---

Faith Healing

---

Backed by some of the most powerful members of the Senate, a little-noticed provision in the healthcare overhaul bill would require insurers to consider covering Christian Science prayer treatments as medical expenses.

The measure would put Christian Science prayer treatments — which substitute for or supplement medical treatments — on the same footing as clinical medicine. While not mentioning the church by name, it would prohibit discrimination against “religious and spiritual healthcare.”
» Full Story

Convicted on second-degree reckless homicide charges in the faith-healing death of their daughter, the parents of Madeline Neumann today were sentenced today to probation.

Each parent will also serve 30 days in jail over the next six years.
» Full Story

Dale and Leilani Neumann, convicted in the death of their daughter Madeline Neumann, will be sentenced on Tuesday.

The Neumanns face up to 25 years in prison on second-degree reckless homicide charges, after they withheld medical treatment from their daughter in favor of attempts at faith healing. [video]
» Full Story

Detectives are investigating the death of an infant born over the weekend in Oregon. The child’s parents are members of the Followers of Christ Church in Oregon City.

Over the years, that church has left a trail of dead children as many of its members have chosen faith healing over proper medical attention.
» Full Story

U.S. Bank has filed foreclosure proceedings against Dale and Leilani Neumann in Marathon County Circuit Court, according to court records.

The Neumanns currently live in another home they own in the town of Weston.

The Neumanns were convicted of second-degree reckless homicide in separate trials this year in connection with the March 23, 2008 death of their 11-year-old daughter, Madeline Kara Neumann.

During the trials, the Neumanns said they chose to pray for the girl’s recovery from undiagnosed diabetes instead of seeking medical help. Both are scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 6.
» Full Story

A man who failed to provide medical care to his dying daughter in favor of attempts at faith healing has been freed from jail after serving six days short of two months.

Carl Worthington, who treated his dying 15-month-old daughter Ava with faith healing rather than taking her to a doctor, was convicted of second-degree criminal mistreatment.

Both he and his wife Raylene had originally been charged with charged with second-degree manslughter and criminal mistreatment.

The Worthington’s are members of the Followers of Christ church — theologically considered to be theologically a cult of Christianity that has left a trail of death children its wake.
» Full Story

A Wisconsin man accused of killing his 11-year-old daughter by praying instead of seeking medical care was found guilty Saturday of second- degree reckless homicide.

Neumann’s 41-year-old wife, Leilani, was convicted on the same charge in the spring and is scheduled for sentencing Oct. 6. Both face up to 25 years in prison.
» Full Story

A central Wisconsin father charged with reckless homicide for not taking his dying daughter to a doctor told police that he believed God would heal her and that he thought she was simply sleeping when she became unconscious.

His wife, convicted of the same charge in May, testified that calling a doctor “would have shown complete disobedience” to what she and her husband believe in.
» Full Story

Dale Neumann, 47, is charged with second-degree reckless homicide in connection with the March 2008 death of his 11-year-old daughter, Madeline Kara Neumann.

A jury convicted the girl’s mother, Leilani Neumann, of the same charge in May.
» Full Story

A jury today found Carl Worthington guilty of criminal mistreatment in the death of his 15-month-old daughter, the first conviction under a 1999 state law passed to protect the children of parents who believe in treating illness solely with faith healing.

Of the dozens of children buried in the Followers of Christ cemetery since the 1950s, at least 21 died from medically treatable conditions, according to a 1998 investigation by The Oregonian.

But the Worthingtons were the first members of their church to be prosecuted for failing to provide adequate medical care to their children.
» Full Story

The judge in the faith-healing trial of Carl and Raylene Worthington sent jurors home this afternoon after they sent a note saying they were deadlocked on all charges.

The Worthingtons are charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminal mistreatment for failing to provide adequate medical care for their daughter in favor of faith healing practices.
» Full Story

The parents of Ava Worthington are members of the Followers of Christ, an independent church that shuns conventional medicine for spiritual healing practices such as the laying on of hands and anointing the sick with olive oil.

They are accused of manslaughter and criminal mistreatment in the death of their 15-month-old baby girl.
» Full Story

Its extreme, unbiblical believes regarding faith healing make the ‘Followers of Christ’ church theologically a cult of Christianity.

Parents of the cult’s latest victim — their 15-month-old daughter — are currently on trial, charged with criminal mistreatment and second-degree manslaughter.
» Full Story

A couple charged with manslaughter claim they were within their constitutional rights when they decided to pray for their 15-month old daughter rather than take her to a doctor to treat her pneumonia.

But legal experts believe that Carl and Raylene Worthington will likely have a difficult time arguing freedom of religion over the state’s duty to protect children from harm.
» Full Story

The mother convicted of reckless homicide for praying while her daughter became gravely ill and died of undiagnosed diabetes will be sentenced Oct. 6.

A Marathon County prosecutor is seeking an out-of-county jury to try Dale Neumann because of heavy media coverage during the faith-healing trial of his wife, Leilani Neumann. His trial on a second-degree reckless homicide charge has been scheduled to start July 23.
» Full Story

A jury deliberated about four hours before convicting Leilani Neumann, 41, of second-degree reckless homicide. She faces up to 25 years in prison.

Neumann’s daughter, Madeline, died of untreated diabetes March 23, 2008, surrounded by people praying for her.

Dale Neumann, father of Madeline Kara Neumann, faces the same charge in a trial scheduled for July.
» Full Story

Just hours after her 11-year-old daughter died, Leilani Neumann told police she thought the child had suffered a spiritual attack and that the Lord would restore her to life.

When the police officer asked Neumann if she ever thought about taking Kara to a doctor, Neumann said she never thought Kara was that sick.

“It’s not that I’m against doctors or medicine, but I just felt like, you know, my faith was being tested,” Neumann said in the interview.
» Full Story

Leilani Neumann, 41, is on trial for second-degree reckless homicide in her daughter Madeline’s death March 23, 2008, at the family’s rural Weston home.

Prosecutors called nine witnesses Tuesday, including former friends of the Neumann family, a diabetes specialist and an emergency room doctor to convince jurors that Leilani Neumann showed a reckless regard for her daughter’s health by ignoring symptoms of her deteriorating condition.
» Full Story

A woman who refused to seek medical attention for her dying daughter needed medical help herself after falling ill Saturday about 20 minutes into her trial on a second-degree reckless homicide charge.

“She is having a complete mental and emotional breakdown. It is clear she can’t help in her defense,” her attorney said at the time.
» Full Story

Attorneys in the trial of a woman accused of praying for her daughter’s recovery as the girl was dying are close to picking a jury for her weeklong trial.

Kara, as she was known, died on March 23, 2008. Prosecutors say Leilani and her husband, Dale, should have known they had a duty to take the girl to a doctor. Leilani’s attorney, Gene Linehan, said the family practices faith-healing.
» Full Story

Leilani Neumann and her husband, Dale, of the town of Weston, are charged with second-degree reckless homicide in connection with the death of their 11-year-old daughter, Madeline Kara Neumann. Kara, as she was known, died March 23, 2008, from an untreated form of diabetes after her parents chose to pray for her recovery rather than seek traditional medical help.
» Full Story

The mother of an 11-year-old girl who died when her parents reportedly chose to pray for her recovery rather than seek medical treatment can no longer afford an attorney, nine weeks before her scheduled trial.

Gene Linehan, the attorney for Leilani Neumann of Weston, said Friday that he used $12,000 in donations to cover his expenses and to pay investigators.
» Full Story

Fiji police are investigating the death of a 17-year old boy in the premises of the One World Church.

She said police were treating the case as serious because they had received information that the members of the church had been against their members being taken to the hospital if they were sick.

Two earlier faith healing deaths have been associated with the sect.
» Full Story

The impending high-profile trial of parents charged with second-degree reckless homicide in the death of their daughter has sparked new debate in a long-running battle over faith healing in the United States.

Faith-healing communities around the country are worried about losing their right to treat their children according to their religious beliefs.

Two other trials over faith healing-related deaths are also being closely watched.
» Full Story

About 300 children have died in the United States in the last 25 years after medical care was withheld on religious grounds, said Rita Swan, executive director of Children’s Health Care Is a Legal Duty, a group based in Iowa that advocates punishment for parents who do not seek medical help when their children need it.

Criminal codes in 30 states, including Wisconsin, provide some form of protection for practitioners of faith healing in cases of child neglect and other matters, protection that Ms. Swan’s group opposes.
» Full Story

---

Faith Healing Research Resources

---

Our Faith Healing news feed with only items about Faith Healing

Books about Faith Healing

Apologetics Research Resources on Faith Healing

---

Factlet

---

---

Advertisement

---

---

About Religion News Blog

---

Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, new religious movements, alternative religions, abusive churches and - to a lesser extent - related issues (e.g. ethics, human rights).

The information is provided for research and educational purposes.

RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.

Categories / News Trackers:
Samples of the hundreds of religious news subjects covered in Religion News Blog include (click links for respective news trackers): the Alpha Course, Alternative Healing, Catholic Church, Christianity, Cults, Falun Gong, Hate Groups, Interfaith issues, Islam, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism / Mormon Church, Polygamy, Religion Trends, Scientology, Transcendental Meditation, Unification Church, Wicca / Witchcraft, and many more.
[More info : How to link]

---

Most Read about Faith Healing

---

1. Darlene Bishop wins case in court
2. Police: Girl died as parents prayed instead of seeking help
3. Friend: Religion Led to Woman's Death, Stillbirth
4. Lodi man says he can heal the sick, increase gas mileage
5. Death of child may put Oregon faith healing law to test
6. Tele-evangelist sued over God can heal claim
7. Former member of church calls group a cult
8. Jury Convicts Mother Who Prayed for Daughter Instead of Treating Her Fatal Diabetes
9. Judge rules in faith-healing family feud
10. Faith, medicine collide, and a young girl dies

---

Headlines by Email or RSS

---

RNB's RSS feed | What is this?

Subscribe by Email | What is this?

---

Use Our Headlines

---

Free: Place RNB Headlines on your website! It's easy: just copy and paste