Adding to my ongoing concern about the tension between science and religion, I see that our activist, anti-religious courts have allowed a reckless homicide conviction against a couple who didn’t seek medical attention for their critically ill child, instead relying on the power of prayer. The Indy Star has an article entitled Jury rejects prayer defense in baby’s death.
What the Schmidts did to help their critically ill daughter, Rhianna Rose Schmidt, was not disputed at trial. They never sought medical assistance or treatment. An autopsy showed Rhianna died of sepsis, a blood infection contracted at birth — an infection that could have been cured easily, a doctor testified.
Rhianna did not breathe for 38 minutes after birth, Maleta Schmidt testified. The infant stopped breathing three other times.
The Schmidts testified that in each instance, they turned to prayer and the elders of the General Assembly and Church of the First Born to heal her.
From my experience using sarcasm as a means to critique the anti-gay marriage amendment, I know that a disclaimer is necessary. Some folks wouldn’t recognize sarcasm if it hit them upside the head. When knowledge obtained from scientific observation contradicts knowledge received as religiously revealed truth; I’ll side with the scientific observation every time.
I don’t know the details of this child’s health prior to death. If the child was far enough gone, prayer might have been more helpful than taking the kid to a hospital to have wires jammed in her before she died. But if there was a reasonable shot at survival, we can’t let parents’ religious beliefs cause the death of their children.
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