Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. — Matthew 18:19
And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. — James 5:15
A central Wisconsin man accused of killing his 11-year-old daughter by praying instead of seeking medical care was found guilty Saturday of second-degree reckless homicide.
Dale Neumann, 47, was convicted in the March 23, 2008, death of his daughter, Madeline, from undiagnosed diabetes. Prosecutors contended he should have rushed the girl to a hospital because she couldn't walk, talk, eat or drink. Instead, Madeline died on the floor of the family's rural Weston home as people surrounded her and prayed. Someone called 911 when she stopped breathing.
Sitting straight in his chair, Neumann stared at the jury as the verdict in a nearly empty courtroom was read. He declined comment as he left the courthouse.
Defense attorney Jay Kronenwetter said the verdict would be appealed. He declined further comment.
Read the entire story here: Wis. jury: Father guilty in prayer death case.
In Oregon on Friday, Carl Worthington received a 60-day jail sentence for letting his daughter suffer and die in the name of religion. His wife Raylene got a free pass for the same crime, the legal equivalent of a sympathetic squeeze on the shoulder.
Read about the Worthington story here: The Fight over Faith Healing.
The deaths of these children is terrible, to be sure, but are the parents to some extent also victims? Are these people victims of religious indoctrination, or rather, brain washing?
For many years I faithfully trusted in prayer for the sick. Every week the guarantee from the pulpit was that God would honor the promises in His Word. Fortunately I also had enough common sense to get my kids to the doctor, regardless of my "faith."
What do you think? Are these parents guilty of homicide? What about religious leaders who blather on incessantly about faith healing, discouraging their followers from seeking legitimate medical attention? Should faith healers be held accountable for the damage done in the lives of gullible believers?
