Tag: Oregon City

In God’s Name; Faith-Healing Homicide

by The Age of Blasphemy, posted in Faith Healing, Faith-Healing Homicide, In God's Name

Arrogant ignorance In the Name of God: Book Review

Posted by idoubtit

Christian Science-based faith healing communities in U.S. today are failures of their own self-destructive ideas. At least that’s the conclusion you can’t help but make when a group sacrifices their own children to be “pious” and respected. I found this disturbing tale laid out in In the Name of God:The True Story of the Fight to Save Children from Faith-Healing Homicide by Cameron Stauth . I recommend this book for anyone even remotely curious about faith healing in the U.S. and about the practices of Christian science churches. It’s important to recognize the stories behind the news of children who die from medical neglect.

INOG

I don’t recall how the author or publisher decided to send me a review copy of this book. I suspect it was because on Doubtful News I cover the charges, trials and sentencing of parents who practice withholding health care. I didn’t understand. I could not wrap my head around it. How can you be in the 21st century and eschew the standard of care for sick kids? This book helped me understand that these are people who think that religious freedom trumps all else, even their child’s right to live.

While examining stories for Doubtful News, I noticed a wave of faith healing deaths or near deaths coming out of Oregon City, OR from a religious community known as The Followers. The Followers of Christ had their roots in the teachings of the Christian Science church founded by Mary Baker Eddy. Mary grew rich and famous by teaching others how to heal without officially practicing medicine. This method had no overhead. But it had consequences. Many people recovered normally or had illnesses that make life difficult but not end it. If they died, it was “God’s Will”. And, it is their choice, thanks to religious freedom, to allow their child or themselves to die. God takes all of the credit, none of the blame. The Followers of Christ turned out to be one of the most lethal churches in America basing their teachings on literal interpretation of the Bible, medical avoidance, shunning, and fear of Hell. There is also the Faith Tabernacle church who has seen a pattern of dead children. Even repeat offenders.  (Schaible case) Read the rest of this entry →

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Freedom of Religion or Freedom To Murder? American God Crazies Refuse Medical Care: Infant Dies

by The Age of Blasphemy, posted in American Taliban, Faith Kills, Religion Kills, Religious Crazies

US couple found guilty in faith-healing over dying boy
From correspondents in Oregon City
  • From: AP
  • September 30, 2011
    11:50AM

A US couple who prayed and rubbed olive oil on their sick infant rather than seek
medical care for the dying boy have been convicted of manslaughter, becoming the
latest members of an Oregon faith-healing church to be blamed in their child’s
death.

Dale and Shannon Hickman, both 26, are members of the Followers of Christ
Church, which has a history of rejecting medical care for congregants’ children
and relying instead on techniques such as prayer and anointing the sick with
oils.

Five other church members have been convicted in Clackamas County for crimes
related to the rejection of medical care for their children, said Greg Horner,
chief deputy district attorney.

The Hickmans’ conviction on second-degree manslaughter charges typically
requires a mandatory minimum sentence of six years in prison. But because of a
religious exemption in state law at time of the crime, the couple likely will
face no more than 18 months in prison and a $US250,000 ($256,581) fine, The
Oregonian reported.

Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Robert Herndon allowed the couple to
remain free until they are sentenced October 31.

Prosecutors claimed Shannon Hickman never sought pre-natal care when she was
pregnant with David, who was born two months premature at his grandmother’s home
and died less than nine hours later when he had trouble breathing. He was born
with a bacterial infection and underdeveloped lungs.

Medical experts for the prosecution testified that the baby had a 99 per cent
chance of survival if his parents had sought medical care. But prosecutors
claimed the couple never considered taking the baby to the hospital.

Defence lawyer Mark Cogan said his clients were the victims of religious
persecution. He argued that the baby died quickly and said there was no evidence
that medical care would have saved him.

Dale Hickman testified that he didn’t call an ambulance once he realised his
infant son was ailing “because I was praying”. Shannon Hickman said that as a
woman in the church, she must defer to her husband.

“That’s not my decision anyway,” she testified. “I think it’s God’s will
whatever happens.”

Two other parents from the Followers of Christ church were convicted earlier
this year for failing to seek medical care for their infant daughter, who had a
growth that could have left her blind in one eye. They were sentenced to 90 days
in jail.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/us-couple-found-guilty-in-faith-healing-over-dying-boy/story-e6frfku0-1226153773107#ixzz1ZOsfxgLR

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