Wisconsin father killed his daughter with his prayers

Tragic, this is brought on allot of times by the GOP and their phony stand on religion. Knowledge is also a gift from god to be used as needed.

Saw this in the paper this morning. I can't help but just get angry at these zealots. I understand having faith but ANOTHER child has died. Tragic!

That makes me so sad. I can't believe people would deny their own child health care.

Thank goodness we don't live in a theocracy where behavior like that is defended and protected. I think the leaders of the Church that convinced this couple to do such a thing should be held responsible as well. Too many morons are out there spewing nonsense that gets people hurt and hiding behind the moniker of free speech. Well, I think with freedom comes responsibility.

Did the church specifically tell them NOT to get medical treatment? I know at our church they do pray for those that are sick, but they are never encouraged not to get medical treatment.

that is so sad, churches should always insist someone who is ill, get medical attention and along with prayers to help them get well. This seems to be an ongoing problem with people not getting the medical care they need its a physical illness not a spiritual one.. cant they see the difference?

How awful and misguided. This poor girl should not have died. I am a diabetic and I take insulin. It is an awful disease and how senseless that they sat there and did nothing.

God can work though doctors and medication. My appendix burst in Dec and yet when I got to the hospital in January...the abscess was encapsulated into a grapefruit size. That was a miracle from God and the doctors fixed me up. In no way do I feel going to a doctor or taking medicine is taking away from God.

silly stuff, praying to God to fix something that is a doctor's job. I don't ask my doctor to pray for me either.

Once you put your faith in the power of god, all bets are off.

having faith is healthy, but you must be realistic about it.. you cant exspect god to take care of your own responsibilities.. like you wouldnt lay around, thinking god is going to pay your bills. You will end up homeless and hungry. Like some of these churches tell people to give the church all their money and god will provide for them.. that a load of crap.. so is not taken your child to the doctor.. I blame the church for miss leading people and I blame the parents for not taken care of thier own responsibilty as a parent should

What's realistic? Understand that faith is really in nothing but a coin toss or game? That this silly god will just flip a coin and decide who gets the miracles and who gets to become the butt of the practical joke called life?

Foul idiocy is NOT a matter of opinion and faith. Religious conviction always convicts others... usually the innocent...

Maybe prayer will melt the prison bars. Fat chance!
Even though there was no murderous intent, the parents' insistance of their own privilege and "knowledge" of the inside poop with never an ear to the innocent wind is crime enough.
This is the crime of religious indoctrination and it can probably be traced back for generations. Should we be glad it will not be perpetuated by the dead one? Or should we be big enough to admit a lot of parents are mentally-crippled assholes?

God made man and he gave us the capacity to think. With that comes the intelligence to do for ourselves. No where in the bible does it state that we have to solely rely on God’s graces for our health and welfare.

So, this man wasn't allowed to think for himself, even though his god gave him the capacity to think?

Members of the Baha'i Faith are commanded, as a matter of faith, to obey the doctor in cases like this. Obedience to sound medical advice goes hand-in-hand with prayer.

This is so sad, it is as bad as not giving blood transfusion when your child needs it.

I have been hearing all about this on the BBC.

My mother married a man who joined the Presbyterian church (our church, and a very liberal branch of an already liberal faith) but his parents are still old order Mennonite. They don't believe in TV, radio, instrumental music, and a lot of other things, and they drive a horse and buggy instead of a car.

I mention this, because of a story that my step-grandpa told me once.

A man was floating on a life-raft after his ship sank. He prayed to God every minute of every day for rescue.

On the first day a sailboat came to get him. He declined the help because he said that GOD would save him.

On the second day, another sailboat came to get him. Again he declined on the grounds that GOD would save him.

On the third day, another sailboat, and again he declined because he said that GOD would save him.

On the fourth day without food and drinking water he died. When he got to Heaven he asked God why He hadn't saved him.

"Excuse me," said God, "I sent THREE sailboats!"

Leah, I like that one

I almost died when I was real young, and the doctor told my parents that he was unable to do any more for me, and they should come together and pray for my recovery. They all got together in my bedroom and prayed during the night and when the doctor checked me in the morning he said I would live. This happened two or three times for me and made me think as I got older someone must want me to live more than the doctor. As I grew older, I found my self saved in different ways and even thou I believe most would have died, I am still hear but now as an old man. I always thought that I was saved for a reason, but now all the reasons may have passed. I'll still keep trying to help people but now I can only help with my experiences. This is why I try to give my comments to as many of you as I can get to liston.

You are good kind honest man Mr Swanson. God does answer prayers.

Gordon, any idea why God would have spared you and not this little girl? Do you think it was because you had more people praying for you? Because he didn't believe this little girl was going to do anything good with her life? Any thoughts about how this god chooses his chosen ones?

scott, so this girl was not a good person?

How would I know? I Don't know her. I know Gordon from his many replies.
Do you know her? Tell me about her.

I am just trying to get us to think a little in the father's shoes. Many people believe in God to the extent they will place their own lives in jeperty. They will also place their family in his care. How can we not knowing this person's mind judge him guity of killing his daughter. Abraham was ready to kill his son until the Lord stopped him. Millions are ready to give their lives and everything they have to their church and God. By the way my father was Pentecostal and my mother and my grandparents were Baptist. My father left my side and went to his own church when I was dying. I never understood how he could do this until I was a parent. He believed more then life it self on his God. The best he could do was join with his church people and pray for me.

I know several Pentecostals and this is NOT a routine part of their faith. This turkey perverted the teachings of the mainstream Pentecostal faith.

Juan, oh, was it "god"? Shame on her! and on you for perpetuating cozy-for-you abuses.
Thomas M., Baha'i is anti-gay and they are wolves in sheep dip.

Lord have mercy on my soul! I'm talking to air. In fact, it's smog. Please give me a gift-wrapped garden, god. I deserve it. By the way, please rape and slaughter my enemies. Thanks.

Switching psychic cap for that of Devil's Advocate

If we are going to allow people to "practice" religion in this country, and the ultimate goal of that religion is to die and go to heaven, who are we to criticize this man for allowing his daughter the ultimate gift?

Shouldn't we accept all religious beliefs and practices, or NO religious beliefs and practices?

I have a problem with the idea that death is the worst thing that can happen to a person - especially when the people who support that idea are people who practice religion.

What if they were poor people who couldn't afford health care? Shouldn't we have socialized medicine to make sure this never happens again>

I was dying when I was lost in the Arctic and told God I was ready for him to take me, but was not giving up. I would keep putting one foot in front of me until I fell over dead. When God, I had no fear.

Socialized medicine is one thing. Criminal neglect in the interest of some fantasy is another. Where's Santa when these critters are howling from the roof-tops? Saaaantaaa... is that you clogging up my chimney?

I know, I know... I wrote "clogging" but what I really meant was/is: Saaaantaaa... is that you square-dancing up my flue?

Well, yes. If we could take credit and blame without convenient phantoms on which to dismiss these pleasurable and painful aspects of the human condition we would not only face the day and night, we would make a make-believe god proud of her creation.

Wow..I'm a Christian and it makes me mad to hear things like this. It is not an accurate reflection of what we believe. He is lacking logic-does he wear a seatbelt? Use any medicine or safety precautions or preventive measures? He should be in jail.

Blowing up abortion clinics, murdering abortion doctors, preaching hatred toward gays and liberals and blacks and muslims, denying everyone the right to marry or receive health care or live according to their beliefs . . . none of those things are logical or accurate reflections of what Christ taught, either. Why is this different?

Instead of praying to God to heal the sick we should be praying to God to give the doctor the power and the wisdom to heal the sick, if it be God's will that the patient be healed. Sometimes God has something better in mind for the sick patient. Sometimes healing one illness only leads to something worse.

I wonder where my comment reply under my comment went to? I tried to answer many of your questions and when I pushed submit I lost everything. I always went down to the end before but decided to try replying where it says (reply this comment). Anyone know what happened to me?.

Don't bother with this question as my comment finally showed up higher up where I wrote it. It works after all. Just the old man fouling up again.