Category: Ava Worthington

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.

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.

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.

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.

A Clackamas County, Ore., couple accused of letting their infant daughter die by relying on prayer, rather than medicine, today asked that the charges be dropped, arguing that they infringe on their freedom of religion and their right to raise their children in their own way.

“Mr. and Mrs. Worthington maintain that their prosecution contravenes their right ‘to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences,’ as guaranteed by the Constitution of the State of Oregon and the Constitution of the United States,” the motion said.

Log on to the Web site set up by defense attorneys for the Followers of Christ couple being prosecuted for the faith-healing death of their 15-month-old daughter and you’ll find information on religious freedom and several articles on the miracles of faith healing. What you won’t find there is a single detail from stories in The Oregonian documenting the pain inflicted on dozens of children born to Followers of Christ over the years.

The woman was raised in the Followers of Christ Church and was taught, from her earliest memory, that doctors are a temptation and if you go to one, you are losing faith in God.