Boy's Death at Church Ruled a Homicide

[Az]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3069943,00.html

Excerpts:
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An autistic 8-year-old boy died in a homicide by suffocation during a prayer service in which church members wrapped the boy in sheets as they tried to exorcise evil spirits, the medical examiner's office said Monday.

Terrance Cottrell Jr. died because his chest was somehow restricted and could not expand, according to a statement issued by the office of the Milwaukee County coroner.

``Air was not able to get in or out,'' said Eileen Weller, the office's administrative manager.

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It was after more than an hour of prayer that a parishioner noticed the boy was no longer moving and called emergency workers, Hemphill said. The boy's grandmother said force was used, an allegation disputed by church members.

``We were asking God to take this spirit that was tormenting this little boy to death,'' Hemphill said. ``We were praying that hard, but not to kill.''

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[Cha]

1. Why Didn't they learn from that little girl's death in Colorado when

the same thing happened?

[JNelson6563]

2. ah the dark ages

how horrifying.

Julie

[Walt Starr]

3. The only reason they ruled it a homocide is

BECAUSE THE POOR KID WAS FUCKING MURDERED BY MORANS! (sic)

[SheepyMcSheepster]

4. poor kid

Hemphill said. ``We were praying that hard, but not to kill.''

they only had their prayers set on stun?

[Spentastic]

9. Yeah god forbid

They'd brought out their "Power Prayers" they could have killed millions.

[maxanne]

5. evangelical Christians

seem to be dangerous for children. Maybe it's that nasty, violent book they place so much stock in. Everyone who enabled this death should be punished.

[kimchi]

6. Good.

I'm all about "feeling the spirit" but evangelicals seem to leave their common sense at the door during these "exorcisms". That lack of air thing will stifle the demon every time-cure the illness by killing the "sick" person.

I hope people will see the lesson in this, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Not a robought]

7. Why can't the mothership finally land

and take these morans away to the planet of milk and honey like these followers want? They are clearly ready and certified to fly.

Zeus? Athena? Anyone of you will do.

[Spentastic]

8. Well it worked

He's not autistic anymore is he?

These people really need a serious talking too.

[northzax]

10. all together now...

well DUH.

this is incredibly sad, actually, and I weep for this poor child and the rest of his family who had no choice in this decision. I am a firm believer in the right of parents to engage in faith based healing if they BOTH so choose for their children (I have several good friends who grew up Christian Scientists) but I would argue that such faith based healing should never actually DO MORE FUCKING HARM to the child.

I certainly hope these people get put somewhere where they will be unable to force harm on another human being for a long, long time (at least until G-d can slap them upside the head an say "look you fucking idiots (I think people like this would make even G-D swear) why do you think I invented MEDICINE? Boneheads" and promptly assign them to several millenia of repeated disecction while awake at the hands of incompetant, drunk, failed med students with dull scalpels and a severe misanthopic bent.

[Az]

11. The trouble of course

comes from the question of whether or not the child understands and agrees to the process his or her life is being put into. Are children absolute property of their parents or is it necissary for the society to take an interest in the welfare of the child? It is not an easy question. Children are going to die.

[northzax]

19. agreed

and as long as Parents operate under the dictum 'first do no harm' then I believe the State cannot mandate medical care unless the person is a danger to others (then the state can mandate medical care or incarceration, of course) but as long as the Parent's decision (made in concert) does not actively harm the child (as in this case, or say, starvation) then the State should stay out of it.

[TrogL]

24. Society needs to do something about these people

Prayer circles are one thing, but some truly wacky stuff goes on that needs to be dealt with by children's services.

[discordian]

12. Uh, not to nit pick...

But it's MORONS, not MORANS. I don't even know that moran is a real word other than a city name.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=moron

To keep it on topic, prosecute everyone involved for some degree of homicide. They all contributed to his death, whether through negligence or assault. Stupidity of this level should be a crime in and of itself.

[sujan]

16. Uh, not to nit pick

But
http://dug.seattleactivist.org/#moran

[maxanne]

17. discordian

We use moran deliberately. It's homage to the picture of a guy with a mullet at a prowar rally holding a sign mentioning "morans." It's become part of the DU lexicon. Someone probably has a link to the classic picture.

[sujan]

13. time to fry some fundies

[snooper2]

14. Stupid bastard

fundamentalist religous idiots.

This is why I support the death penalty. They should all be killed the same way they suffocated the little boy.

[sujan]

15. yep

electric chair/hanging/firing squad

choose your pick

[MountainLaurel]

18. Exorcising evil spirits?

:mad:

For Christ's sake, is this how far we've come in 3,000 years? Children with brain disorders are thought to be possessed by spirits? I swear, the fundies really do want us to go back to the Dark Ages.

I'd like to see that mother locked up forever. She had a responsibility to keep her child safe and ensure he received treatment for his disorder.

[ikojo]

22. Many fundies feel that

there are spirits operating unseen by the human eye. They say homosexuality and mental illness are caused by "spirits" and "demons."

Oy vey! To the best of my knowledge (and I don't know any ULTRA ULTRA orthodox Jews) this type of thing would NEVER take place within a Jewish family. What is it about Christianity that lends itself to these types of beliefs? Autism caused by "spirits?" Oy!

[study_war_no_more]

26. projecting evil unto others

Whether they be Iraq people of color or simply to vulnerable to disagree. Isn't this the heart of Rebuplican logic? No wonder evangelism is spreading so fast among the mindless suburbs supporting the GOP revolution.

[maxsolomon]

20. and the minister said

"all i know is that we're not guilty of anything."

no wonder i don't go to church anymore.

[Nlighten1]

21. The spirits tormenting that boy are still alive.

Isn't it a shame? Fucking religious morons.

[yellowcanine]

23. Died from chest compression, NOT praying

Somebody needs to tell that idiot "pastor" that the little boy died because he couldn't breathe with a 200 lb adult sitting on his chest - not because of God, "some spirit" (except, as someone already pointed out, the evil spirits of those church people) or because of prayer. Not that these fundies seem to care - they seem more concerned about CYA - Now if the mother had an abortion, that would be a sin, wouldn't it? Jerks.

[xchrom]

25. another fine crew

giving the faith a bad name.
sheesh -- superstitious idiots -- and dangerous to boot.
they remind me of our resident idiot monkey in the white house.