The Question of Faith Healing Verses Medical Care in Portland, Oregon

The question of faith healing verses medical care is coming into the spotlight and before the courts in Portland, Oregon, again this week. It seems that yet another family has allowed a child who was suffering from a common and treatable to illness to perish by refusing to allow the child to receive ordinary medical care.

This is not the first time this sort of a tragedy has occurred in the last few years in Portland, Oregon. Indeed, it is one of many such instances numbering into double digit figures that a family has chosen to watch their child die as they resorted to prayer as the only healing treatment rather than accept readily available medical care which in most of the cases would have involved simply administering minimum doses of a common and inexpensive, of even free, antibiotic or antidote. The children who have expired while their family gathered around them in constant prayer vigils range in age from infants of only a few months, to a teenager who was 16 years old when he expired.

The question being brought in front of the courts and the people of Portland, Oregon, for consideration is not whether or not faith healing is more effective, or as effective, as modern medical care and treatment, but rather should the parents, and/or guardians of children who are allowed to die without the benefit of such modern medical care face any liability, and specifically, criminal liability. It is also a question of negligence.

Weight will be brought to bear in this matter by at least two recent cases that involve members of the same fundamentalist Christian church that is located in a suburb of Portland, Oregon. It is a tragic coincidence that both of the families who are members of this same church are also related. One of these cases involved the death of an infant that died from a simple and very treatable illness. The father of that infant was prosecuted; found guilty; and received a two month sentence. The other case involved a 16-year-old boy who died from a urinary tract infection, which is extremely common, and 100% treatable, and curable.

I interviewed Rabbi Yonah Geller of the synagogue Shari Torah, located in Portland, Oregon, about his perspective on the matter of faith healing verses medical care in today's society. I will relate to you part of the answer he gave to me in the form of a humorous anecdote.

There was once a man of great and unwavering faith who took a vacation on a cruise ship that sank. The man found himself in the middle of the ocean, alone, and surely destined to die. The man began to pray. The man prayed harder than he had ever prayed before and asked G-d to help him and save his life. As the man prayed, he was spotted by other passengers who had been on the cruise with him and were now in a lifeboat. They quickly approached the man and tried to get him to climb into the lifeboat but the man refused, telling them emphatically that G-d would surely save him. The lifeboat passed, and the man continued to pray. Shortly thereafter, a fishing vessel that happened to be in the area spotted the man and came to rescue him. The crew threw the man a life ring, but the man again refused stating without a doubt that G-d would save him. The fishing vessel passed and even though the man continued to pray with all of his heart and soul, he finally drowned.

Upon his death, the man found himself in heaven and he was brought before G-d. He was bewildered and angry as he asked G-d why he had chosen to let him die, even though he had been pious and faithful beyond question.

G-d looked at the man and seemed a little bewildered when he responded by telling the man that he had sent him a lifeboat, and a fishing boat in an effort to save the man's life both of which, of course, the man had refused.

Every time I hear of another child who dies as family members gather around in prayer, I wish that there was some way that Rabbi Geller could impart that story to them or their pastor.