This is unbelievable

Wow.

Story

Unbelievably, an 11-year old girl died because her parents believed either it was "her time" or the power of prayer would cure her medically treatable diabetes. She's dead. Not "wow, that was a close one, good thing we got to her just in time". Dead. Because her parents wanted to pray instead of take her to the doctor. They knew she was sick. They knew she had problems. Their response, "They firmly believe even if they had taken her to a doctor, if this was the time God had chosen for her to die, she would die regardless of medical interference."

Um.

Look, it's cool to believe what you want to believe. You can be a Christian, Muslim, Jew or a Pastafarian - that is your legal right to practice the faith you want. BUT, your First Amendment rights do not (I repeat: DO NOT) apply when the health and well-being of your kids is involved. What if this 11-year old girl wasn't into their parents beliefs? What if she was a Pastafarian and WANTED to go to the hospital?

Her parents response: Nah, we'll just pray and hope you get better.

You know what would have helped her get better? Fucking insulin.

The type of diabetes she had kills only the elderly and untreated. She would have been totally fine if her parents had for one second thought of the well-being of their kid and not the mythology of their belief system.

I'm an insane defender of the First Amendment. I believe in complete, total, utter freedom to say or do what you want as long as you are not infringing on the rights of others. I think all drugs should be legalized. I think prostitution should be legalized. I think people need to get their heads out of their asses and realize that religion is not the answer for everybody and if it's something they choose not to pursue, religious zealots shouldn't be spoiling the world for everyone. Religion can be a great thing - but it's personal and private. It's something that an individual shares with themselves and their god.

I'm starting to think, though, that Religion is the most dangerous thing we have.

Wars, murder, death, bigotry, hatred are all outcomes of religious belief. Intolerance. That's what religions seem to value above all else. Shun all that do not believe as you do. Actually, it's more than shun - it's DESPISE all that do not believe as you do. And if it's not outright hatred, it's quiet and intense condemnation.

Whatever happened to having respect for everyone? To being kind to your neighbor? I guess that doesn't count when they don't follow the same doctorine as you do.

Where does it end? When do people realize that tolerance, understanding and open-mindedness are the only things that can pull this country, and the world our of the pit of despair in which we currently reside.

But until then, bullshit like the above story will continue to occur.

I hope her parents go to prison. I hope their other kids are taken away from them and put in homes where they are taught to think for themselves. I hope people learn a lesson from this tragedy.

Beliefs are personal, important and necessary.

They're also dangerous.

Be smart and realize when beliefs stray too far into the latter category.

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