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These parents failed in that regard. Refusing medical intervention is not a mental illness, if it were, then all parents that refused to vaccinate their children would be in counseling.

These parents neglected their child and it made decisions that directly resulted in her death.

They deserve whatever punishment is allowable by law and I hope the justice system serves that girl and sends a message to the rest of society — murder your child and lose your freedom and/or life yourself.

There is nothing wrong with punishing murderers. I actually believe whole heartedly in retribution.[/quote]

This is a great post and topic…recently is Utah a kid was diagnosed with a TREATABLE albeit very aggressive kid cancer. The treatment was several rounds of chemo…but, it may lead to sterility in this adolescent boy. Because procreating is one of the basic ways to get to the Celestial Kingdom…heaven to you and I, they refused, and went the holistic route. How could you not TAKE CARE of your child…it blows me away!!!!

But I also think that these people deserve punishment. I think up to a certain level of wack job, that kind of thing does serve as a deterrent. But separately from that, I don’t believe they should be allowed to enjoy their lives after ending the innocent life of their dependent children. It’s the same reason I believe in the death penalty. Bleeding heart that I am, it’s the one non-liberal belief I hold. I believe a person can forfeit the right to live. I hear examples of horrible things that someone has done to another person or people that I think makes the perpetrator deserving of death. And yes, I believe it to the point that I would be willing to administer the punishment myself if called on. Some people should die.

They deserve whatever punishment is allowable by law and I hope the justice system serves that girl and sends a message to the rest of society — murder your child and lose your freedom and/or life yourself.

There is nothing wrong with punishing murderers. I actually believe whole heartedly in retribution.[/quote]

I know you and I have personally been round and round with this topic before.

I’m not saying they should just go free with nothing at all.

But, as far as taking responsibility, do you honestly think they’re going to do that? Do you think they’re going to ever say that they caused the deaths of these kids? No. Well, I guess the one did when she said her faith wasn’t strong enough, that is some kind of wacked out claim to responsibility. But, otherwise, they believe that it was God’s will or whatever.

I don’t think that this will be any kind of deterrent for people who have the same beliefs. If anything, like I said, they’ll be considered martyrs for their faith. So, that part doesn’t apply.

And retribution. Yes, punishing these people for the sake of punishment serves retribution for those who need to see it. Retribution is what you’ll get. Does that make you feel better? That’s the bottom line, do YOU feel that punishing these parents will make YOU feel better for what they’ve done? I know from our past discussions about this that yes, personally for YOU, you say you will feel better. For me personally, I don’t feel better knowing that they’re punished. For me, that isn’t enough. I get no feeling of closure knowing that someone else is suffering in some way. I don’t want their blood on my hands, either.

I want more. I want something to be put in place to help prevent this from happening again. I think all the energy that we (societal “we”) put into waving torches and pitchforks and demanding our bloody vengeance could be put into going up higher in the chain and cutting off the source of it, to prevent other tragedies in the future. Sure the parents are to blame directly and they need to be sent away, but, I wish them no added pain or harm to them while they’re serving their time cut off from the rest of us. I get no glee from knowing that someone else is suffering regardless of the reason.

These parents failed in that regard. Refusing medical intervention is not a mental illness, if it were, then all parents that refused to vaccinate their children would be in counseling.

These parents neglected their child and it made decisions that directly resulted in her death.

They deserve whatever punishment is allowable by law and I hope the justice system serves that girl and sends a message to the rest of society — murder your child and lose your freedom and/or life yourself.

There is nothing wrong with punishing murderers. I actually believe whole heartedly in retribution.

No, not at all. I believe in consequences for actions. I believe in keeping dangerous people away from society so that they can’t harm others, in whatever way is feasible. For some that does mean prison for life, for others it might mean a mental institution for life. In cases like this though, the only people they’re in danger of hurting are their own offspring.

Maybe punishing the clergy of these churches? Maybe going higher up in the food chain and charging those who encourage their followers to break the law would be a better deterrent? Yes, we have freedom of religion, but we wouldn’t tolerate a brand of religion that openly encouraged their followers to actively murder or harm children. This type of thing is openly encouraging parishioners to passively murder children. Were their friends of the family, other people involved in the church who were aware of the kids’ conditions that might be charged as accomplices to the murders?

The parents are going to have to do something to “pay” for what they did. They can’t go along as if they did nothing wrong, but I just don’t know what good will come of any punishment to them.

It is why rapists, murderers, drug dealers, etc. are prosecuted. And I for one am much more worried about the damage people like these can wreak over some 25 year old growing pot in their basement.

And wouldn’t sterilization be tantamount to punishment?

Huh. Well, that is interesting. So, it’s punishment basically for mob control? To appease the angry masses, so they feel that something has been done? That does make some sense. I mean that’s why Jesus was crucified, right? I dunno, I still just kind of feel like as a whole, maybe we could evolve from that kind of bloodthrist, get up over whatever primal hump is in our way, stop beating our chests for vengeance and find ways that work to prevent murderous deaths instead. But, that’s just me with my missing vengeance gene.

There have been people convicted of manslaughter for far less.

It is not punishing just for the sake of punishing — it is punishing for the fact that you DIRECTLY caused a death.