Today, many religious groups routinely reject some or all mainstream health care on theological grounds, including Christian Scientists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Amish and Scientologists. “Fundamentalists tell us their lives are in the hands of God and we, as physicians, are not God,” says Dr. In which religion is cremation generally not acceptable?
Which religions prohibit medical treatment?
Feb 07, 2018 · PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images. Seventh-day Adventists’ beliefs about medical care made headlines in 2014 when a British couple, Nkosiyapha and Virginia Kunene, pleaded guilty to manslaughter ...
What religion is against medical care?
Jun 30, 2020 · A number of denominations that also refuse any medical treatment, but may be less well known, include the Believers’ Fellowship, the Faith Temple Doctoral Church of Christ, the Christ Miracle Healing Center, the Source, the “No Name” Fellowship, The Fellowship, and First Century Gospel (Linnard-Palmer & Kools, 2004). Other groups, such as Jehovah’s …
Is it a sin to refuse medical treatment?
Many, perhaps most, faith groups recommend prayer as a supplement to medical care. However, some religious groups go further. They either: Teach that certain medical procedures are not allowed, or; Recommend that members generally reject medical attention in favor of prayer. Two of these groups are Christian Science and, to a limited degree, the Jehovah's Witnesses.
When do patients choose faith over medicine?
Today, many religious groups routinely reject some or all mainstream health care on theological grounds, including Christian Scientists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Amish and Scientologists. “Fundamentalists tell us their lives are in the hands of God …
Abstract
Various groups, some based solely in the United States and others with worldwide followers, reject all medical care in favor of faith healing while others reject only specified procedures on the basis of their religious beliefs.
Keywords
Portions of this chapter are reprinted by permission from Springer Science+Business Media LLC, Handbook of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work Practice and Research by Sana Loue, 2017.
Statutes (other than those included in tables)
Child Abuse Prevention & Treatment Act, Pub. L. No. 93.247 (1974), as amended. Google Scholar
Legislative History
U.S. Congress, Senate, Letter and Memorandum for insertion, April 24, 1918, 56 Congressional Record 5542; May 4, 1918, 6051–6052. Google Scholar
Cases
Alberta (Director of Child Welfare) v. H (B), 2002 ABPC 39, [2002], 11 W.W.R. 752, aff’d 2002 ABQB 371, [2002] 7 W.W.R. 616, aff’d 2002 ABCA 109 [2002] 7 W.W.R. 644, leave to appeal refused, [2002] 3 S.C.R. vi. Google Scholar
About this chapter
Loue S. (2020) Religious Refusal of Medical Treatment*. In: Case Studies in Society, Religion, and Bioethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44150-0_5
What does the Bible say about blood transfusions?
This Christian denomination teaches that blood transfusions are forbidden, even if needed to save a person's life. This teaching is based upon three passages in the Bible which prohibit the consuming of blood:
What does the Watchtower Society teach?
The Watchtower Society (a.k.a. Jehovah's Witnesses ): This Christian denomination teaches that blood transfusions are forbidden, even if needed to save a person's life. This teaching is based upon three passages in the Bible which prohibit the consuming of blood:
How old was Ashley King when she died?
Some cases of apparently preventable deaths due to reliance on faith healing by Christian Scientist parents were: Ashley King died in 1988 at the age of 12.
What does Acts 15:29 mean?
Acts 15:29 "That ye abstain...from blood ...". The Watchtower Society interprets "eating" of blood in a very inclusively way. They include the receiving of blood transfusions. All or essentially all other Christian groups believe that the passages refer to dietary laws involved with the eating of meat.
What religion does not allow medical treatment?
The Followers of Christ Church aren’t alone in refusing medical treatments because of their beliefs. Christian Scientists and Jehovah’s Witnesses do as well, to varying degrees.
Does religious restrict the treatments?
Religion and spirituality can impact decisions regarding diet, medicines based on animal products, modesty, and the preferred gender of their health providers. Some religions have strict prayer times that may interfere with medical treatment.
What cultures refuse medical treatment?
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christian Scientists are the two most common religious doctrines that may dictate treatment refusal, limitation, or preference for prayer.
What religions dont accept blood transfusions?
Jehovah’s Witnesses, with at least 7.5 million active members worldwide and around 130 000 in the UK, are the most well-known religious community who decline transfusion of specific blood components.
How does religion affect medical treatment?
Religion and spirituality can impact decisions regarding diet, medicines based on animal products, modesty, and the preferred gender of their health providers. Some religions have strict prayer times that may interfere with medical treatment.
What church does not believe in doctors?
Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusion. Christian Scientists refuse most medical treatment. Instead they rely on the healing prayers of Christian Scientist Practitioners. The Faith Tabernacle Congregation in Altoona, PA believes that disease is caused by the devil.
What religion is against surgery?
Today, many religious groups routinely reject some or all mainstream health care on theological grounds, including Christian Scientists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Amish and Scientologists. “Fundamentalists tell us their lives are in the hands of God and we, as physicians, are not God,” says Dr.
Is prayer a medical supplement?
Many, perhaps most, faith groups recommend prayer as a supplement to medical care. However, some religious groups go further: they teach teach that certain medical procedures are not allowed, or that members should generally reject medical attention in favor of prayer. A sampling of the latter are:
Why was Grace Baptist Church charged?
They were charged because of the couple's 13 year old daughter's death from complications associated with untreated diabetes.
Who is Bo Phillips?
Bo Phillips, an 11 year old boy, developed childhood diabetes - a disorder which is routinely treatable.
Can a minor refuse blood transfusion?
There is no specific state statute addressing the refusal on religious grounds, by a parent or guardian, to allow a blood transfusion for a minor. There are a number of provisions of state law that allow parents or minors to refuse certain medical treatment or health screenings for religious purposes. A person 17 or older can donate blood without ...
Which amendment protects religious beliefs?
The court held that the First Amendment protects religious belief, but the state may impose restrictions on practice. Thus, a religious practice jeopardizing the health, safety, or welfare of the person can be limited (see Rozovsky, p.338).
Can a 17 year old donate blood?
There are a number of provisions of state law that allow parents or minors to refuse certain medical treatment or health screenings for religious purposes. A person 17 or older can donate blood without parental consent under state law.
How old do you have to be to donate blood?
State law allows any person 17 years of age or older to, without written parental consent, donate blood and to consent to withdrawal of blood from his body in conjunction with any voluntary blood donation program (CGS § 19a-285a). Blood Tests of Pregnant Women for Syphilis.
What tests are required for newborns?
This includes tests for phenylketonuria (PKU), hypothyroidism, galactosemia, sickle cell anemia, and other diseases.
What is the followers of Christ?
The Followers of Christ is a religious sect that preaches faith healing in states such as Idaho , which offers a faith-based shield for felony crimes – despite alarming child mortality rates among these groups
Who is the coroner of Canyon County?
The incident is unsettling, though. Canyon County coroner Vicki DeGeus-Morriss, who has been in office since 1991, refused to speak directly with the Guardian. However Joe Decker, a county spokesman, insisted that the coroner and other officials had been successful in building a better relationship with the Followers.
Why did Jacob Dilgard refuse blood transfusion?
In 1962 a New York state judge ruled that 69-year-old Jacob Dilgard could refuse a blood transfusion on religious grounds. Dilgard died. One year later, Jesse E. Jones, a 25 year-old Jehovah’s Witness, needed an urgent blood transfusion to prevent her death from a ruptured ulcer. She and her husband, who had a young child, refused the transfusion, so the hospital turned to the federal court for an immediate order permitting it to act to save Jones’s life. Judge J. Skelly Wright met with the couple, who reiterated their opposition, while the physicians affirmed the matter’s urgency. Focusing on the imminent threat to the woman’s life, Judge Wright ordered the transfusions.
Is there a federal law that requires medical treatment for a child?
In the Child Abuse Prevention Treatment Act of 1996, Congress legislated that there was no federal requirement that a child must be provided “medical service or treatment against the religious beliefs of the parent or legal guardian.”
Which amendment guarantees freedom of religion?
The First Amendment guarantees the free exercise of religion, but debate continues over whether it prevails when medical practitioners determine that conventional medical therapies are necessary but individuals or their families are opposed for reasons of conscience.
Who was the man who killed his 2-year-old son?
In 1988 Ginger and David Twitchell were charged with manslaughter in the death of their 2-year-old son, whom they had sought to treat through spiritual means for a bowel obstruction. In Commonwealth v. David R. Twitchell and Commonwealth v.
