Parents take their faith to deadly extremes [View All]

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http://www.suntimes.com/news/roeper/1699390,CST-NWS-roep04.article

August 4, 2009

BY RICHARD ROEPER Sun-Times Columnist

Your 11-year-old daughter is on the floor of your home, unable to walk, talk, eat or drink. Do you:

A. Call 911.

B. Pray.

C. Call 911 and then start praying.

Options A. and C. are acceptable. Option B. is stupid, cruel and criminal.

A Wisconsin man has been found guilty of second-degree reckless homicide in the death of his daughter. Dale Neumann, 47, faces up to 25 years in prison because, as he testified last week, he believed God would heal his child. Neumann's wife, Leiliani, faces a similar sentence.

According to news reports, 11-year-old Madeline Neumann died in the family home as her parents and others surrounded her and prayed. They claim they didn't know how sick the girl was -- but how can any parent NOT call 911 when their daughter is so obviously suffering?

"If I go to the doctor, I am putting the doctor before God," Neumman said.

Really? In that case, why don't you jump out of a 20th-story window and ask God to save you?

I'm all for praying, chanting, singing, whatever you think might help heal a loved one. But relying solely on faith healing is as negligent as wishing upon a star.

That poor girl. Madeline's parents aren't going to jail because they were religious -- they're going to jail because they were damn fools.