Religious Rejection of Medical Treatment by Kursten Ratliff

= ''Religious Rejection of Medical Treatment For Children '' =

The Problem 

Parental rejection of medicine and medical treatment seems to be a growing issue within the United States of today. Why is this issue a problem you may ask? Well one main reason is for religious issues, some religions may completely ban any and all medical treatment. Instead of using medical treatment they may decide to pray, use anointing oils, and even exorcisms (Hall, 2013).Some religions can even deny the reality of an illness all together. This being said, it is the right of any capable adult to refuse such medical treatment. However, in a child’s case it is immoral to take away their right of medical treatment for any and all religious reasons.

The Impact on Children

The children who are going without the medical treatment are the clear victims stuck in the middle of a battle between church vs. state. The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that every child should have the opportunity to grow and develop free from preventable illness or injury (Religious Objections to Medical Care, 1997).in the right an ethical world society gasps in the situation of a child dying due to neglect such as malnutrition, overexposure, and simple accidents. Nonetheless, we find a reason or excuse to allow a child to perish without medical treatment rejected from parents. According to Robert D. MD, director of clinical ethics at the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, in Bannockburn, IL, the clear impact of this neglect can lead to in “...Increased patient suffering, prolonged hospital stay, and increased expense.”

Cause and Effect

Not only can the refusal of medical treatment harm one child, but also dozens more. A simple scenario of Christian Scientist based parents enroll their young 10 month old into day care, this child has no shots due to “religious reasons”. Little do the parents know the child has contracted Haemophilus influenzae which is a bacterium that can cause a severe infection and also is very contagious (Haemophilus influenzae Disease, 2014). The parents might think the child just has a cough which is included in one of the symptoms. This disease is known for mimicking pneumonia. Haemophilus influenza can cause death and lifelong disabilities, and the rest of the day care is at risk because of two irresponsible parents.

'''What Should Be Done? '''

As of right now there are 32 states that have religious exemptions for misdemeanors and felony charges involving children (Garcia, 2014). In the state of Idaho twelve children have died since 2011 and no charges have been put into place (Garcia, 2014). Why haven’t any charges been filed? In Idaho it is not on the politician’s priority list for lawmaking. According to Senator John Gannon of Idaho, “honestly it’s not something that I’ve thought a lot about lately.” There are only six states that allow no religious exemptions from criminal and civil charges (Garcia, 2014). The remaining states only allow civil case exemptions with no criminal exemptions. Therefore, this makes it rather hard for Child services to step in and take action before it is too late (Garcia, 2014). Laws need to be put into place, just a simple fine line between what is okay and what is not. There is not enough regulation for the of protection children from neglect due to religious reasons.

An Ethical Dilemma  

A child dying of cancer, is it okay if parents refuse chemotherapy because that could possibly diminish the quality of life for the time they have left? The cancer still has a great chance of taking his life, even with the chemo, what do you do? In another case was it okay for parents just to neglect a child with spinal meningitis that was 100% fatal without antibiotics but 95% curable with the antibiotics (Children’s Health Care is a Legal duty, 2015)? These are the ethical questions that lawmakers have refused to acknowledge. The simple reason is due to the many gray areas in the first amendment, the right of freedom of religion. Children are dying nationwide, and something needs to be done.

References

Garcia, Arturo. (18 November, 2014). Christian kids dying because their parents refusal of

medical treatment-and it’s perfectly legal. Retrieved from http://www.alternet.org/christian-kids-dying-because-their-parents-refuse-medical-treatment-and-its-perfectly-legal

Hall, Harriet. (19 November, 2013). Faith healing: religious freedom vs. child protection.

Retrieved from

https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/faith-healing-religious-freedom-vs-child- protection/

Kavanaugh, Shan Dixon. (17 November, 2014). Living on a prayer: why does god kill so many

children in idaho. Retrieved from

http://www.vocativ.com/author/shane-dixon-kavanaugh/

Morgan, T. church vs. state [digital]. Retrieved from

http://www.lsureveille.com/opinion/columnists/the-damn-hamm-should-prayer-ever-be-allowed-in-public/article_b8dbd6dc-fd59-11e1-bf18-0019bb30f31a.html

(August, 2003). Faith-based decisions: parents who refuse appropriate care for their children.

Retrieved from http://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/2003/08/ccas1-0308.html

(2 April, 2014). Haemophilus influenzae disease (including hib). Retrieved from

http://www.cdc.gov/hi-disease/

(5 April, 2015). Cause and Effect [digital].

Retrieved from http://understandingcontext.com/2014/04/agents-instruments/

(2015). Religious exemptions from healthcare for children. Retrieved from

http://childrenshealthcare.org/?page

(1997). Religious exemptions to medical care. Retrieved from

http://www.cirp.org/library/ethics/AAP3/#n4