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37: TO DIE FOR OTHERS' BELIEFS
23 November, 2007

CONVENTIONAL AND NON-CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENTS  

TO DIE FOR OTHERS' BELIEFS; AND TO DIE VERY YOUNG, TOO!  

   This is the story of an incident that took place in 1986. The story of Amy Hermanson, who suffered horribly and died at the tender age of seven because her parents were Christian Scientists who believed in non-conventional treatments and utterly refused conventional treatments – praying for the stricken patients instead of taking them to see a doctor or to a hospital!  

    There are not a few contradictions in the whole story. For example, the very name of the organization is composed of two contradictory words: Christian, which pertains to Religion; and Science, which relates to knowledge.  

   In other words; Religion is a belief in the abstract, but Science is exact knowledge; and even if not exact, can and will be made exact, eventually, by perseverance in further observations and studies, backed by Science and Technology. All the diseases that plague Mankind have been, or can be, conquered by observation and study on the one hand, and Science and Technology on the other.  

   Amy Hermanson was only seven years old when she had Diabetes and did not know anything about Conventional or Non-conventional medical treatments – or the difference between them – and could not decide or choose between them, either; and her parents had no right to decide or choose for her. If she had been old enough to know and decide and choose for herself, that would have been different.  

   According to a background report: Christian Scientist does not stop or prevent its members from seeing a doctor; it leaves the choice to the individual, and permits conventional medical treatments for broken bones – and obviously other severe injuries – and dental cavities – this, of course, includes toothache and gum disease.  

   I wonder why! If Amy’s parents could staunchly and stubborn abide by, or adhere to, their beliefs to the point of denying their daughter the attention and care of qualified doctors – specialists in their fields – and qualified medical nurses, why did they send her to school? Why didn’t they pray for that, too, and other too many things to mention here?  

   It’s like sending retarded or handicapped – blind, deaf, and dumb – children to the same schools or camps as other normal children. It’s neither right nor fair to both!  

   Also, we should bear in mind that all conventional medical treatments always include spiritual healing; the patients’ parents, families, relatives, and friends pray for them while they are being treated – correctly and properly – in the best and only place they could or should be; and by qualified doctors and nurses.  

   Humans are made up of Body: Physical; and Soul: Spiritual; so let the physicians see to the physical side of the disease while the spiritualists see to the spiritual.  

   If Man – ever since he first stood up on his hind legs and looked around him, and saw how all the cards were stacked against him: the elements and the forces of nature; and the other animals; most of which were constantly trying to kill and eat him – had depended on his beliefs and/or disbeliefs for survival alone, we all wouldn’t be here today.  

   The crux of the whole matter lies in a simple fact: alternative medical care or spiritual healing may do for patients with terminal illnesses or conditions but not for diseases that can be controlled and/or cured; and in the answers to four simple questions:  

   Amy had the right to live; did her parents give her that right? / Did her parents think of her or how she felt? / Did her parents know what she went through or care about how she suffered? / Was she given a choice or a chance?  

   The answer to all four questions is: NO!  

   In my opinion, what Amy’s parents did to her was tantamount to first degree murder – intentional, and with malice afore-thought. They knew well what the end result would be, but they were too vain and mule-headed to admit it and veer off it.  

   But; the most annoying thing about the whole story was: their sentence was overturned by The Supreme Court – most probably due to the slightest and silliest technicalities; if I know anything about courts, judges, and lawyers!  

   NB This was as short as I could make it since to delve and probe into all the aspects and intricacies of such a subject – or tragedy – would take too much space and time!

Posted by akill 09:03 | General | Comment(0) | Permalink

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