Forums > Social Discussion > When does religion/medicine cross into abuse?

lifted from the homeopathy thread that was leaning off topic, I thought I'd start this.....



It started with this comment



Quote:




....a family was taken to court for neglecting their child because he was dieing of something and they didnt belive in medical treatment in their religion, so they were just letting him die





My response is this........I'm kinda hung jury on this one, yes I don't agree with it by my own principles but I also believe we can't appropriately comment on another cultures befiefs. If they truly had this belief that stopped them administering the required medical attention they must have also believed they were doing the right thing by their religion/god etc. I've seen TV programs about the old Mauri tattoo techniques where they slice and lift off sections of skin before pouring in ink when the boys are 14 and that too could be called abuse, just like enforced circumcision for Jews (sp?) and many others can.



And with the thinking of circumcision, as most American males seem to have this done and at an age where they can't realistically refuse, for reasons of lessening sexual feelings wrapped around a myth of "improved cleanliness" is this abuse??



I can understand how this in itself can be abused and the hard position it makes for law making/enforcement etc.



Does anyone know what the child thought of this? Maybe the childs belief in this culture was also to refuse medical treatment, would it then still count as abuse?







So that it really, when does one cultures beliefs overtake anothers and when does the abuse start?

Does our belief in protecting human life at all costs overwrite anothers when the dieing person/their guardians/their parents believes they will be sent to a better place or re-born etc anyway?

Can religious practices be called abuse when they are practised on children who do not accept the beleif of their parents?



This isn't meant as a law debate or anything like that, I just wondered what folks thoughts on this very grey area were

Let's relight this forum

-Mike )'(
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella

"A buckuht 'n a hooze!" -Valura

-Mike )'(
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella

"A buckuht 'n a hooze!" -Valura

then you obviously are not aware of any jewish denominations apart from devout orthodox.

some things ya know, some things ya don't - now you know.

"...there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know." -- The Honorable D.H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood

Let's relight this forum

p.s. Thanks cole, you're so eloquent and your timing is impecible.

Let's relight this forum

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Help! My personality got stuck in this signature machine and I cant get it out!

Pele
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