Fundamentalist murderers get away with murder.

[Benjamin Franklin]

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/02/02/2628328/faith-healing-couple-must-get.html

Faith-healing couple must get medical care for kids as part of probation
By JOSEPH A. SLOBODZIAN
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Herbert and Catherine Schaible, the Philadelphia couple who practiced faith-healing as their 2-year-old son died of bacterial pneumonia, will not be going to prison.

They will, however, be taking their seven surviving children to a doctor from now on.

Although the Schaibles, convicted in December of involuntary manslaughter, will have to commit what their church considers a sin, medical care is an integral part of the 10 years' probation imposed Wednesday by Common Pleas Court Judge Carolyn Engle Temin.

Temin said she had "thought long and hard about this sentencing" and had ruled out prison. But she made clear that they must get regular medical exams and care for their seven children, now 1 to 15, until they turn 18.

Herbert Schaible, 42, who teaches at a school run by the fundamentalist First Century Gospel Church of Juniata Park, made a brief statement expressing remorse. He said he "accepted the jury's verdict" and asked for leniency. Afterward, he declined to further comment.

Catherine Schaible, 41, whose father is principal of the school, declined to speak before sentencing.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/02/02/26 ... z1CqxSsUX7

[Vagon]

What. The. Fuck.

10 years probabtion? You're fucking kidding me.

This disgusts me.

[Brazen]

That is disheartening.

Do you think that if, say, the parents were using miracle water, tea leaves, or pixie dust for the child that the verdict would've been the same? Why is faith healing considered anything but nonsense? Most Americans believe that God works through medical staff and techniques to "heal" people (don't thank the doctors or anything, it's all about Jebus). This view that medical help isn't needed and that God can be compelled to fix things purely through prayer is radical, already separate from the norm, just as the WBC. Much less no jail time?

Failure of the justice system. If they aren't going to get jail time for inadvertently, involuntarily letting their child die, they should at least be considered legally insane and inserted into a mental institution.

[vms]

That's crazy. I have to agree if the parents did something other than faith-healing they would probably be doing jail-time. I hope someone will be checking up on them to make sure they are sending their seven kids to the doctors. They didn't sound too remorseful.

[Brazen]

They didn't sound too remorseful.

Because it was all a part of God's plan. Doctors and medical personnel interfere with God's plan. Their church considered it a sin to see medical professionals and, to them, it's a disownable offense.

Fuck that church.

[zilch]

Do you think that if, say, the parents were using miracle water, tea leaves, or pixie dust for the child that the verdict would've been the same?

That is indeed the pertinent question. I suspect the verdict would have been different if it hadn't been Christian stupidity, but pagan or voodoo or New Age stupidity at play here.

It's really hard to say what's best for the surviving kids, and for society, in cases such as this. Putting the parents in jail means putting the surviving sibs in foster homes or with (probably) equally criminally incompetent relatives. I would say in general that parents who kill their kids through negligence need psychiatric care; they're not likely to be a danger to society at large. On the other hand, getting away with manslaughter (I wouldn't call this murder, but there's no hard line here) sends a message to other crazies that religion gives you a license to do whatever you or your imaginary God want.

[Brazen]

It's really hard to say what's best for the surviving kids, and for society, in cases such as this. Putting the parents in jail means putting the surviving sibs in foster homes or with (probably) equally criminally incompetent relatives. I would say in general that parents who kill their kids through negligence need psychiatric care; they're not likely to be a danger to society at large. On the other hand, getting away with manslaughter (I wouldn't call this murder, but there's no hard line here) sends a message to other crazies that religion gives you a license to do whatever you or your imaginary God want.

I don't see why the authorities have any qualms about prosecuting where prosecution's due. Even the attorney (forgive the overuse of this word) prosecuting the case said she was "less interested in prison time than in the assurance that the children would regularly see a doctor", but I want to know what can be done to the ones encouraging others to avoid doctors like they're doing the devil's work.

I want to see the church or its head brought to trial:

The Schaibles' church considers seeking medical care to be a sin and a lack of faith in God. It does shun those who see a doctor.

The church's teaching has at times put it at odds with civil authorities, notably in 1991, when a city measles epidemic killed eight children. Their parents belonged to either First Century Gospel Church or nearby Faith Tabernacle of Nicetown, which also espouses faith-healing.

This isn't the first time, and it's doubtful it will be the last. This church is endorsing and condoning the neglect of children, and if there's one thing everyone can rally behind, it's the defense of a child. There's no excuse; faith healing is obviously not working, but instead of learning from their mistakes as most people do, they continue to claim the same thing with no different results.

Earlier in the article, one of the parents states, "We tried to fight the devil, but in the end, the devil won." It sounds to me like the devil's manifested himself in that church.

[IntellectualNinja]

I don't care what happens to the parents, but the other kids need to be taken away by the state due to the possibility of neglect and the fact that the parents are unsuited to be raising children

[Weemaryanne]

I think this was probably the best the judge could do in the circumstances:

Orphaning seven kids by jailing their parents = bad, regardless of the parents' crime.

Adding seven kids to the foster care system = only slightly less bad.

Adding work for social workers/parole officers to ensure compliance = a little better in that at least the family is still together.

But that church(es) should be put on notice. A visit from the sheriff is in order, methinks.

[IntellectualNinja]

I don't know, Wee. I understand your point about wanting to keep the family together, but is that really what's best for the children? These parents have been found to painfully neglect their children. I think the foster care system or relatives would be a safer location for them.