Christian Scientists Seek ''Faith Healing Exemption'' In Wisconsin

[DeSwiss]

Expert: Change in prayer law would protect Christian Scientists, not kids

Madison.com
Shawn Doherty — 1/14/2009 11:30 am


Madeline Kara Neumann is shown working on chalk art in the summer of 2007 during Wausau's
Chalk Fest. Neumann died March 23, 2008, after her parents prayed for healing rather than getting
medical help for a treatable form of diabetes.

In an effort to separate itself from the tragic death of young Madeline Kara Neumann of Wisconsin whose parents chose to pray over her rather than seek medical help, the local Christian Science Church has been meeting with state legislators to revise a state law that currently exempts faith healing practices from prosecution for child neglect and abuse. The church said its goal is to protect children. "We want to protect children and to show that our church does not want to hang onto a legislative accommodation that is perceived as helping people abuse their children," said Joe Farkas, the legislative affairs representative for the church.

But one expert warned that any measure drafted by Christian Scientists would aim to protect only Christian Scientists, not children. "If the Christian Science Church is allowed to write this legislation and dominate the discussion, the result is that there will be more Kara Neumann cases," said Shawn Francis Peters, a lecturer in religious studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW-Oshkosh and the author of "When Prayer Fails: Faith Healing, Children, and the Law."

The chief of staff for Sen. Lena Taylor, chair of the judiciary committee, confirmed Taylor's office has been working with Farkas on a bill that would revise the current statute. A draft of the measure was sent to the legislative research bureau, Eric Peterson said, and should reach the floor this spring. "We're working on legislation that would clarify the statute to protect the civil right to prayer and healing and protect children," Peterson said. Peterson said that the bill would eliminate the existing exemption for faith healing and create a legal mechanism known as an "affirmative defense" that would require anyone attempting to use spiritual or faith healing as a legal defense to follow a "standard of medical care" that Peterson claimed had been established by the courts.

The bill itself would provide no guidelines for what this standard of medical care would mean. "This is a recipe for utter confusion," Peters said of the proposal, claiming that no such standard of care has been clearly established in Wisconsin courts yet. He said he suspected the Christian Science Church is using the bill to head off any legal and political fallout as the Neumann case winds its way through the courts this year. "This is what they do. They lobby and they lobby really hard," he said. "The church tries to get ahead of the curve and shape the law before the courts can establish judicial precedent." The Christian Science Church, which practices spiritual healing, pushed successfully for faith healing exemptions decades ago to abuse and neglect laws across the country, including Wisconsin's.

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- Sometimes words just aren't sufficient.

NOTE TO SELF: Don't get sick in Wisconsin.
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DeSwiss


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"Prayer is just a way of telling god that his divine plan for
you is flawed -- and shockingly stingy" ~ Betty Bowers

[sasquatch]

1. Any politico that votes for this should be jailed for child abuse

[DeSwiss]

3. Amen.

[Crunchy Frog]

2. Not a tragic death. A criminal one.

How about adding faith feeding to faith healing?

[DeSwiss]

4. But, but, but....

...faith healing is FREE!!!!

- That's why....

[Crunchy Frog]

5. So is faith feeding.

I don't see why I can't just pray for my kids to have full stomachs rather than actually buying and preparing food. God can do all, can't he?

[naaman fletcher]

6. It's not about money..

It's about people believing in stupid and silly things.

[naaman fletcher]

7. I have often said that...

The bible (or Old Testament, anyway) is not literal, and thank goodness it's not given all the nastiness in it. One think I have always said is that if the story of Abraham about to kill his son is true, then the guy is nothing more than a lunatic, no better than the woman in texas who drowned her kids because God told her to.

I guess these people are really no better.

[shintao]

8. Ahh, I see

So the Bible is fable, myth, and fiction as I understand it. I always suspected that, most like a bunch of stories used to put on plays in transit caravans along the trading routes.

[The River]

9. This is Their Undoing

I was raised in CS.
It is rather enlightened, arising as it did
from the "Modern Thought" movement in New England
during the 1890's. A unique blend of mind over matter
science theory and benign Christianity(no clergy, few rules).
The "mental" healing does work, much of the time.
Unfortunately, it doesn't work all the time
and the Church doctrine of "no doctors"
is literally killing off the membership.
The older ones die eventually and the
critical thinkers just leave to become
wandering agnostics.

[Festivito]

10. The right to free practice of religion comes after life and liberty.

Life and liberty should then supersede, even in a case where it is reasonable to assert damage might occur in the future.

In a parallel manner, yelling fire in a crowded space is prosecutable since it might lead to damage in the future.

But, is this also where the Bush admin gets it preemptive war reasoning, for damage that might occur in the future.

It seems to me that we need some clarification.

Apologies to my friends and unknowns who practice Christian Science. I am only still trying to understand more things in this world.