Tag: faith-healing

  • When State Defines Neglect Limiting of Recognized Treatments

    Health Freedom Idaho doesn’t take a position on the “faith healing” aspect per se as much as a government mandate and their involvement of the health/medical care of children. The government should not have the power to determine a parents choice of care over the child.

    In Idaho, and across the nation, laws were passed during the 1960’s, and 70’s to legally guide state’s care and protection of children, especially during instances in which it is found that children have been neglected or abused. The states found it necessary to pass statutes, to prosecute parents and guardians for neglect, who might be found guilty of neglect, to protect some children who would otherwise be neglected.

    The word neglect naturally is used to describe a failure to provide care and treatment for the parent’s or guardian’s children.

    Whose parents, guardian, or other custodian is unable to discharge his or her responsibilities to and for the child and, as a result of such inability, the child lacks the parental care necessary for his or her health, safety, or well-being…Neglect: Citation: Idaho Code § 16-1602

    No One Form of Treatment Can Guarantee Positive Results

    Licensed medical healthcare, since it was and is widely used as a treatment, was and is recognized by statute. The state of Idaho and many others recognized the fact that prayer was and is a treatment, and that many practitioners of treatment by prayer use that form of treatment exclusively. Today, many people use modern medical care exclusively, while others choose treatment by prayer exclusively. Many people prefer to use both forms of treatment. Some people of diverse cultures select alternative methods of treatment which are not recognized by licensed medical practitioners.

    It is a fundamental, God-given right of an individual to make his or her own choice of treatment for themselves and as such for their children.

    Conventional Treatments Fail vs Faith Healing/Alternative Treatment Fail

    Since medical care and its practitioners are unable to guarantee complete success, it is unreasonable to assume that it is always the best form of treatment. Treatment by prayer alone does not always produce measurable results, but neither does medical care. A combination of the two different treatments often produces no measurable results as well. Still, most people can attest to successful treatment, whether by prayer or by medical or through use of both types of treatment.

    It is of paramount importance that the state recognizes the individuals God given right, to use the treatment of individual choice, or to refuse treatment, not interfering in families or parents choices of conscience. I can think of few things more intrusive, than an external interference, by the state or another individual, in the matter of treatment, for my own body or that of my children.

    We must not allow the state to re-define treatment to exclude all but state-licensed forms of treatment!

    Neglect Should Be Defined as ‘Lack of Treatment’ Not Adherence to a Specific Treatment Protocol

    Since neglect is and should be a crime, punishable by law, the burden of proof of a crime of neglect should remain on the state. If the state is allowed to define a totalitarian definition of “treatment”, the burden of proof of neglect, would be simply eliminated. Unless a practice of compliance with state-approved treatments is adhered to. We are addressing individual rights. This has nothing to do with any religious exemption.

    Neglect should not be legally re-defined to exclude all but medically licensed treatment. Neglect should remain defined as it is, a lack of treatment.

    If the state wishes to prosecute a parent or guardian in the event of the apparent failure of alternative treatment, then it must also prosecute practitioners of licensed medical treatment in kind! 

    If Parents Are Prosecuted for a Lack Of Positive Results for Their Treatment Choice So Then Should Practitioners

    Before that should happen, be reminded that licensed medical practice is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. at this time. The death toll estimated from 220,000 – 444,000 deaths per year from state-licensed medical error. At the same time abuse and neglect is expected to be responsible for 1520 deaths of children according to the National Child Abuse And Neglect Data System in 2013,  a 12.7% decrease from 2009.

    “If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.”  -Thomas Jefferson-

    SOURCES: 

    1. MEDICAL ERROR. THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH.
    source of statistics/interview of author Death from medical care itself : John Hopkins University 3rd leading cause of death
    original analysis: http://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2139

    Medical error has been defined as an unintended act (either of omission or commission) or one that does not achieve its intended outcome, the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended (an error of execution), the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim (an error of planning), or a deviation from the process of care that may or may not cause harm to the patient.

    Pediatric Staff admits errors as much as 67%
    from the Nursing Certification review Manual Continuing Education Resource Clinical Practice Resource

    2. Stratton, Biegen, Pepper and Vaughn 2004 conducted a descriptive study that surveyed a convenience sample of 57 pediatric-care and 227 adult care hospital nurses regarding medication errors reported on their units, examining why medication error occur, and why medication errors are not always reported. This study primarily focused on pediatric data with a comparison of adult acute care nurses. Pediatric nurse indicated that a higher proportion of errors were reported compared with adult care. 67% pediatric care errors compared to 56% adult care.)

    2. DEATH REVIEW BOARD FINDINGS Idaho Children who received treatment by prayer or alternative means:

    Refusal of Medical Treatment Due to Religious Beliefs
    In 2013, the CFR Team identified 5 deaths to infants from families whose religious beliefs prevented them from seeking medical intervention. All of these 2013 deaths were to newborn infants. ***IDAHO ranks one of the highest states in PREMATURE BIRTHS. Still more infants born in hospitals DIED receiving conventional medical treatment.

    In 3 consecutive review years, the team has encountered a total of 10 deaths to infants or children who were reportedly not treated medically due to the parents’ religious beliefs. These cases were identified using information provided on death certificates and coroner reports. Since Vital Statistics does not compile the number of deaths in this category, it is difficult to estimate the actual number of preventable deaths to children of religious objectors.
    For the 2013 review year, the causes of death to infants from families who did not seek “conventional’ medical treatment included meconium aspiration, intestinal blockages, and sepsis. The CFR Team determined that each of these deaths may have been prevented with proper and timely medical treatment.

  • Debunked: Faith Healing Religious Exemption Hysteria

    A political organization walked public graveyards, and then recorded the children’s names listed there. They then claimed that these children would have lived, had they been to a doctor. They fail to mention that they have little documentation to the cause of death. Nor do they reveal the fact that their numbers span the course of three decades. 

    Their political campaign “Let Them Live” is supported by Merck-funded vaccine advocate Paul Offit. Their intent is to change public opinion using nuggets of truth surrounded by a web of half-truths and lies, innuendos and assumptions. They are well-funded and skilled in using media-manipulation to create drama in order to elicit emotion and move legislative policy towards a preconceived goal. 

    That goal? The forced compliance of government mandated treatments by CPS and the State Health and Welfare Department. 

    It’s very sad, right? 182 childhood deaths in Idaho since 1971. 

    The deaths are true, but this campaign isn’t. It’s fake news.


    What do the actual numbers reveal?

    • We only have statistics for 5 YEARS! (not three decades!)
      The Child Fatality Review Team noted the following statistics based on their through analysis of public records, medical records and complete access to death records for Idaho: more children die under a doctor’s care than those who have never received treatment. The top causes of death in Idaho for infants is birth defects and SIDS, for children; accidents and suicide. These are the ONLY years available, since the Idaho Child Death Review Team was established in 2013 following an executive order from Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter (No. 2012-03). Any other numbers given are purely conjecture!
    2011:   195 children died after receiving medical care. *3 deaths identified as families who refused medical intervention.
    2012: 168 children died after receiving medical care. *2 deaths identified as families who refused doctor’s intervention
    2013:    182 children died after receiving medical care.  *5 deaths to newborn infants who were not born under direct medical intervention

    2014: 187 children died after receiving medical care.                           *NO DEATHS reported to families who refused medical intervention.

    2015: 163 children died after receiving medical care.                           *2 infants

    Infant Deaths

    The statistics clearly reveal that even our best medical care doesn’t guarantee saving our precious children’s lives. Annually more than 160 children die each year after receiving medical treatment. More than 2/3’rd of annual deaths for Idaho children are infants under the age of one. Here’s some aggregate figures that are documented by the State of Idaho in their annual report.
    The Idaho Child Death Review Team published this chart: Ten Leading Causes of Death to Idaho Child Residents, Ten-year aggregate, 2002-2011

    The figures used by the Idaho Let Them Live campaign are purely conjecture. 

    Without any medical history, this political campaign wishes to manipulate the public into thinking that 118 infants lives would have been saved “if only they have been under a doctor’s care.” The names listed were pulled from gravestones in a public cemetery. Those gravestones do not list a ’cause of death’. Families who laid their children to rest in the cemetery may have sought medical treatment. While the public and media doesn’t have access the personal history behind each headstone, the cause of death is investigated and recorded by the coroner.

    Canyon County Coroner Vicki DeGeus-Morris, coroner since 1991, says that her office are called to every child death in the church. She doesn’t see signs of neglect or abuse. Current Idaho statutes protect children from abuse and neglect. “If we saw signs of child abuse we have a duty to report, and we would do so,” she said.

    So whose behind the manipulation of truth?

    Recently the director of the organization Protect Idaho Kids stated on his website that due to the fact they were unsuccessful in the Legislature to pass laws, they should manipulate public opinion.  They mixed together a recipe for fake news, using a false narrative and unsubstantiated statistics. They are then funding advertisements designed to look like news reports in the media outlets to sway public opinion.

    • In 2016 – 2017, the “Let Them Live” media campaign was driven by a false narrative of an Idaho woman who claims her rare heart condition was not treated by her parent’s involvement in a religious sect that refuses all medical treatment for their children. Mariah Walton’s mother has refuted the claim that she was trying to treat her daughter’s health condition with prayer. Mariah’s parents were UNAWARE of the rare heart defect. They used holistic care, chiropractic care as well as prayer to provide for their daughter’s asthmatic childhood symptoms. Bruce Wingate, April Hoy and other leaders of the campaign were been made aware that Mariah’s condition should not be construed as ‘faith healing’, yet they continued to promote the false narrative for political gain. See Sara Walton Brady’s testimony at Child At Risk:Faith Healing Exemption Workgroup 
    • 2017, the group wrote and supported a bill 1182 that would change Idaho child neglect statute to target CPS involvement for all parents who didn’t follow a standard treatment of care for their children. (See our article and analysis of S 1182)
    • In 2018, they hatched this newest campaign with little documentation, numbers stretching a course of three decades and a heart wrenching march with caskets from a the park to the Capitol. 

    What is their final goal?

    There is a very real move on the part of our Child Protective community to remove parental right to the choice of health care treatment options for their children. This organization seeks to create statute to increase governmental authority to remove children based on personal opinion that courts should mandate a specific method of care. Watch Jean fischer’s statements to the Legislative Workgroup August 2016.

    Year after year, legislation has been brought up by this organization to force parental compliance to state standards of medical care. Each year, legislators have responded saying the protection of religious freedom and parental authority must be upheld in Idaho.

    Every life is precious. Our hearts go out to each of these families. But this isn’t just about life, is it?

    Those coffins are a stark reminder of how precious life is, but this campaign also reminds us how precious truth is, applied truthfully. 

    So, let’s mourn the loss of life and stand up for the truth that keeps us free. 

    Upset by the subversive tactics of those who rather mandate our health and family welfare rather than support our right to choose? Sign up to get notified about breaking news on this and other hot-button topics.

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    Statistics from the State of Idaho:

    More Information from Health Freedom Idaho about: 

    Paul Offit  |  SB 1182 

  • Proposed Legislation against Religion A Blatent Violation of the Constitution.

    Proposed Legislation against Religion A Blatent Violation of the Constitution.

    The state is prohibited by the constitution from making a law respecting an establishment of religion / belief, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. We all have the right to free exercise of religion / belief! Belief begets religion and religion is the result of belief. When the numbers and facts make no difference to direct actions, then actions are directed by belief, and belief is synonymous with religion. -Dan Sevy

    CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE:

    Well, believe it or not members from the legislature are still working on further prohibiting our free exercise of religion and health care treatment.

    We have informed the governor and legislators on several occasions that the report from the “Governors Task Force On Children At Risk” is false. We have told them of the larger families, (often over 10 children), common to church members. Having more children means, by the law of averages, more incidence of death. Sadly!  But the Governors’ office has not backed away from the false child mortality rate stated in the report commissioned by him.

    Furthermore when I had finished laying out the facts and statistics to Mr Otter he stated, “The numbers make no difference to him”, I can only conclude that he simply believes in the “superiority” of the medical system, (3rd leading cause of death)!  

    So I have come to the conclusion that this movement comes about simply because some legislators believe that the state should prohibit free exercise of religion and our God given right and duty, whenever parents choices (driven by belief) are not in accordance with the beliefs held by the State. In other words the state wants to make a law establishing a belief, (belief / religion) held by the state in spite of the facts, statistics, and the constitutions of the State and the United States!



     Death from medical care itself : John Hopkins University 3rd leading cause of death

    This is a fight to protect our children, our rights, our country!

    The State would force our children to be treated by state licensed medical professionals even when we believe herbs, homeopathy, spiritual, or another treatment would be best! If we refuse to comply, the state will take our children from our homes, shove their poisons into them by force, then very likely never return our children to our loving homes.

     If our children, taken by the state, are harmed or die in their custody, what recourse would we have? The statute as written insulates the medical professionals from recourse, and the state doesn’t even have to apologize for accidentally harming or killing our children held in their custody!  Oh by the way, then they send us the bill!

    In conclusion, if we want to save the children, save them from the state and the 3rd largest killer of children in the U.S. ‘the medical industrial complex’.

    It is an outright lie that children are dying due to lack of medical treatment and the state knows it!

    Belief begets religion and religion is the result of belief. When the numbers and facts make no difference to direct actions, then actions are directed by belief, and belief is synonymous with religion.

    The state is prohibited by the constitution from making a law respecting an establishment of religion / belief, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.     We all have the right to free exercise of religion / belief!

         We have the right to freedom of choice of heath care treatments for us and our children.

         The state seems to want to make our health care treatment choices for us and interfere in family health decisions!

         Freedom can not be legislated, legislation only restricts freedom.  

         The end result of any health care treatment decision is uncertain and can always end in tragedy.
         Would you want to take responsibility for a tragedy caused by interference?

         Remember, “First do no harm!” medical error, 3rd leading cause of death!

      

    “Unless we put medical freedom into the Constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize into an undercover dictatorship to restrict the art of healing to one class of Men and deny equal privileges to others; the Constitution of the Republic should make a Special privilege for medical freedoms as well as religious freedom.”

    ― Benjamin Rush- (One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence)

       

          Live Free Or Die!

                                   Daniel C. Sevy

    DEATH REVIEW BOARD FINDINGS:

    Refusal of Medical Treatment Due to Religious Beliefs
    In 2013, the CFR Team identified 5 deaths to infants from families whose religious beliefs prevented them from seeking medical intervention. All of these 2013 deaths were to newborn infants. ***IDAHO ranks one of the highest states in PREMATURE BIRTHS.

    In 3 consecutive review years, the team has encountered a total of 10 deaths to infants or children who were reportedly not treated medically due to the parents’ religious beliefs. These cases were identified using information provided on death certificates and coroner reports. Since Vital Statistics does not compile the number of deaths in this category, it is difficult to estimate the actual number of preventable deaths to children of religious objectors.
    For the 2013 review year, the causes of death to infants from families who did not seek medical treatment included meconium aspiration, intestinal blockages, and sepsis. The CFR Team determined that each of these deaths may have been prevented with proper and timely medical treatment.

    MEDICAL ERROR. THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH.
    source of statistics/interview of author Death from medical care itself : John Hopkins University 3rd leading cause of death
    original analysis: http://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2139

    Medical error has been defined as an unintended act (either of omission or commission) or one that does not achieve its intended outcome,3 the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended (an error of execution), the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim (an error of planning),4 or a deviation from the process of care that may or may not cause harm to the patient.5 Patient harm from medical error can occur at the individual or system level. The taxonomy of errors is expanding to better categorize preventable factors and events.6 We focus on preventable lethal events to highlight the scale of potential for improvement.

  • Faith Healing Exemption

    Faith Healing Exemption

    Idaho’s contentious faith-healing exemption statute, allows families to cite religious reasons for medical decisions without fear of being charged with neglect or abuse. In recent years there has been a push from out of state vaccine advocate using a vocal minority organization to change this statute, thereby allowing the prosecution of parents who do not use ‘standard treatment’ protocol for their children. 

    Health Freedom Idaho doesn’t take a position on the “faith healing” aspect per se as much as a government mandate and their involvement of the health/medical care of children. The government should not have the power to determine a parents choice of care over the child.

    Year after year, legislation has been brought up by an organization to force parental compliance to state standards of medical care. Each year, legislators have responded saying the protection of religious freedom and parental authority must be upheld in Idaho. The statistics from the governor’s task force to determine causes of death for Idaho children revealed that more children die under a doctor’s care than those who have never received treatment. 

    Where is the Pressure to Change Statue Coming From?

    The Faith Healing Exemption discussion and the subsequent work group sessions were driven by the media campaign founded upon a false narrative and bogus statistics which has been promoted by an out-of-state mandatory vaccination statute advocate. Ultimately the nature of the driving force behind this movement revealed the practice to force compliance of government mandated treatments by CPS and Health and Welfare.

    These are the THREE PRIMARY CONCERNS which lead to the involvement of Health Freedom Idaho.

    1. A False Narrative is being used to campaign for a law change. Unsubstantiated statistics are being used to manipulate public opinion. 

    The “Let Them Live” media campaign is driven by a false narrative of an Idaho woman who claims her rare heart condition was not treated by her parent’s involvement in a religious sect that refuses all medical treatment for their children. Mariah Walton’s mother has refuted the claim that she was trying to treat her  daughter’s heart condition with prayer. Mariah’s parents were UNAWARE of the rare heart defect. They used holistic care, chiropractic care as well as prayer to provide for their daughter’s asthmatic childhood symptoms. Bruce Wingate, April Hoy and other leaders of the campaign have been made aware that Mariah’s condition should not be construed as ‘faith healing’, they continue to promote the false narrative for political gain.  Sara Walton Brady’s testimony at Child At Risk:Faith Healing Exemption Workgroup 

    Recently Bruce Wingate stated on his website that due to the fact they were unsuccessful in the Legislature to pass laws they should  manipulate public opinion. Walking three graveyards in Idaho, their organization gathered names, birth and death dates and tout that these children would have lived had they been to a doctor. <see their spreadsheet> Their own website reveals plans to hire the media, created emotionally driven campaign based on false statistics, in hope to pressure the Legislature to change the statute reducing parental authority in the lives of our children.  

    2. Paul Offit’s involvement in changing Idaho’s exemption. (see our Article on Offit’s Campaign in Idaho) See commenting that parents who don’t comply with his opinion on vaccines should have their children removed by the State.
    Offit, an outspoken promoter of vaccine mandates, has recently prompting the removal of parental authority claiming that a child should be removed from parents and forced into government mandated vaccines. Offits video

    3. Revelation of Ada County Prosecutor’s opinion that children should be treated by force under threat of CPS. 
    This revelation is most disturbing to Health Freedom Idaho members and to Idaho’s citizens. Loving Parents who actively seek health and healing through means that don’t line up with the AMA are being forced by the courts to follow a standard of treatment that isn’t guaranteed to be effective or safe. Watch her testimony: https://youtu.be/Y4dTXtkVya8

    Idaho citizens are liberty minded individuals who realize that our state is great because of our willingness to protect the freedoms of others even if their opinions differ than our. Our legislators are intelligent and hard working and won’t be duped by false news and media manipulation. 

    Next time you read an article in Boise Weekly, take a moment to comment and enlighten others reading the same article.

    See Follow Up Article https://hfi.designbyparrish.com/proposed-legislation-against-religion-a-blatent-violation-of-the-constitution