Replies to This Discussion

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.

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Permalink Reply by Bryn on January 1, 2011 at 11:02pm

Ah. Well, my opinion is still the same. 

Prayer + medical care = good

Prayer - medical care = bad

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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.

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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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Permalink Reply by Wayne on January 2, 2011 at 4:35am

The only thing that unites us is that we have no belief in a deity, that is what makes us atheists, aside from that, we're all entitled to our own opinions, who knows, someone just might think differently.

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Permalink Reply by Tommy H. Yeargin, Jr. on January 1, 2011 at 11:37pm

I assume you mean a parent who refused to seek medical treatment and instead rely on power from "on high". If that's the case, it should not be made as a legal option to use instead of medicine. Furthermore, I cannot think of a single christian/religious politician who would support such a statute.

As far as parents who pray for their children who are being treated by medicine, doctors, in a hospital care, etc., that's fine with me.

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Permalink Reply by Wayne on January 2, 2011 at 4:33am

It's legal in Oklahoma, and a mother, although I hesitate to call her that, allowed her son to die by using prayer as his only treatment option, if its legal, then someone must support it.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Paisley on January 1, 2011 at 11:41pm

Prayer as a secondary option is permissible as it has no effect anyway but as a sole method should be punished as neglect until it can be proven beyond all reasonable doubt that prayer is effective...which will never happen.

If a child dies because the parents used prayer as a sole method of care i would consider that negligible homicide or manslaughter.

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Permalink Reply by Galen on January 1, 2011 at 11:57pm

As long as it isn't the ONLY option, sure.  If somebody wants to pray and pray and pray as hard as they can while their child is in the hospital getting REAL medical care, that's fine with me.  But if you're asking if it should be acceptable for prayer to be the sole form of treatment given, then NO, absolutely NOT.

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Permalink Reply by Narendra Nayak on January 2, 2011 at 12:17am

During one of my interactions at a training center for priests and nuns  about a decade back the medical director of a well known medical college said this:

If you want to pray go to the church, if you want treatment go to the hospital. Dont go to the hospital to pray and dont go to the church for treatment!

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Permalink Reply by Moria Jackson on January 2, 2011 at 12:34am

I did not read all the replies, so I might be saying the same thing as everyone else.

 

I think that the parents have a right to pray for their child's recovery, as useless as it may be.  However, when it is clear that this is not a common cold, and the child requires medical services, the parents should be held accountable if those services are not used and the child loses life or limb.  I think manslaughter is the appropriate charge, and I would add negligence and child endangerment to the charges if it results in longer sentencing.  They should also have a stipulation that after time served, they will not be allowed to have any more children.  Either mandatory sterilization or adoption.  Any surviving children should be taken away as well and not given back.  I know, rough.

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Permalink Reply by karl on January 2, 2011 at 1:26am

Pray all you want but at the point of child endangerment intervention must happen and their actions (or lack of) are punishable by law, the problems arise in the process of enforcement. It's not about legalizing prayer for healing their children, but how to enforce punishment for their inaction (hopefully before death!)

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