We got quite a reaction from yesterday's post about the young boy with Hodgkin's lymphoma whose parents were refusing to give him chemotherapy for religious reasons. Ultimately, the courts intervened and ordered him to get treatment. You can check out the comments for yourself. Here's one reader John sent me by email:
A thirteen-year old is not competent to make this kind of decision for him/herself. The parents, in my opinion, are just plain goofy. Okay, so I don't believe that religion trumps the rule of law. In fact, I don't think that religion trumps much of anything. The parental rights should be terminated and the kid treated and it should have been a long time ago.
Let the kid live and choose how to die when s/he's old enough to make a stupid-ass decision for him/herself.
OK, so I sorta believe that religion is somewhat akin to brain-washing. I put the existence of a deity right up there with Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. That's not to say that religion doesn't do some good. After all, for years it protected royalty around the world and kept the masses subjugated. And, hey, what the heck. What's a little biblical approval of slavery among white friends?
The best thing that religion does is promote a value system. But, how many politicians follow the prohibition against stealing? Adultery? Lying? ad nauseam. Our corporate "citizens" are even worse. Great examples for the youth. What have they learned? Hypocrisy. Cheating. Lying. After all, the adults do it.
It's sorta like the myth of the Old West. Shucks, Ma'am. Kissing one's horse. One well-placed shot solves the problem. The triumph of virtue over evil-doers. Like the white faces trampling on the rights of the Native Americans and stealing their lands and mineral and water rights. Did I mention genocide?
Ah, yes. All justified by so-called christian religion.
I have no compunction having the state declare the parents' rights here, null and void, with respect to medical treatment for cancer.
