It's Time To End (Deadly) "Religious Freedom"

Gay marriage and gay parents aren't a threat to children but a certain frighteningly widespread kind of Christianity is not just a threat but a death sentence. With the growth of the so-called charismatic faith healing denominations in America it's time to put child welfare ahead of our concept of religious freedom.

What do you think the reaction would be from the Religious Right leaders if -- since 1982 -- over fifty gay couples had been convicted of murdering their children in "gay rituals"? What would Glenn Beck be saying about gay marriage in that context? Yet according to the New York Times (Oct 8, 09) there have been at least 50 convictions in the United States since 1982 in cases where medical treatment was withheld from a child for religious reasons. And there have been hundreds more cases that weren't brought to trial out of over solicitous "respect" for religious freedom and parents' rights.

According to the New York Times, (Oct 8, 09) a Wisconsin couple was just sentenced to jail time for failing to seek medical attention for their daughter because they believed in "faith healing" instead of science. Dale and Leilani Neumann, were ordered to spend 30 days in jail each year for the next six years and were placed on 10 years' probation: a disgustingly lax slap on the wrist.

Mr. Neumann, 47, and Ms. Neumann, 41, who live in Weston, in central Wisconsin, had been convicted of second-degree reckless homicide in August. Their daughter, Madeline Kara Neumann, 11, died from untreated diabetes on March 23, 2008. When the girl became ill and could no longer walk or talk, her parents prayed for her instead of taking her to a doctor, prosecutors said.

Sadly the Neumann case is hardly unique. One of the most disheartening media appearances I've ever made -- in terms of my being an author and commentator -- was on Court TV. In early August I was commentating on Oregon v. Carl and Rayle Worthington, involving fundamentalist parents who refused to give their child medical care on the basis of their trust in faith healing. (I was invited because as a former religious right leader -- long since departed from that subculture -- they thought I'd bring an "inside" perspective.)

The Worthington's fifteen-month-old little girl died (of something easily treatable) surrounded by her parents and other members of their congregation praying for healing. No one called 911.

As far as I'm concerned they used their daughter to try to "prove" a faith-related "point" the way some extremest suicide bombers sometimes use children to carry their bombs. And our reaction to their crime -- and another obscenely light sentence -- should be the same as it would be to an extremest bomber of a day care center.

Why aren't parents who kill their children for God not serving life sentences? Because of our crazy ideas about religious freedom that on so many fronts trump not just common sense but the rule of law. It's bad enough we allow parents in the far right evangelical home school and Christian school movements to pour anti-gay, anti-science, and anti-America (God is judging us) garbage into their children's heads. But surely a line should be drawn at murder!

As noted by the Times, "Shawn Peters, a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who has studied the nexus of religion and the law, said the Neumanns' light to trivial sentencing was not unusual... 'The sentences tend to be halfway punishments where you have relatively mild penalties imposed on parents who are found to be legally guilty of having caused a child's death,' Mr. Peters said. 'It underscores how uneasy we are both politically and culturally when it comes to regulating religious conduct even when the consequences are disastrous.'

Tens of thousands of children are at risk given the size of what used to be the fringe of fundamentalism but now is the fastest growing heartland of American Christianity. After all in a country where it seems "normal" for someone running for vice president -- Sarah Palin -- to have had an exorcist cast out witches and demons in a blessing before she ran for governor of Alaska, what's a little medical care withheld from a child in Crazyland?

Why the silence from the right (and from too many on the left too) about the proven danger that evangelical/fundamentalist "Christians" of certain denominations pose to their children because of their religion?

Praying for a child instead of calling a doctor is a form of religiously-inspired domestic terror with one terrified sad and helpless victim at a time being offered to the "god" of our national village idiots. It is time to curtail religious freedom in America. The silly level of respect given to religion that is not afforded to any other part of our society should be stripped away. Religious freedom should end when child well being is involved.

Parents, churches, whole denominations and religious communities that believe in faith healing -- to the exclusion of medical care -- are by definition death traps for children. Child welfare agencies need to pay special attention to the evangelical/fundamentalist "charismatic" community.

The state needs to take away children from anyone who denies care to their children or who says they will deny care--for any reason, religious or otherwise. They are as unfit for parenting as would be convicted pedophiles who belong to groups openly avowing rape and incest. And yes, that means that parents who are believers in faith healing -- again just to be clear, to the exclusion of medical care -- should be investigated as should their churches and denominations in the same way that any other criminal (and/or insane) group that threatens children with death would be.

Religious freedom means freedom to worship in the Church of your choosing and to believe anything you want. But before you're 18, society should protect you. Our idea of open-ended religious freedom is dumb. In fact -- and I'm speaking as a church-going Christian here -- it's a sin.

em>Frank Schaeffer is the author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back and the forthcoming Patience With God: Faith For People Who Don't Like Religion (Or Atheism)

Follow Frank Schaeffer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/frank_schaeffer

Comments

[Micki Pacific]

Dear Mr. Schaeffer,

Thank you for the courage you demonstrated during the interview with Rachel Maddow.

I visited L'Abri in the 80's, left religion in the 90's, and will pray for President Obama's health, welfare, and wellbeing.

Your Fan,
Micki

PS: I still think Oz Guiness "The East, No Exit" was a brilliant lecture. Dick Keyes "Living Under The Shadow of The Fall" was very good also.

[Anne Aufderheide]

Dear Mr. Schaeffer, I just saw you on the Rachel Maddow Show. Thank you. Thank you for all that you said. Your comments are honest, insightful, riveting and sobering. I was so moved that I had to make contact with you immediately. As a nation, have we gone insane and finally become morally bankrupt? You're right, it's gotten frightening, with calls for Obama's children to be fatherless, etc. I join you in standing up in support for President Obama. I think he's doing a noble job. I support him. I want the hateful language to stop, especially before it turns to violence. Tonight is the first time I've ever encountered you. Now I'm an avid fan. Keep on speaking out, people need to hear your message. Stop the hate.

[aIex]

Mr. Schaeffer, we're missing you (I am).

[islanddreamer]

Excellent article on a very difficult subject. I completely agree that children need to be protected and that religious beliefs should not be accepted as an excuse for willful neglect. I also think there is the issue of emotional abuse that JimReed touches on in his comment. A number of fundamentalist beliefs can cause serious emotional harm to children. Suicide among gay children raised by intolerant families is one example. Beyond the withholding of medical treatment and other forms of physical deprivation, the question is: When does the indoctrination and brainwashing of children reach the level of emotional abuse? I strongly believe this question needs to be discussed and addressed by society.

[msbadger]

Oh, boy, are you lighting a fuse here. Brave and strong, and well-written. I couldn't agree more. I am outraged by this kind of thing. I was an abused child, and my mother's answer to it all was that God would never give me more than I could stand. These people are psychotic. We must change the laws to reflect the need to protect children in all areas. It's never easy and sometimes the decisions seem Solomon-like, but this has to stop. Thank you for your courageous article and I plan to pass it on. p.s.- In reply to JimReed, I think that "from a governmental perspective" we SHOULD act like religion does not exist. Or matter.

[DAVIDMORSE]

The men that murdered thousands of Americans on Septmber 11, 2001 were motivated by their faith to kill those who had a different faith. We have tortured and held suspected terrorists because we said they were murderers and that their faith did not matter as a factor in the crime. Even in cases where no evidence of any crime could be produced . So we only believe that a belief in God is a defense when its Jesus the suspect claims their savior? So much for freedom of religion. Maybe we should amend the constitution to say freedom of religion Jesus followers, no others need apply? Except for Gods chosen people the Jews. We still need the Jews to bring about the End of Days by rebuilding the Temple and as victims of the Anti Christ. As I said, while I respect everyones right to believe as they choose. I just wish others could accept the reality that their must be limits to their rights. And that their right to belief is just as important as mine. as well as everybody elses right to believe as they choose. But also within the limits of our diverse, laws based society.

[DAVIDMORSE]

These same people who also believe abortion is murder because life begins at conception, are the same people here that are defending parents freedom to refuse medical care. If each child is a gift from God, and abortions are murder, how can allowing your child to die be anything but murder? The Governor of Texas is defending his execution of a father convicted of the murder of his girls by arson. Even as he insisted he was not guilty and arson was in doubt. Maybe the dad should have claimed the devil was controling his girls and he was saving their souls? How far are we willing to go in allowing people to use their faith as a get out of jail free card? If a man claimed today that God spoke to him and warned of a flood we would say he was insane and lock him away. But when parents refuse care we look the other way and say is their right to freedom of faith?

[DAVIDMORSE]

I completely agree with Frank. We are too accepting of parents who use their faith as reason enough to refuse to seek medical care for their underage children. While I believe adults have the right to refuse care themselves, Children are a different matter. These same parents say that children are too young to even listen to a speech from the president because he could braiwash them? Or that teaching evolution in science class is undermining to the beliefs parents want their kids to accept? But they have no problem making such a dangerous choice for a child that could mean life or death. Even the Amish don't permit their children to be baptised until they turn 18, because they believe only an adult can freely decide their beliefs for life. And that only a faith freely embraced is pure. How can any loving parent believe its Gods will that their God wants child sacrifice? Even in the Bible, Abraham was stopped before he killed his son. He was tested to see how strong his faith in God was but God was satisfied without allowing him to kill his son. I believe if there is a God than doctors skills in medicine are God given.

[JimReed]

Frank,
In a way I agree with you, but there is a concern, and it might have to do with the concept of drawing a line to decide what religious practices are good or bad. Faith healing to the excent of ignoring medical practice is bad. So what is good? Should religions be allowed to teach children God rewards the believers with heaven and punishes heretics with hell? Our government can't oppose this teaching, but it still might be harming the children and later in life they might be harming others in society as they apply the doctrine. I think the reality might be the government can't help us solve our nation's religion problem. Can anyone say what is good about religion? Perhaps we need to just keep church and state separate, and from a governmental perspective act like religion doesn't exist.