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From: ab3@stat-l (Rsk the Wombat)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Government vs. Religion, Indiana Style
Message-ID: <95@stat-l>
Date: Mon, 11-Jun-84 19:57:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: stat-l.95
Posted: Mon Jun 11 19:57:29 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 12-Jun-84 23:45:41 EDT
References: <818@akgua.UUCP>
Organization: Pucc Unix Systems Group
Lines: 27


	Well, there has been quite a stir here in Indiana over this; I'd
imagine you folks out there in civilized states [ :-) ] have been hearing
about it too...good story for the 10 o'clock dirty laundry report.

	I find the denial of medical care to children by some of these folks
roughly equivalent to the behavior of those parents at Jonestown who poisoned
their children.  Sure, one is passive and one is active, but the result is that
a child suffers, and perhaps dies, without having a voice in the process, either
because the child is too young to understand, or because the child is 
subservient to the will of its parents.

	This isn't new; some folks deny medical care on religious grounds;
some deny public school education; some deny music; and so on...I don't think
I would question a parent's right to restrict television viewing or sports
activities on religious grounds; but I think we have to draw the line when
parents begin to let their children die for their (the parent's) religion.

	And, yes, it can be argued that this is a government intrusion.  Tough,
I say to the parents involved; if you're going to refuse to treat your child
properly, we're going to take them away.  See you in court.  Let's see you
convince a jury that your "freedom of religion", as you'll probably call it,
is worth a child's life.  Wanna make a side bet on the outcome?
-- 
Rsk the Wombat
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