.
● Jas 5:14 . . Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the
church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of
The Lord
Religious fanatics here and there are allowing their underage children to
suffer and even die from treatable medical conditions on the basis of that
verse. Where do we draw the line with the so-called "freedom of religion"
guaranteed in the US Constitution's first amendment? Answer: We draw the
line at the child's inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness; which, according to America's Declaration of Independence; are
not only God-given rights, but also a self evident truth that men were
created with those rights.
The DOI goes on to say that all men are created equal. It doesn't say grown
up men; it says all men, which means that women and children have just as
much right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as anybody else.
Parents who deny the truth of those rights are nothing in the world but
wicked despots; and in point of fact the very kinds of twisted monarchs the
DOI targets.
Christ addressed this issue indirectly by means of his teachings on the
seventh day Sabbath; which, in a nutshell, says that the seventh day was
made for man, not the other way around. (Mark 2:27)
● Matt 12:11-12 . . And he said unto them, What man shall there be among
you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day,
will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than
a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath days.
The sanctity of human life trumps the sanctity of the Sabbath. So then,
hospitals, doctors, nurses, firemen, law enforcement, soup kitchens, rescue
missions, Red Cross, Haiti emergency workers, etc. who are busy on the
Sabbath do not sin. Do they break the Sabbath? Yes; but the sanctity of the
Sabbath is secondary to the sanctity of human life.
So then, I would have to say, in accordance with Matt 12:11-12, that people
who deny their children adequate medical care in the name of religion regard
the value of their own flesh and blood as something less than that of a
beast.
It's okay to have elders pray for your child, and it's okay to anoint them with
oil as per James 5:14. But after that, parents really should take their
children to a doctor because the sanctity of human life is far more important
than strict observance of one's religious rituals.
There used to be an old saying going around in Christian circles that went
something like this: When a farmer prays for a crop, he should say amen
with a hoe. In other words, don't just sit back and wait for a miracle when
it's in your power to take some action; and if you don't, then in my opinion,
you deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law when a child in
your care dies from a treatable condition.
● 1Tim 5:8 . . If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his
own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
_
● Jas 5:14 . . Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the
church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of
The Lord
Religious fanatics here and there are allowing their underage children to
suffer and even die from treatable medical conditions on the basis of that
verse. Where do we draw the line with the so-called "freedom of religion"
guaranteed in the US Constitution's first amendment? Answer: We draw the
line at the child's inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness; which, according to America's Declaration of Independence; are
not only God-given rights, but also a self evident truth that men were
created with those rights.
The DOI goes on to say that all men are created equal. It doesn't say grown
up men; it says all men, which means that women and children have just as
much right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as anybody else.
Parents who deny the truth of those rights are nothing in the world but
wicked despots; and in point of fact the very kinds of twisted monarchs the
DOI targets.
Christ addressed this issue indirectly by means of his teachings on the
seventh day Sabbath; which, in a nutshell, says that the seventh day was
made for man, not the other way around. (Mark 2:27)
● Matt 12:11-12 . . And he said unto them, What man shall there be among
you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day,
will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than
a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath days.
The sanctity of human life trumps the sanctity of the Sabbath. So then,
hospitals, doctors, nurses, firemen, law enforcement, soup kitchens, rescue
missions, Red Cross, Haiti emergency workers, etc. who are busy on the
Sabbath do not sin. Do they break the Sabbath? Yes; but the sanctity of the
Sabbath is secondary to the sanctity of human life.
So then, I would have to say, in accordance with Matt 12:11-12, that people
who deny their children adequate medical care in the name of religion regard
the value of their own flesh and blood as something less than that of a
beast.
It's okay to have elders pray for your child, and it's okay to anoint them with
oil as per James 5:14. But after that, parents really should take their
children to a doctor because the sanctity of human life is far more important
than strict observance of one's religious rituals.
There used to be an old saying going around in Christian circles that went
something like this: When a farmer prays for a crop, he should say amen
with a hoe. In other words, don't just sit back and wait for a miracle when
it's in your power to take some action; and if you don't, then in my opinion,
you deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law when a child in
your care dies from a treatable condition.
● 1Tim 5:8 . . If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his
own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
_
