Christian Scientists who treat their sick children with faith healing, instead of medical care, have special protection under Washington law. But that could soon change.
Lawmakers are considering whether to repeal the Christian Science exemption. This follows the death of a teenager in North Central Washington.
The teenager died at home of a burst appendix in 2009. His parents were followers of a church that believes in faith healing. They were put on trial. But because they weren’t Christian Scientists they couldn’t use that as their defense. The trial ended in a hung jury.
“In that case the court was able to really avoid whether it had to instruct the jury specifically because it wasn’t actually a Christian Science church that was involved,” explains Tom McBride, the executive secretary of Washington’s Association of Prosecutors.
But McBride says that case points out the inequity of referencing a single religion in the law. He now supports a measure that would remove the Christian Science exemption in Washington statute.
In 2011, Oregon lawmakers made it so parents can no longer claim spiritual treatment as a defense in child neglect cases. A similar measure was introduced in Idaho this year. Both are in response to the deaths of several children associated with a particular church.
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