There's a Special Place in Hell for People Who Hurt Children in the Name of Religion

This seemed like the hottest spot with the worst possible views.

It is generally accepted that one of Jesus' disciples, Luke, aka Luke the Evangelist, was a physician. Given that a man of this profession was included in such intimate fellowship with the Christian Messiah, one wonders where some folks came up with the idea that Christians should not seek medical help from doctors.

Why would any parents, in the name of Christianity or any other variety of faith, refuse medical care for their children? It is an ignorant absurdity to suggest that faith alone should be relied on to heal the sick when medical science is readily available. (Pray all you want, but take the antibiotics.)

I do criticize it. I do mock it. I do despise it. I give no safe harbor to beliefs that abandon spiritual faith for dogmatic stupidity. Especially this pair of murders in Philadelphia, PA:

Already on probation for letting their 2-year-old die in 2009 because they refused to seek ordinary medical treatment, last week these idiots allowed their 8-month old son to die from fever and diarrhea rather than take him to a doctor as they were required to do by the court. They just sat there praying and watching him die a painful, pointless death.

They let two young children die because of some idiotic superstition. I'm not calling all religion idiotic superstition. The world is full of religious people who do not sit by and watch their children die of curable illnesses. This is idiotic superstition because they think faith means ignoring facts, science, and common sense.

If we extend their beliefs just a little, we could say they should stop feeding their children and pray for the Lord's miraculous hand to sustain them. Or we could refuse to look both ways when crossing the street and pray that God will miraculously protect us from speeding traffic. STUPID.

If they wanted to refuse treatment for themselves, I'd still think it's ignorant, but that would be on them. But to refuse treatment for their children and WATCH THEM DIE OF CURABLE ILLNESSES IS SIMPLE INTOLERABLE!

Faith does not mean rejecting information, science and common sense. And if doctors are of no use to Christians, one wonders why Jesus Christ himself bothered to have one travel with him. If they ever get out of prison, these folks need to Get Above Their Raisin' and see a doctor. They should start with a psychiatrist.

Delusional in Muscogee County, GA

A 15-year-old young man with known "anger issues" shot his dad and step-mom with the 9mm handgun they kept in the nightstand because they made him do his chores instead of stopping to look up a Bible verse for a friend.

We're going to do an exercise with this sentence similar to "diagramming" like we used to do in grade school. Sort of a cross between a grammar lesson and a contest of "how many things can you find with this situation that are really screwed up."

1  "Anger issues" do not accurately describe whatever afflicts a person who attempts parent-i-cide. It is believed the Bible vs chores controversy occurred on Thursday evening and he didn't shoot them until Friday when he ambushed them as they came in from work. So, he didn't "lose his temper," he plotted their demise.

2  "Known anger issues" suggested that his parents had an idea that something was wrong with their son. Mom had previously quit a job to give him more attention to help him. He was on medications. But "known" problems suggest that PERHAPS THE GUN SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER LOCK AND KEY!

3 "Chores instead of stopping to look up a Bible verse" does not seem like the type of parental oppression that would lead a rational person (even a teenager) to use deadly force - the next evening. Clearly this young man is neither processing information nor responding to his environment the way most of us would (again, even if we were teenagers).

The article also reports that the parents were unable to attend the young man's juvenile court hearing because of being hospitalized or too injured. But the family's pastor went instead and spoke in defense of the shooter explaining that when he is not having an "episode," the young man is "affectionate and considerate." (So was Ted Bundy.)

I'm certainly not a doctor or psychologist, but clearly this fellow has issues more serious than his parents are able to handle. He shot them. And they were shocked.

What are the odds the kid goes back home to his forgiving parents AND that they still keep the gun in the nightstand?

This seems like a cautionary tale to me and reminds me of Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook Elementary School killer. I wonder whether Adam's mother thought he just had "issues." And then one day (December 14, 2012) he shot her and then massacred 20 children, 6 teachers, and himself with his mom's semi-automatic weapons. Mrs. Lanza had an arsenal and took Adam to the firing range to practice shooting. It seems the young man in Muscogee County was not a very good shot, thankfully, as both parents survived.

People call their loved ones' scary mental illnesses and instabilities "issues" to try to make everyone feel better, but if someone in your home (A) does not perceive reality in a rational way or (B) has socially inappropriate responses to the environment, does it not seem like common sense to keep that person away from guns of all kinds?

Let's hope these well-meaning parents Get Above Their Raisin' and remove one of these threats (ie the gun or their mentally ill son) from the home before they both end up dead. (And I don't say that to be cruel or uncaring. It is clear from this double-shooting that this young man is not getting the necessary care and protection from himself that he requires.)