GUILTY WI - Kara Neumann, 11, dies as parents rely on faith healing, Weston, 23 March 2008

[southcitymom]

There will be no deterrent factor. Belief and faith in a God Who Heals is STRONG; this kind of faith is perhaps beyond comprehension for most of us, but I know people who truly, truly, truly believe that God has declared Himself as the Great Physician and that to rely on any other physician is a statement of disbelief in God.

The next parents who follow the path of prayer for God's healing instead of relying on man's "imitation" healing will no doubt believe that THESE parents had faulty faith, that their own faith is purer, stronger, that surely God will hear and answer them.

I do not believe in withholding medical care, I just pray that God will guide our medical providers in the way to best help and heal myself and my family, BUT if these parents really believed in what they were doing, if they truly believed they were acting in accordance with their faith and in obedience to God, then I do personally believe they thought they were doing the absolute best for their child.

Faith is so personal, and so hard to understand if you don't share the same view.




Sounds to me like the sentence had to acknowledge that a child died due to the negligence of her parents, but the jurors respected the fact that the parents acted in good faith, with no intent to harm their child.

Great post, kgeaux. I agree with everything you wrote.

 

[Nova]

There will be no deterrent factor. Belief and faith in a God Who Heals is STRONG; this kind of faith is perhaps beyond comprehension for most of us, but I know people who truly, truly, truly believe that God has declared Himself as the Great Physician and that to rely on any other physician is a statement of disbelief in God.

The next parents who follow the path of prayer for God's healing instead of relying on man's "imitation" healing will no doubt believe that THESE parents had faulty faith, that their own faith is purer, stronger, that surely God will hear and answer them.

I do not believe in withholding medical care, I just pray that God will guide our medical providers in the way to best help and heal myself and my family, BUT if these parents really believed in what they were doing, if they truly believed they were acting in accordance with their faith and in obedience to God, then I do personally believe they thought they were doing the absolute best for their child.

Faith is so personal, and so hard to understand if you don't share the same view.




Sounds to me like the sentence had to acknowledge that a child died due to the negligence of her parents, but the jurors respected the fact that the parents acted in good faith, with no intent to harm their child.

I have no problem with the sentence. To the extent any deterrence is possible, this ought to do it.

Sure, everyone is free to believe whatever s/he wants. But I think we have a right as a society to require that parents use a little judgment as custodians of their children. Even people of great faith should be able to recognize that cures are effected through medical intervention--even among those with no faith at all.

So when prayer alone isn't working, they ought to entertain the notion that perhaps God works in mysterious ways and a trip to the ER is in order.

If an adult wants to leave his/her own healing to God alone, that's fine with me. But a parent has an obligation to consider the possibility that s/he might not fully understand the workings and intentions of a supreme being.

 

[Snoopster]

The state Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the convictions of a Weston couple who prayed for their dying daughter instead of seeking medical care for her.

Dale and Leilani Neumann's 11-year-old daughter, Madeline Kara Neumann, died of untreated diabetes March 23, 2008. When she stopped breathing, her parents and their friends who were praying over her called 911.

The couple was convicted of reckless homicide in separate trials with different juries in 2009 and each sentenced to 180 days in jail and 10 years of probation. The jail sentences were postponed while the Neumanns appealed.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/state-supreme-court-upholds-conviction-of-weston-couple-who-let-daughter-die-as-they-prayed-b9947267-214125451.html

If other parents had let their child die due to islamic beliefs there would be a huge hue and cry. But since these parents are "Christians", we must go soft on them, because they 'thought they were doing the right thing'.

I simply can't agree. (And I know that many others won't agree with me, and that is their perogative.)


I personally don't believe the sentence was harsh enough. This is child abuse to the fullest extent. To let you child die...by keeping your head in the sand.