Faith vs. Medicine

[subsidinginsanity]

Occasionally we hear about parents refusing medical treatment for their children and relying on faith healing instead. Sometimes the children die, and sometimes the courts try to intervene. In the hospital we give the patients the right to refuse anything, but in the case of children being influenced by their parents the line becomes blurry. Should parents be able to make these kinds of decisions for their children, or should the government force medical care on the basis that the children do not know what is best for them? At what age do children become competent enough to make their own medical decisions?

[gruntal]

My only direct experience in this involves the Jehovah's Witness reluctance to receive blood transfusions although this didn't involve a young child. Well it may have been a adult with a child like mentality. Well all family members tend to share a cultural similarity that might influence them all their lives.

As a libertarian I tend to distrust anything government and defer to things family or personal. At some level I think best intentions and personal choice trump all even to the point of self destruction. So at the risk of sounding like a broken record: we have civilizations with evolved standards. That works. But enforcing same via courts and laws becomes a nightmare. Kids can die in foster care faster then they do on skid row. That is a fact of life.

So we can decide on legal standards for minors but in the end I think it is friends and relatives that risk kidnapping charges to pluck away hapless kids from destructive parenting that make a difference. I know that is contradictory to what I stated in the beginning but only in a legal sense. In the end it is not the law but some wise and benevolent soul that might come to your rescue. That may sound very scary but that is the only thing you can depend on.

[Ishtahota]

A New Age friend of ours had a granddaughter and one day her granddaughter came in with a big cut on her leg. Lou the grandmother kissed the boo boo and said that she would surround it with love and light and all would be better. The six year old granddaughter looked at the grandmother and said that love and light would help, but she also wanted some neosporin antibiotic, two stiches, and a bandaid. True story.
Being spiritual does not also mean you have to be stupid.

[sparklekaz]

Hi subsiding,

Like Gruntal, I have only heard of one religion the Jehovah's Witnesses, who are against blood transfusions. But because my knowledge of this is quite vague, I decided to do a little research about it, and this is what I discovered.

"The refusal of Jehovah’s Witnesses to accept blood transfusions stems from a misunderstanding of the Biblical Scriptures at Leviticus 17 and Acts 15:29, both of which speak of not “eating” blood. The context of these Scriptures was in reference to animal sacrifice where God told Israel to pour animal blood out on the ground because the life of the flesh is in the blood. Once the blood was removed, Israelites were allowed to eat the meat of the animal that was sacrificed.

Nothing in these Scriptures speak of human blood, nor do they speak of non-sacrificial, blood transfusions where the blood is replaced in the human body with other human blood and not eaten. Thus, we conclude that the Scriptures Jehovah’s Witnesses use to support their blood refusal policies are taken completely out of context.

Furthermore, scientists affirm that one is not “eating” blood when the blood enters the body through the veins because the blood that is transfused into the veins functions like an organ of the body and merely replaces the blood lost during a surgical procedure or an injury. The body does not digest blood, so there is no connection whatsoever with the Biblical policy forbidding the eating of animal blood. The banning of blood transfusions is not the only medical stipulation that the Jehovah’s Witness religion has misapplied Scripture to support its unique views. The Watchtower Society once condemned vaccinations as a “devilish practice” and organ transplants as a “cannibalistic” practice."

While I fervently believe in man having the right to follow their own religious beliefs without persecution or hinderment. I am not comfortable, with medical treatment being withheld from a child based on the religious beliefs of the parents. Because children are under the legal care of their parents, I do think that their welfare, which they have no control over, should have precedence over their parents' religious choices, if those choices threaten their health and well-being.

Since parents are ultimately the only people that a child can rely on to ensure their well-being, I do think that a child's welfare takes precedence over their parents' personal choices, like how they choose to practice religion, and how those choices might affect that child's welfare. Even if a child does follow the same religious practices as their parents. Do they truly understand the implications behind refusing medical treatment for themselves? I doubt it.

Consider also the impact on family life. If the child were of an age where they might be deemed to be old enough, to understand and make the decision, but was reluctant to opt for treatment for fear of upsetting their parents or being shunned by their church. This in itself would put the child under tremendous emotional and psychological pressure to comply with their parents wishes. By having the hospital step in to make the decision, it takes the onus of responsibility away from them.

I tend to see faith and medicine as working hand in hand. Statistically it has been proven that people who have a positive mindset and faith/belief in a higher power that will listen to their prayers for healing, have a better chance of recovery from say a life threatening illness then someone who does not. My belief is, that God gave us these wonderful brains for a reason. That technological advances made by man, have come about through our own ability. I do not see it as being a faith versus medicine. More a, combination of faith and medicine, creating the maximum opportunity and best conditions, for health and healing.

Love and light
Kaz

[subsidinginsanity]

Thanks for the comments everybody. I tend to be of the same opinion. I respect people's beliefs so long as it causes no harm. Withholding a much needed treatment may be harmful.

[wayne]

In Australia if a child's life is at risk, even though the parents may belong to a religious order where they depend on faith alone in saving their child; then the government will take steps by removing the child so it can be saved.

I could never understand this myself. The regret some must have.

[petitphilip]

I say we should accept the help from a doctor because God might make him strong to help your kid, if you ask God for hes help, that's how i see things.If you ask God's help and God say: ok, i will make this doctor save your kid, but if you refuse this doctor's help, it's like you refuse God's help.It's just an example but, these kind of situation happen often.