesn't help the child if they had to die an easily avoidable death. The parents may say it's 'gods will' but the only thing they are guilty of is being born into a toxic family environment. So it really is important that people come forward before it's too late.

Permalink Reply by Joli on January 1, 2011 at 10:26pm
These people have been charged guilty and will spend up to 10 years in prison.
Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on January 1, 2011 at 9:16pm
No!
Permalink Reply by Dustin on January 1, 2011 at 10:01pm

They are filthy excuses for human beings - And should be fully prosecuted under the law.   

 

We all know that if a parent had sexual intercourse with their child ... and said ... "Oh , but my FAITH tells me that it's OK!"  They would be considered very sick individuals indeed.  

 

But to refuse medical treatment - how is this any different?  

 

They are endangering the life a child.  I don't give a fuck whether it's their child or not.  If they can't be rational human beings ... they shouldn't be allowed to have children in the first place.  

Permalink Reply by Malcolm on January 2, 2011 at 11:25am
Well, even in the case of sexual intercourse with a child, some cultures permit it because it is allowed in their religion. For example, among the prophet Mohammad's many wives was at least one who was under the age of 10 when he married (and begin sexual relations with) her. This has been used at various times in some countries (but certainly not in all Islamic countries) for justifying permitting this kind of behavior generally.
Permalink Reply by Julien on January 1, 2011 at 10:03pm
Yes, you can rely on prayer when it comes to your own well-being. When it comes to other people (especially children that can't really decide for themselves), you should not be allowed to have such an option.
Permalink Reply by Dave G on January 2, 2011 at 2:28pm
Pretty much what E. Nigma said. You can choose for yourself, but not for others and certainly not for children who are dependent on their caretakers to made the best (not most faith-supported) decision on their well-being.
Permalink Reply by Wayne on January 1, 2011 at 10:40pm
In that case, it might actually help the morale of the child, and thus the child, I meant to say using prayer as the only option.
Permalink Reply by Jim Scotti on January 1, 2011 at 11:22pm
Prayer should be allowed - as soon as it is shown to be more effective than the medical treatment it would replace.
Permalink Reply by Erik H. Brush on January 1, 2011 at 11:28pm

Is this a trick question?

 

Come on,... you are on a site full of atheists.

 

What do you suppose the possible answer could be?

 

I have not read the responses or the thread but at the risk of sounding psychic (lol) I will go out on a limb here and say you will get many variations of; "Hell No!", a few; "Whatever floats their boat" replies, and maybe one or two; "Yeah! Less Christians to deal with!" types of response.

 

The question seems painfully obvious and simple to gauge.

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