A 16-year-old Clackamas, Oregon boy, Neal Beagley, died Tuesday, June 17, following complications from an infected urethra. As he was older than 14 years of age, he could determine which medical treatment he received or did not receive, and he chose the path of faith healing. Physicians felt that a catheter would have saved his life had he sought professional medical treatment. He became ill about a week before he passed away.
He is the uncle of a 15-month-old girl who similarly passed away. Her parents, Carl and Raylene Worthington, members of the Followers of Christ Church, have been indicted on criminal mistreatment and manslaughter charges.
They are defending themselves on the basis that it was their religious right to follow their faith.
In the early 1990s, Oregon lawmakers passed new laws that removed protections for faith-healing parents after several children from the Followers of Christ church died.
This is the latest in a string of stories that involve conflicts between religious beliefs of parents and the interest of the state in protecting children. The Followers of Christ Church, I should mention, is not affiliated with a mainstream denomination.
ABC News has posted the a video on the story at http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5197489&page=1
The Wall Street Journal has published a good overview of the issue of the rights of faith healers versus the state interest in safety on its blog at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121322824482066211.html?mod=2_1566_leftbox