PHILADELPHIA – A fundamentalist couple who prayed over their sick toddler rather than get medical help before his pneumonia death have been ordered to stand trial on manslaughter charges.
Prosecutors believe 2-year-old Kent Schaible succumbed because his parents chose prayer over modern medicine.
But defense lawyers — perhaps mindful of Pennsylvania's strict parental-duty laws — deny the case hinges on religious freedom. They say Herbert and Catherine Schaible did not know their son was dying.
"We're talking about symptoms that mirrored the flu and the common cold," said public defender Francis Carmen, who represents the mother. "The Commonwealth is dragging this (issue) into the courtroom, to persecute them for their minority religious beliefs."
....A day or two before he died, they thought he was improving, as he slept better and ate and drank some. But when his condition worsened, they called their pastor and then a funeral home.
Police later asked why they didn't call a doctor. "They both pretty much said, 'We believe in God for healing. We don't take it ourselves, either,'" Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore said Thursday. She believes the child suffered.
6 comments:
Yea, that sucks. Sorry for this little guy.
it doesn't effing matter. the couple who let their daughter die (i believe she was diabetic) due to lack of medical care (they too prayed for her to get well) got 6 months. 6 months you say? well it's ONE MONTH A YEAR FOR SIX YEARS. it's not even all at once.
kill your kid, get a month doin' time. yeah, that's god's will all right.
i am sorry i don't believe in hell because i'd love to imagine (not wish on them, but just fantasize - because i can't wish ill will on anyone) them all burning in it EVEN THE JUDGE
ok, now i've got that vein sticking up on my forehead
oh here's the link to the story http://www.kansascity.com/437/story/1494788.html
God does heal people, but what some Christians don't realize is that even though sometimes he chooses to work through miracles, he more often works through the natural means of medicine. It's very unfortunate when, in their zeal, people ignore the gifts of healing that are right in front of them.
Not sure about his arrangement with chiropractors. ;-)
In other words, god works in mysterious ways. When it fits the situation, its god. When it doesn't, we just weren't meant to understand. Sigh.
Theist logic at its finest.
If they had prayed to the Goddess she would have told them to go see a dr.
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