Topic

James 5:14-15 reads "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well."

 The book of James is one of several books in the bible that conveys this message—that prayer will heal somebody who is sick.  But is prayer alone enough to heal somebody who has the flu or pneumonia?  What if he or she was dying of cancer or AIDS?  Most of us (I think) would say, no.  If prayer cured disease, we would have no need for doctors or medicine, but we do and even that isn’t always enough. 

Even though there is a lot more to learn about viruses, bacteria, and our DNA, modern medicine has cured millions of people from illnesses, like the flu and pneumonia, that were more or less considered terminal a hundred years ago.  It always baffles me when I read newspaper articles or see stories on TV about sick people, who deny themselves or their children medications or treatments that could potentially save their life because of their religious beliefs (See the story of Dennis and Lorie Nixon). 

39 out of the 50 states have laws protecting parents like Dennis and Lorie Nixon from child neglect allegations if they do so because of religious belief.  I am not a religious person so it is difficult for me to understand these two issues:

1.    Why would any good and loving parent allow their child to die instead of allowing a doctor to treat them, even if it means “breaking” a religious law?

2.     Why would some states protect parents who do this?  Shouldn’t they be more concerned about protecting the rights of the children?  (This question also addresses whether parents should or should not have legal control over a child’s medical treatment.)