Should the beliefs/rights of parents trump a child's right to live?

Becky - posted on 10/12/2010

I guess I left my thoughts on the topic off . . . I agree with everyone else . . . my child will not suffer if there is a medical treatment available to treat her illness. She will not see the Doc for ever little bump, bruise or cold she gets, but if her health is in serious jeopardy . . . call 911 and get her to that doc just as quickly as you can! All personal beliefs aside, her health is more important than anything! Case in point: When I was still pregnant with her, just a few days before she was due, I found out she was breached. I was against having an epidural. My options, epidural & c-section, complete knock out & c-section or deliver vaginally butt first. Talking to the doctors and looking at all the risks involved, I went with the epidural & c-section because it posed the least amount of risk to my daughter and to myself and all said and done had the least chance for complications both during and after the fact.

Becky - posted on 10/09/2010

In Wausau, WI there was a case similar to this about 2 years ago. The little girl died of undiagnosed diabetic complications. The parents religion did not believe in doctors, they believed in the healing powers of GOD. So the more ill she became, the more they prayed. The children (they had more than one) had not been to see a doctor since they were infants.

the link:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,341574,00.html

They prosecuted the parents 2nd degree reckless homicide and they were found guilty by jury trial. Last I heard there was an appeal moving though the courts.

Joy - posted on 10/07/2010

There is a big Menonite community where I live. My father in law is close friends with a young Menonite family and they help each other with projects here and there....building sheds, re-doing my FIL's deck, things like that. Several months ago, his Menonite friend was working in his shop and his little 2 and a half year old daughter stuck her hand up to touch the table saw blade. It sliced her middle finger right down the middle, from fingertip all the way up past her second knuckle. They called my FIL frantic. He went and picked them up and took them straight to the hospital. At first, the young couple refused to let their daughter have a tetanus shot because of their religious beliefs. My FIL explained what lock jaw looks like and so they agreed. They also agreed, after watching their baby girl writhe in pain for hours and hours, to allow the doctors to give her something for pain. Long story short, she lost her finger and is doing fine now. But I have to say that I was proud of them for "allowing" their daughter to recieve treatment and pain relief, against what they believe.

Me personally, I would walk, jump, crawl on my hands and knees through fire and broken glass to make sure that my son recieved whatever help was needed to save him, ease his pain, heal him. But then, I'm not a religious person at all.

Amy - posted on 10/07/2010

I think that as a parent it's your responsibility to weigh the benifits vs the down sides and make the best decision. Parents who don't treat there child because "god will take care of them" I think are insane. God's way of taking care of us is by giving us the ability to come up with these technologies that save many lives.

Also, as Kelina said, there are alternatives and I think it depends on the situation.

Erin - posted on 10/07/2010

I don't think that a person's PERSONAL religious beliefs should effect another person's health and well being! ESPECIALLY the personal beleifs of a parent and the health needs of a child! If there are other methods then I assume they would have tried that...?

Krista - posted on 10/06/2010

Any parent who puts religious dogma ahead of a child's life deserves to be punched in the neck and then forcibly sterilized.

April - posted on 10/06/2010

something similar was on the yahoo news site a year or two ago. a young girl needed medical attention and her mother let her die for religious reasons. i agree with Jenny!

Jenny - posted on 10/06/2010

Hell no! I would like the position of the person who gets to punch those parents in the face who put beliefs before their children's right to life. Disgusting!

Erin - posted on 10/06/2010

I have no problem with other methods being explored, provided there is time and the child is not in critical condition. But once it becomes an emergency, religious beliefs should lose every time.

For the record, I am agnostic (at best) so this would never be an issue to me.

Jayde - posted on 10/06/2010

No i don't think so. I'm a Christian, but then again there is nothing in the bible that says anything about this type of thing. The ONLY thing i would like the choice of is if my daughter (or myself) was only alive because of machines & brain dead, i would like to be able to pull the plug. But that's just me.

Jane - posted on 10/06/2010

Medical science should win every time! Religion should never be allowed to play any part in a decision over life and death like that. It's ridiculous to take the words written 2000 years ago or more over that of modern day scientists who can actually PROVE what they are on about!!!

Sorry, but this really gets me mad!

Shannon - posted on 10/06/2010

I would never refuse my children a specific health care they needed for any reason. I don't have a religious faith that doesn't allow me to get medical treatment...I believe in God & doctors.

Kelina - posted on 10/05/2010

From the Jehovah's witnesses I know, they believe that there are safe alternatives, including a synthetic blood that is way safer than blood transfusion. My friends brother spilled boiling water on himself when he was 4. He had third degree burns covering most of his body and the doctors said he needed a blood transfusion. His parents refused the blood transfusion, and he's fine today, they used an alternative method. I think there are risks associated with blood transfusions, but i'd rather have the blood than die. Here's an article I found. I'm too tired to comprehend it right now, but someone fully conscious might get soemthing out of it. http://www.watchtower.org/e/hb/article_0... I do know though that it can take up to six months for the Aids/Hiv virus to show up in a blood test, and that is one thing that worries me. I think if there truly are safe alternatives out there to blood transfusions then yes they should try to save the childs life with other methods, but their refusal tells me they don't think there are safe, proven alternatives. In that case, i think the childs life trumps the parents beliefs. A blood transfusion isn't majorly invasive. here's another site http://en.allexperts.com/q/Jehovah-s-Wit... that explains why they believe what they do and why it's wrong. At least according to this person. I've by no means done all the research necessary to make a really informed decision on this.

Good Day! - posted on 10/05/2010

No.