Dale and Leilani Neumann refused to seek medical attention for their 11-year-old daughter, who was suffering from acute untreated diabetes. Eventually her condition, called ketoacidosis (a lack of the proper amount of insulin in the body), became fatal. The parents refused medical help because they thought their daughter was being attacked spiritually and that prayer was the answer.
Family and friends had urged Dale and Leilani Neumann to get help for their daughter, but the father considered the illness “a test of faith” and the mother never considered taking the girl to the doctor because she thought her daughter was under a “spiritual attack,” the criminal complaint said.
Even more gruesome is what happened after the girl died. When told that the body would be taken away the next day for autopsy, the parents replied,
“You won’t need to do that. She will be alive by then.”
The two parents are being charged with second-degree reckless homicide. Anything less than a full conviction is not justice in my book.
Look, if you want to adhere to some stupefyingly twisted view of religious dogma, be my guest. But in the process, you have no right to bring up a child in this world. When your ridiculous beliefs affect an innocent life, then you’re no less insane than the guy who takes a chainsaw to his neighbor because the voices in his head told him to. You are the same criminal.
(via kottke)
8 responses so far ↓
Bill // April 29, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Innocent kid dies because of parents imposing their religious belief, ignoring well established science and the threat of certain death. Guilty. Maybe they should pray that the jury is stupid.
Jim // April 29, 2008 at 9:05 pm
How can anyone teach a distinction that says that medical science ain’t part of the universe? And parse it so it appears to be, I guess, the work of the devil as opposed to the cosmic muffin? Whoever inculcated this madness in these sad people’s odd minds is as guilty as they are.
For a mass version of this, see re electing GB for another four years and the au currant free pass given McCain by the press to be a meaningful candidate.
Is it really someone or some group that sets out to do this stuff or is it a systemic evolution of a capitalist system that produces these opposing, ill-informed, insanities in the name of accruing market share for the sake of the profit.
Mike // April 29, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Having faith in the ONE who made us is one thing, however, this family should have taken steps in the natural to help their daughter. Let the Lord do the SuperNatural while you are doing ALL you can in the natural.
For those of you who are so critical of those with faith, let me remind you that we GIVE AND DO for people MUCH MORE than the liberal SECT of our country. All they do is talk and are no action.
Andrew Simone // April 29, 2008 at 11:51 pm
My father made the amusing but cynical (and half- serious) statement–as a man of faith–that perhaps there was mercy here: God preferred the child die than be raised by parents like that.
righteouspathmd // April 30, 2008 at 12:14 am
Hey guys. I’m certain that the parents will get off, somewhat, on leniency.
You guys are confusing the issue here. The parents of this child were practicing their own religious views - however off-center they may have been. The United States affords all men and women to practice such views, with whatever vigor, as long as they don’t come into direct harm with other citizens.
The -ISSUE- now is how children are affected by the parents’ religion. Should or should not children have some level of sovereignty when it comes to these practices, and what happens to children who aren’t old enough to make their own decisions on this matter (13 yo and younger). To what extent are parents able to impose their own religious rights upon their kids; That is the question to ask.
It seems to me this issue is parallel to the whole polygamists in Utah.
Bill // April 30, 2008 at 7:34 am
This type of case must have been tested in the court system, as I have heard of them before, but cannot recall the outcome. I agree with all the above posts.
Jason // April 30, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Have these people ever heard or read their bibles. God doesn’t help those that don’t help themselves. I know that and I’m not religious, and don’t tell me the bible doesn’t say this. When David killed Goliath he acted for himself by faith in God. He didn’t just stand there like a stump and let God do everything. Holy people never cease to amaze me on how truly stupid and incompetent they can be. I think they should follow the bible on this one; eye for an eye. Give them the chair.
Kurazaybo // May 6, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I agree with you, but do not think that calling someone else beliefs “ridiculous” is helping in some way.
You need a license to drive a car but anyone can have children.
Leave a Comment