Mystical Angels

Do you agree or disagree with the charges against these parents of reckless homicide?

For praying for their daughter to heal from diabetes and not allowing medical intervention. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080429/ap_on_re_us/prayer_death While I do think people are entitled to their beliefs, there comes a point when sheer stupidity gets in the way. Thousands if not millions of people suffer diabetes their entire life and they aren't able to cure it, so why do they think prayer is going to heal it instead and they don't have to do anything else? Modern medicine is not evil like many religions want people to believe and it's not a "spiritual attack" like the mother insisted. Personally I think they should be locked up and the keys thrown away (and any other children they may have taken away for their own safety). People like that should not be allowed to breed. I agree with those who said they are getting off way too easily.

Public Comments

1. I agree with charging the parents, but they're getting a comparatively light charge, I'd charge them with second-degree murder, child endangerment, and negligence.....
2. sad story..... im sure they thought they were doing the best for their child, but its still a sticky situation. i just wouldn't jepordize my childs life
3. No, I disagree. They should be charged with murder in the first degree and impaled, as a warning.
4. Why did God do this to these people? Who could ever worship such a cruel evil God?
5. poor, foolish people. God made doctors....
6. You have to obey the law whether you agree with it or not. Being ignorant of the law is no excuse. Thinking your god is going to miraculously cure your child of a treatable disease is no excuse not to go to a doctor. If you live in some place like India where they really don't care about stuff like that then sure, pray all you want. But this is America and the law states that you have to take care of your children.
7. we're ALL going to die.... and EVERY parent's kids are going to die... whether they intervene or whether they don't.... EVERY child is terminal...
8. My aunt is sort of the same. She hates doctors, can't trust them. She is a born again christian. And very sick. I suppose i could be a nice, tolerant person and say sure, pray as much as you like. Whatever helps you get through. But unfortunatly, most things on this earth need action, not just words, to become better. If the childs life is in danger, they should be taken from the parents, or the parents given a warning that if they do not take immediate medical action, they will be charged/jailed. If a highly religious person in my family got their hand lopped off by accident, i'd sure hope they would scream for an ambulance and a tourniquet, and NOT just start praying for the hand to grow back!!
9. I think they are wrong. its like in the joke where this guy thats drowning refuses to be helped by the boat because God will save him and then refuses to another boat. When he dies he asks God why he did not save him and God says "I sent you two boats dummy"
10. They're getting off lighter than they should. What amazes me is these same people who claim to believe in Christ just conveniently forget that He also said, "Those who are sick need the physician, not those who are well." Personally, I'd slam them both as hard as the law would allow me to, were I the judge who sentences them.
11. I am sad for all parties. I don't know the story well enough, but I think the parents are neglegent of not taking her to a Dr. My husband is a type one diabetic and I know from seeing his decline right before his diagnosis that it takes month, and he had not felt good and lost 50 pounds, by the time he was dignosised (5'11"- 125 pds).
12. They chose Not to get help. A test of faith... They had a responsibility to get help for their child and chose not to. They need a tougher sentence. It should have been second degree homocide.
13. they are criminally guilty in the preventable death of their daughter. Whatever criminal charges and penalties are appropriate. Just like being high on drugs or alcohol isn't (or at least shouldn't) be a mitigating factor...neither should delusional belief systems.
14. they should be charged, they should be given life. That poor child, imagine how afraid she was and her parents weren't there to give her the help she really needed. They will probably say they were insane and get off even lighter. That poor poor child...
15. God gave us brains. God gives us neighbors and friends to remind us that we have brains. Their punishment is that their daughter has died. I would not put them in jail for being stupid. They should have social services pay them a regular visit though. We all must be held accountable for the things we do and the things we do not do. "No man is an island."
16. My view is that God created humans with a brain, he gave us all of creation and therefore the medical advances that have come from using what he gave us should not be considered evil or 'un-Christian'. I do believe in the power of prayer, but God heals in many ways, not all miraculous. It may just be leading us to a particular treatment. I am a Christian with pretty bad health and I go to an acupunturist every week, take herbs and asthma medication. I also pray, but I don't believe taking physical help is wrong. These parents have probably heard very selective Christian teaching and I do think that what they did was wrong, but they did think that what they were doing was best. I hope that the media coverage that has been given to this story can prevent any future deaths like this from occuring. It is so sad that a girl had to die because of her parents misbelief.
17. Well they must think that science, medicine and the doctors are all non christian!! Surely if there is a god then all the above are his work!! Allowing a child to die (Probably painfully and in distress) for their own twisted beliefs should put them in prison for life!!!