Thread: Should a parent be allowed to withhold medical treatment for religious purposes?

Originally Posted by Smartmouthwoman

I voted in your poll... however, I think it would be wrong to force people to, for example, take their children in for a check up if they don't believe in doctors. But even after saying that, all children have to have certain vaccines to attend public school, so I guess we force them to do that, huh? A broken leg or life-threatening disease is another story. No child should should be allowed to suffer... even at the hands of their parents.

Na. You can forgo the vaccines. You just have to home school them at that point.

Originally Posted by Makedde

Screw the parents and their idiot religion. Take the kid to a doctor and accept the treatment given. If they don't, lock them up for child abuse. If the child dies because they were denied medication, the parents should be charged with murder and thrown in a cell and fed nothing but bread and water for the least of their miserable lives.

All of this.

IMO the safety of a child should trump the freedom of Religion. But in reality my opinion means nothing. It all depends on U.S. and or State law.

Originally Posted by Smartmouthwoman

Of course you mean BORN children, right? We know babies in the womb have no rights in this country.

Nor should they.

Originally Posted by ryanm34

Yeah the theoretical right to life of the unborn doesn't trump the mothers right to expel a parasite if they so desire.

And yet you lefties entire platform is pro parasite and society's duty to take care of them...you people really need to make up your minds.

Originally Posted by ryanm34

I think a child's right to life trumps a parents right to religious freedom.

Well said sir.

The town I live in has a religious group or cult called the Followers of Christ. They believe in no medical care other than spiritual healing. They are regularly prosecuted for child abuse, child endangerment, and child neglect. The church regularly has epidemics of very treatable diseases, such as scarlet fever, which they were generous enough to share with me, which came close to killing me. They have rights to do any stupid thing they want, up to the point that it begins to injure others. The kids have no choice and they need to be protected. The general public also has the right to not be infected by the church members. If they do not want to take an antibiotic to prevent scarlet fever, perhaps the public has the right to protect themselves from the Followers of Christ by quarantine if an epedemic breaks out.

Originally Posted by Lee S

The town I live in has a religious group or cult called the Followers of Christ. They believe in no medical care other than spiritual healing. They are regularly prosecuted for child abuse, child endangerment, and child neglect. The church regularly has epidemics of very treatable diseases, such as scarlet fever, which they were generous enough to share with me, which came close to killing me. They have rights to do any stupid thing they want, up to the point that it begins to injure others. The kids have no choice and they need to be protected. The general public also has the right to not be infected by the church members. If they do not want to take an antibiotic to prevent scarlet fever, perhaps the public has the right to protect themselves from the Followers of Christ by quarantine if an epedemic breaks out.

Mental.

All of it.

From this, to some Jews waving chicken around their heads, thinking they can transfer their sins onto it.

What is wrong with people, are they unable to see how mad this is?

Originally Posted by ryanm34

I think a child's right to life trumps a parents right to religious freedom.

That's why I oppose abortion, yes

Originally Posted by SpaceCricket79

That's why I oppose abortion, yes

But I think a womans right to her own body trumps even that.