  Countless traits define the United States, but none are greater than religious freedom. Religious freedom in the United States is an ability that is not only liberating, but invaluable; the Founding Father’s inscribed religious freedom into American culture, employing it as a pillar to their newfound government, which took form as the First Amendment, when declaring independence from Great Britain. Religious freedom grants American citizens substantial control, with one being a parent’s right to raise his or her child, unable to give their own consent, on the principles and tenements of his or her religion. Unfortunately, some religions follow traditions that jeopardize a child’s safety, health, or both. Specifically, the collective religions that all deny modern medical treatment, opting to faith or spiritual healing as their primary form of healthcare. Myriad cases expose how children have died because of minor injuries, such as a cut in the foot, because religious ideals had to be followed. Neglecting a child’s medical needs infringe upon his or her inalienable rights listed within the Declaration of Independence that states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” While religious freedom does enable parents to grant or deny consent, any death of a child under the pretense of denied medical care that would have saved them because of religious beliefs is a neglectful act, ultimately infringing upon the child's inalienable right to life. Even if a child manages to survives a traumatic, disabling event after being denied proper medical care, the probability that the child will have complications further on in life increases dramatically in correlation with increasing severity. This raises the question: Do parents have the right to deny medical treatment to their children on the grounds that religious freedom is a constitutional right? Religious freedom has deep roots within American culture, and to take its relevance in any context is a violation of constitutional rights meant to protect American citizens from a potentially oppressive government. A proposition that could resolve this controversial problem could follow two separate guidelines. Firstly, within any care facility, in non-life threatening situations, parents can grant consent for their child based on religious beliefs, but if the situation concerns survival, the medical professionals are responsible for trying to save the child’s life, except if the child denies care. Secondly, parents that used the power of religious freedom maliciously can be sentenced for negligence if it can be proven that the death of a child could have been prevented by medical treatment. Although religious freedom is both a power granted to all American citizens, and a critical part of the foundation that the United States was built upon, parent’s trying to use religious freedom as a reason to deny medical treatment is an unjustifiable misuse of a right granted by the First Amendment because the death of a child that could have been saved with medical treatment is a neglectful act of parenting and should be punishable by law.

       On February 5th, 2013, a few weeks before Syble Rossiter’s 13th birthday she stayed home sick from school, she spent her time home struggling to breathe between fits of vomiting, urination, and diarrhea, progressively getting worse with no signs of improvement. Her mother, father and their church’s faith healer were by her side offering prayers, and anointed her with oil as the faith healer instructed them to; the church that the Rossiter’s belong to (General Assembly Church of the Firstborn) view the use of modern medicine as sinful, and a way of playing God’s will. The General Assembly Church of the Firstborn along with 15 other churches within the united states practice healing by prayer known as faith or spiritual healing. (Rubinkam and Dale). Followers of these churches are taught that illness and disease is a product of sin and that if an innocent child that had never sinned falls ill it is an issue with the sins committed by the parents. Unfortunately for Syble’s case her parents feared showing their spiritual weakness, so even as Syble grew weak to the point that she could not stand unassisted, Mr. and Mrs. Rossiter did not make any action to seek medical attention. The parents prayed and prayed Syble lost so much body fluid from the constant vomiting and bowel discharges that her body was unable to keep functioning, her last breath taken surrounded by her praying parents and faith healer. In an autopsy the medical examiner reported that Syble had passed from diabetic ketoacidosis, a form of complication caused by Type 1 diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease that is easily treated with proper doses of insulin. If perhaps the faith healer or the parents had any sort of medical education they would have easily picked up that Syble was a diabetic as the medical examiner put it “she could have been saved quite easily by insulin and rehydration”.  Syble would have been saved if she was brought to the hospital that day, today she would be a senior in high school, getting ready to make big decisions to follow her aspirations in life. The average life expectancy of a woman with type 1 diabetes is ~68 years old (Thompson), meaning that Syble may have been able to live a full and happy life, but unfortunately her parents’ fear of defying God and disappointing their peers lead to Syble’s peril. After her death, a detective questioned the parents and they said that since they are such firm believers they would not have done anything differently, the father also added that if Syble were to have asked to go to the hospital he would have tried to talk her out of it. The Rossiter’s and the church attempted to justify their ways by citing the bible verse James 5:14: “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” Their efforts failed and were both charged with a 10 year prison sentence for 1st and 2nd degree manslaughter. If this had happened 3 years earlier before the law was changed, Mr. and Mrs. Rossiter would have walked away without any charge. One issue that I had with the court decision was that the priest and faith healer that helped the Rossiter’s pray walked away without any charge, but in a mirrored case if they were not members of the church they would have been charged with criminal incitement of manslaughter.   Syble’s parents were strong believers, but it was because of the priest and the teachings of the church that made them not seek medical attention. There is a myriad of other cases that mirror Syble’s, preventable and unnecessary deaths due to parents neglecting medical issues on behalf of their beliefs. 

 Currently within the U.S. 36 states offer a legal defense in court for parents who refuse medical treatment for their children if they are doing it on behalf of their religion. Of the 36 states, 9 of which allow religious exemptions for negligent homicide, manslaughter, or capital murder. (“Policy & Legal”) A study published the medical journal PEDIATRICS, performed an in depth look at the deaths of children due to religious based medical neglect. Between the years 1975 and 1995 there were 172  recorded deaths of children where parents withheld medical care for their child due to religious beliefs. Of the 172 child fatalities that were selected, 140 of the cases had survival rates of over 90%  if they would have received proper medical attention, in addition to the 140, 18 more would have had a 50% chance of survival using proper medical procedures.  This means that approximately 91% of the children in this study could have been saved from medical intervention, and for the remaining children that had low chances of survival medical attention it would have at least helped them with pain and suffering. (Asser & Swan) The teachings that are against the use of modern medicine are causing American children to perish from minor injuries that could be treated easily, but the voluntary ignorance of how the human body system operates continues. 

       The neglect of children by not providing them with medical care is an issue that has conflicts with 3 values in society. The first being the parental responsibility and discretion that parents have over their child’s medical care, secondly the professional and societal protection of vulnerable children, and lastly freedom of religion. (Orr, Virtual Mentor) An article written by James Lace, MD, a practicing pediatrician, addressed his personal experiences with parents of his patients turning down treatment for their child. He recalled the case of a girl that had severe asthma and struggled with breathing to the point that she could barely speak. Dr. Lace pleaded with the parents many times over the course of a few months to prescribe an inhaler so the child could at least breath properly. Since the parents were members of a church that forbade medical intervention they refused, no matter how many times he asked. The parents only gave in when social workers threatened to put their child under foster care unless she was prescribed medication. While she was being medicated, she gained weight and started to develop new lung tissue, but when she turned 18 she wrote a letter to Dr. Lace stating that she was not going to accept the medication anymore, and that “God wants me to suffer”. (Lace) To teach these ideas to children that God wants you to suffer, must be mentally taxing for the kids in her position.

       One of the more prominent arguments against medical interventions that the faith healing churches use, is that by seeking medical assistance, one is “playing” God’s will. This claim did not seem very logical to me. Is it really God’s will to allow young children to suffer and not do anything about it? Was it God’s will to have Syble Rossiter lay in her own excrement for her final breath? ( Was it God’s will for 2 year old Harrison Johnson to be stung by wasps 432 times, and suffer for 8 hours without any pain medication until the toddler’s lungs filled with fluid and he died of shock? (“Victims of religion-based medical neglect”) Was it God’s Will for 11 year old Ian Lundman to have a sandwich bag and wash cloth tied around his scrotum and be given drops of water through a straw because his diabetes wouldn’t allow him to keep down any fluids without vomiting or urinating. (“Victims of religion-based medical neglect”) I know that if I were religious, I would not want to support a God that would condone allowing such heinous ways for these innocent children to perish. If any of these children were provided the medical care that they needed they would still be alive today, and that is why this is a serious issue. 

       I found it quite bizarre that the Epistle of James a part of the bible that was composed in the early third century has influenced many churches into practicing faith healing within the United States today. ~1800 years later and faith/spiritual healing is still prominent, even after all of the discoveries of microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses, these faith healing churches continue to condemn the use of modern medicine. It was not sin that killed Syble, Ian or the many other kids with diabetes, nor was it sin that killed kids with the flu, cancer, or infections.  As stated earlier the study done by Swan & Asser discovered that ~91% of children that died while receiving faith healing and prayers, would have had an excellent chance of survival if they were given proper medical attention. The fact that today there are still states that allow religious exemption for child neglect, endangerment, and manslaughter under the tenants of the church's faith is astonishing. The children do not have a choice whether or not they want to be a part of  their parent’s religion. In most cases the children of these parents are raised with the religion and taught from an early age that to seek medical attention is defying God’s will. A video titled “What’s It Like to Be the Child of ‘Faith-Healing’ Parents?”  was an interview with a woman who was affected by the neglect of a serious bone infection known as osteomyelitis, which is a treatable infection. Rather than taking her to the hospital she said that her parents relied on prayer and anointed her in oil. She stated that she has suffered several health complications as a direct result of the negligence of the infection that have followed her throughout life.(Mehta) Some of the effects of neglecting osteomyelitis include osteonecrosis (bone death),  septic arthritis, impaired growth and skin cancer. (Mayo Clinic) Parents within religious groups that practice faith healing have been taught that the best way to cure their child’s illness is to pray and anoint them with oil, this method has failed disgustingly over the last 5 decades as proven by Asser & Swan’s study.

Within the United States parents hold the power to make all medical decisions for their children until the age of 18. 18 years seems like an eternity without having one serious medical issue that needs to be assessed by a trained professional. Every year approximately 300,000 people within the united states have an appendicitis. “People of any age can get the condition, though appendicitis is most common among children and teenagers between 10 and 19 years old.”(Everyday Health) Chances are that you or someone you know has had an appendicitis or some other medical emergency that required immediate medical attention, but you or your friend were most likely brought to the hospital to be treated as soon as possible,  the children of people who follow churches that are against medical intervention do not have that luxury. An appendicitis is considered a medical emergency, if a patient’s appendix does not receive proper treatment in time the appendix will burst and spread infection within the abdominal cavity leading to a life threatening condition known as peritonitis, an infection within the lining of the gut.. 7 children died due to appendicitis within the study performed by Asser & Swan. 

I am not against the freedom of religion in this country, nor am I against a parent's’ right to choose treatment for their child. Parents and faith healers alike should be educated of the many different medical issues that their child may endure within their lifetime. Almost every story of a child dying by the hand of medical neglect would have turned out differently if someone in his family or church had some semblance of medical education and were able to recognize that  the child’s life is in danger.  No child should have to go through the nightmares that Syble, Ian, Harrison and the hundreds of other children victimized by faith healing had to go through. If a child needs medical treatment they should always receive it, no exceptions.        

 