An 11-year-old girl died after her parents prayed for healing rather than seek medical help for a treatable form of diabetes, police said Tuesday.
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They believed the key to healing "was it was better to keep praying. Call more people to help pray," he said.The mother believes the girl could still be resurrected, the police chief said.
"As a member of a hospital ethics committee in a city with a very large Christian Science population, I have seen firsthand the stalemate between Christian Scientists and physicians, especially concerning the treatment of Christian Science children. Physicians claim that it is a violation of their professional duties to allow suffering that could be prevented by medical treatment. Christian Scientists claim that it contravenes their religious freedom to be forced to subject their children to medical treatment in violation of their religious beliefs. The stalemate is made more tragic since neither physicians nor Christian Scientists want children to suffer or die, yet Christian Scientists refuse even to have their sick children diagnosed for fear that the physicians will try to force them to accept medical treatment."
From the medical perspective, the Christian Science community simply cannot be respected. What Christian Scientists understand as doing what is best for their children physicians perceive as serious threats to the fundamental rights of those children.
In 1977, Matthew Swan died of bacterial meningitis. This infection is easily treated with antibiotics, but his parents, both Christian Scientists, relied on prayer from Christian Science Practitioners. They did not bring Matthew to the hospital until he had been severely ill for two weeks. His death was severely painful and unnecessary. His parents were not charged in his death.
In March of 2005, Terri Schaivo died of dehydration after her feeding tube was removed. Terri’s husband, her legal next-of-kin, made the decision to withhold medical care. Our view of people as image-bearers of God who are intrinsically valuable led many Christians to vocally support Terri’s parents as they made repeated appeals to courts to have Terri’s feeding reinstated.
Medical technology has advanced rapidly in the past century. A hundred years ago, it was common for a person to die of complications arising from something as simple as a broken leg. Antibiotic drugs and vaccines were unknown.But medical gains are not the answer to all problems. Some medicines – thalidomide, for example – hailed as breakthroughs, have come with tragic and unforeseen side effects. And medical intervention, while useful, can be abused by people seeking easy remedies to circumstances best dealt with in other ways.
So how can Christians make good ethical decisions concerning medical treatment?
For some, seeking medical treatment implies a lack of faith. A young man I know was advised by people in his house church that God would heal him of his illness, leading him to refuse medical care. As a result, he nearly died. Before accepting the medication that would have cured him, he suffered irreversible damage from what was a serious, but very treatable, disease.
Scripture reveals that in many cases, a believer’s faith has led to healing (Matthew 15:28, Mark 5:34). Faith does not, however, guarantee physical healing (as noted from the life of Paul). Nor does it dictate how a person should seek healing; Scripture simply affirms that believers should supplicate in faith.For example, the Roman centurion in Luke 7 humbly asked Jesus to "say the word" so that his servant might be healed. In the very next chapter, Luke records how a woman with a discharge of blood sought healing by touching the fringe of Jesus’ clothing. Jesus healed a man born blind by instructing him to go to the pool of Siloam to wash a mud poultice from his eyes.
The variety of circumstances in which people sought and received healing reinforces the truth that there is no prescribed way to seek healing. Help may very well come through medication, surgery, or a doctor’s advice. The Bible simply affirms that Christ is the source of all healing.
It would be presumptuous to present hard and fast rules about when or when not to seek medical treatment, or about what kind of treatment to seek. But there is biblical guidance to help us make decisions.Christians are called to respect life. We’re called to ground our hope in the resurrection of Christ and in the life to come (1 Corinthians 15:19).
we must remember there are many wonderful advances in drug and surgical treatments that can help people recover from injury and disease. God can use these advances to bring about physical healing. And, through the healing process, God can use us as agents of his reconciliation and restoration in the world (2 Corinthians 5:19–20).
Christians can joyfully take advantage of much that the medical establishment has to offer because, as temples of the Holy Spirit, our bodies are instruments by which we exercise stewardship and glorify God. Often, seeking medical help and advice, keeping our bodies healthy and strong, and preventing disease is the best way to honour God.Ultimately, our aim is to glorify God in every medical choice we make.
Religious Exemption Laws Lead to the Cruel and Unnecessary Deaths of Helpless Children; These Laws also Falsely Mislead Parents Regarding their Legal Duty to Provide Necessary Medical Care for their Seriously Ill Children The deadly consequences of religious exemption laws are apparent nationwide: over the past 25 years there have been over 150 reported deaths of children whose parents chose to rely on faith healing rather than medicine. There are at least 20 different sects and religious groups in the U.S. whose teachings deny the use of medical care. These groups include: Faith Assembly, Christian Science, The Believer's Fellowship, Faith Tabernacle, Church of the First Born, Church of God of the Union Assembly, Church of God Chapel, Faith Temple Doctoral Church of Christ in God, Jesus through John and Judy, Christ Miracle Healing Center, NE Kingdom Community Church, Christ Assembly, The Source, True Followers of Christ, "No Name" Fellowship, End Time Ministries, Faith Cathedral Fellowship, Living Word Assembly of God, Traveling Ministries Everyday Church.
Christian Science is the largest and most prominent of these groupings. Church membership is estimated at 100,000 - 200,000 persons. The church estimates it has 1,800 churches and societies active in all parts of the United States. Since the 1970's there have been at least 18 deaths of Christian Science children; these deaths occurred when the parents denied their children medical care in favor of purely "spiritual healing." Of these deaths: three were from juvenile onset diabetes, an illness which can be controlled by insulin but which is otherwise invariably fatal; four from bacterial meningitis, a deadly illness which, with proper administration of antibiotics, is 90 percent curable; one from a ruptured appendix; one from pneumonia, and one from diphtheria (due to lack of vaccination).
Children have rights too, and parents have certain rights which end when they intrude too far into a child's right to live…the parent's right to bring up the child in the way the parent thinks best-an important right…ends at the point at which the parents' actions endanger the lives of kids…there cannot be in our view a religious exemption no matter how sincere a parent's belief…
From the medical perspective, the Christian Science community simply cannot be respected. What Christian Scientists understand as doing what is best for their children physicians perceive as serious threats to the fundamental rights of those children.
In 1977, Matthew Swan died of bacterial meningitis. This infection is easily treated with antibiotics, but his parents, both Christian Scientists, relied on prayer from Christian Science Practitioners. They did not bring Matthew to the hospital until he had been severely ill for two weeks. His death was severely painful and unnecessary. His parents were not charged in his death.
In March of 2005, Terri Schaivo died of dehydration after her feeding tube was removed. Terri’s husband, her legal next-of-kin, made the decision to withhold medical care. Our view of people as image-bearers of God who are intrinsically valuable led many Christians to vocally support Terri’s parents as they made repeated appeals to courts to have Terri’s feeding reinstated.
Medical technology has advanced rapidly in the past century. A hundred years ago, it was common for a person to die of complications arising from something as simple as a broken leg. Antibiotic drugs and vaccines were unknown.But medical gains are not the answer to all problems. Some medicines – thalidomide, for example – hailed as breakthroughs, have come with tragic and unforeseen side effects. And medical intervention, while useful, can be abused by people seeking easy remedies to circumstances best dealt with in other ways.
So how can Christians make good ethical decisions concerning medical treatment?
For some, seeking medical treatment implies a lack of faith. A young man I know was advised by people in his house church that God would heal him of his illness, leading him to refuse medical care. As a result, he nearly died. Before accepting the medication that would have cured him, he suffered irreversible damage from what was a serious, but very treatable, disease.
Scripture reveals that in many cases, a believer’s faith has led to healing (Matthew 15:28, Mark 5:34). Faith does not, however, guarantee physical healing (as noted from the life of Paul). Nor does it dictate how a person should seek healing; Scripture simply affirms that believers should supplicate in faith.For example, the Roman centurion in Luke 7 humbly asked Jesus to "say the word" so that his servant might be healed. In the very next chapter, Luke records how a woman with a discharge of blood sought healing by touching the fringe of Jesus’ clothing. Jesus healed a man born blind by instructing him to go to the pool of Siloam to wash a mud poultice from his eyes.
The variety of circumstances in which people sought and received healing reinforces the truth that there is no prescribed way to seek healing. Help may very well come through medication, surgery, or a doctor’s advice. The Bible simply affirms that Christ is the source of all healing.
It would be presumptuous to present hard and fast rules about when or when not to seek medical treatment, or about what kind of treatment to seek. But there is biblical guidance to help us make decisions.Christians are called to respect life. We’re called to ground our hope in the resurrection of Christ and in the life to come (1 Corinthians 15:19).
we must remember there are many wonderful advances in drug and surgical treatments that can help people recover from injury and disease. God can use these advances to bring about physical healing. And, through the healing process, God can use us as agents of his reconciliation and restoration in the world (2 Corinthians 5:19–20).
Christians can joyfully take advantage of much that the medical establishment has to offer because, as temples of the Holy Spirit, our bodies are instruments by which we exercise stewardship and glorify God. Often, seeking medical help and advice, keeping our bodies healthy and strong, and preventing disease is the best way to honour God.Ultimately, our aim is to glorify God in every medical choice we make.
Religious Exemption Laws Lead to the Cruel and Unnecessary Deaths of Helpless Children; These Laws also Falsely Mislead Parents Regarding their Legal Duty to Provide Necessary Medical Care for their Seriously Ill Children The deadly consequences of religious exemption laws are apparent nationwide: over the past 25 years there have been over 150 reported deaths of children whose parents chose to rely on faith healing rather than medicine. There are at least 20 different sects and religious groups in the U.S. whose teachings deny the use of medical care. These groups include: Faith Assembly, Christian Science, The Believer's Fellowship, Faith Tabernacle, Church of the First Born, Church of God of the Union Assembly, Church of God Chapel, Faith Temple Doctoral Church of Christ in God, Jesus through John and Judy, Christ Miracle Healing Center, NE Kingdom Community Church, Christ Assembly, The Source, True Followers of Christ, "No Name" Fellowship, End Time Ministries, Faith Cathedral Fellowship, Living Word Assembly of God, Traveling Ministries Everyday Church.
Christian Science is the largest and most prominent of these groupings. Church membership is estimated at 100,000 - 200,000 persons. The church estimates it has 1,800 churches and societies active in all parts of the United States. Since the 1970's there have been at least 18 deaths of Christian Science children; these deaths occurred when the parents denied their children medical care in favor of purely "spiritual healing." Of these deaths: three were from juvenile onset diabetes, an illness which can be controlled by insulin but which is otherwise invariably fatal; four from bacterial meningitis, a deadly illness which, with proper administration of antibiotics, is 90 percent curable; one from a ruptured appendix; one from pneumonia, and one from diphtheria (due to lack of vaccination).
Children have rights too, and parents have certain rights which end when they intrude too far into a child's right to live…the parent's right to bring up the child in the way the parent thinks best-an important right…ends at the point at which the parents' actions endanger the lives of kids…there cannot be in our view a religious exemption no matter how sincere a parent's belief…
No one is trying to outlaw prayer. Doctors are willing for people of any denomination to pray for their patient. Religious exemptions appear to make prayer a legal substitute for the medical care needed by a sick child.
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