I personally think so.
If a parent refuses to get their child life-saving medical help on a religious basis or for whatever reason and the child dies, the parent should be held responsible. I consider it murder.

I personally think so.
If a parent refuses to get their child life-saving medical help on a religious basis or for whatever reason and the child dies, the parent should be held responsible. I consider it murder.

Is this the current case of the boy with cancer in Minnesota?

negligent manslaughter?

although you could argue that it is premeditated....

It certainly is, a child can't make decision on their own and if a parent denies medical care that is life saving and the child dies, then it's a crime that should be prosecuted.

Yes, it is, no doubt.

Although I agree that the parents should be held responsible in a case like this I think it would be very difficult to get a conviction on a murder charge. I think there would be a much better chance of getting a conviction on a charge of manslaughter.

I think it's wrong for parents to refuse their children medical help but I generally only consider murder to be when a person intentionally sets out to take another person's life. If the parents were refusing medical care, but hoping the child would survive and not intending for them to die, then I wouldn't consider that murder.

I think it's wrong for parents to refuse their children medical help but I generally only consider murder to be when a person intentionally sets out to take another person's life. If the parents were refusing medical care, but hoping the child would survive and not intending for them to die, then I wouldn't consider that murder.

I agree, especially if it's on religious grounds. There are some faiths that do not beleve in blood transfusions, etc., and that should be respected by both the legal and medical communities.

I agree, especially if it's on religious grounds. There are some faiths that do not beleve in blood transfusions, etc., and that should be respected by both the legal and medical communities.
Does the child get a voice or a choice in whether they want to live or die? Suppose a religion thinks you should toss every second born into a pit of fire, do we respect that? Where does it end? We can't let children die for any reason. Everyone has a right to live. That supercedes everything.

I think it depends on the situation. If the child is terminally ill and in a lot of pain, then the parent has every right to deny treatment and let their child die. However, if the child could have lived and the parents denied them treatment, then they should be charged with manslaughter.

they should definitely face harsh penalties (unless maybe there were excusible circumstances), but i'm not sure if the charge should be murder. it doesn't seem right to group these parents in with someone who actually set out to take a life intentionally. manslaughter is more appropriate.

religion is no excuse, nonetheless. hey, after all, the bible says to kill women who lose their virginity before marriage, should we respect that decision? i'll never understand people who put faith COMPLETELY BEFORE physical treatment, anyway. my mom relied on the power of prayer AND chemotherapy, and she still died a slow and very painful death, as have millions of others in the same situation. yea, the glory of god. :rolleyes: if people want to shoot themselves in the foot, that's fine, but no one has any right to just stand by and watch their children wither away.

I agree with everyone who said that the parents would be guilty of manslaughter. I don't think in the eyes of the law that it would viewed as murder, but certainly manslaughter.

Personally though, I can't think of any reason why a parent would refuse their child medication if they were ill. The important question isn't so much what does your religion say, but would God want. And in my heart I know that God would want every thing done that can be done to save a child's life.

Once you are of age, you can refuse any medical treatment you want. Parents have a responsibility to protect their kids and that takes priority over everything.

i'll never understand people who put faith COMPLETELY BEFORE physical treatment, anyway.

This isn't exactly the same thing, but as I've often said, a common belief amongst New Agers is the belief that people create their own realities and experiences through their thoughts, beliefs and emotions. There are some (very few) people who have developed their ability to consciously create their own reality so strongly, that for them, they can cure themselves simply by believing they are cured, and thus don't need medical help. So in their cases, putting their belief in the Law of Attraction and the idea that people create their own realities would work for them.

However, most people haven't developed this ability that much and need to rely on medical treatment. But this is just a scenario where what you suggested would work.