Another Killed By Religion

Just less than 3 months ago I reported on the arrest and presecution of the parents of Ava Worthington, a 15 month old girl who died because instead of taking their daughter to a doctor, they left her healing up to faith. Quite unsurprisingly, she died from a combination of bronchial pneumonia and a blood infection, which were both perfectly treatable by modern medicine.

The family were members of a large fundamentalist church know as “Followers of Christ”, and they have a dark history of child abuse, neglect, and manslaughter. Now Ava Worthington’s own cousin, 16 year old Neil Beagley has died from a heart failure caused by urinary tract blockage. Members of the same church, Beagley’s parents believed that the power of prayer would heal their son, and called on fellow churchgoers to a prayer session last Sunday when Neil’s condition worsened. He died two days later.

A 1999 Oregon state law prevented parents from using a religious based defense in court, and this law was first used to prosecute the parents of Ava Worthington. However, since by Oregon law people over 14 years old are allowed to choose the method of medication they receive, it is doubtful anything will happen to the parents.

What upsets me the most about this ongoing case is the increasing amount of ignorance these people seem to exhibit. How many more deaths will it take the family to realise that faith healing is a total sham and doesn’t work? When will people accept that modern medicine has been proven to beneficial, and that taking it isn’t some kind of “questioning” of god?

Finally, when will the governments realise that these kinds of churches are murderous, scandalous, and pure evil? In my opinion they make the child-molesting Catholic priests look saintly, and that really is saying something.