Monday the Oregon state Senate voted to end legal protection granted to parents practicing religious faith healing. The legislation ends legal protection for parents who choose faith healing to the exclusion of modern medicine in treating their children's health.
The new legislation is in large part a response to the deaths of numerous children belonging to members of the Followers of Christ Church located in Oregon city.
Followers of Christ Church members have a lengthy history of children dying from lack of medical care. The Oregon State Medical Examiner's office has estimated that in the past 30 years, more than 20 children of church members have died of preventable or curable conditions.
In the past many expressed frustration with the failure of the justice system to adequately protect children and punish negligent parents associated with the church who choose to substitute prayer for medical treatment.
The legislation fills a legislative loop hole used by some Christian extremists like the Followers of Christ Church to deny their children appropriate health care in the name of religion.
In March the Oregon House unanimously voted to end the faith healing exception. The bill now goes back to the House before being signed by Governor Kitzhaber.
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