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Article Excerpt
Deciding Between Prayer or Medicine: The Case of Kara Neumann
On Easter Sunday (March 23, 2008), Madeline Kara Neumann of Weston, Wisconsin, died from diabetic ketoacidosis. Her parents said the 11-year-old had been ill for about a month (Glauber, 2008a). Her condition deteriorated rapidly in the 48 hours before she died (Glauber, 2008d). The day before she died, she was not able to eat, drink, walk, or use the toilet. She was unconscious for a few hours before she died. Relatives in California called 911, but Kara was pronounced dead after the emergency team brought her to a local hospital (Glauber, 2008a).
Her parents later stated they did not know Kara had diabetes (Glauber, 2008d). According to police documents, her father at first thought she was going through changes due to puberty. Relatives asked the parents to take Kara to a doctor, but they refused (Glauber, 2008c). They remained confident in the healing power of prayer. Her mother later told the police, "We just thought it was a spiritual attack, and we prayed for her" (Glauber, 2008d).
Given that they were not trained health care professionals, it is understandable that they did not recognize that Kara showed symptoms of diabetes or the seriousness of her condition. However, the evening before her death, her father sent an email to an online Christian ministry called AmericasLastDays.com. The email read, "Help, our daughter needs emergency prayer!" (Glauber, 2008d).
Five weeks later, the parents were charged with second-degree reckless homicide (Glauber, 2008d). According to the county District Attorney, "In our nation, we have a constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion. We also give parents leeway in matters of child rearing. However, neither is absolute. In this case, it was necessary to weigh freedom of religion and parenting rights against the state's interests in protecting children" (Glauber, 2008d).
As an ethicist who is also a Christian, I would like to be able to defend the parents. I cannot do that wholeheartedly for both ethical and theological reasons. However, a number of mitigating factors should be taken into account regarding the parents' decisions. No matter how the Neumann's fare in the eyes of the law, their situation is a terrible tragedy. They have suffered the loss of a child, which ranks as one of the most painful trials life can bring. Their decision not to treat Kara was determined by their beliefs. Given the origins of those beliefs, this discussion needs to include examination of relevant theological concepts.
Where the responsibility for Kara's death is placed will have broad implications for others who make medical decisions influenced by religious and other beliefs. Similar ethical issues arise with decisions regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Parents may insist on treating their children with remedies and therapies that are not supported by the best available evidence. Studies of the popularity of CAM reveal that prayer is the most commonly used CAM therapy. A recent survey found that three of the top five "therapies" were different forms of prayer (Barnes, Powell-Griner, McFann, & Nahin, 2004). I have elaborated elsewhere on my objections to prayer being described as a "therapy," but that is not the focus of this article (O'Mathuna & Larimore, 2007). These studies reveal that prayer for healing is commonly practiced. Prayer is at the root of Christian faith as a way of relating with God, and is central to many other religions. Prayer itself is not what is problematic in the tragic death of Kara Neumann, but the parents' rejection of medical treatment. Given the popularity of prayer for healing, it does not usually lead people to reject medical care.
No less than any other part of society, Christians have been exposed to recent cultural and philosophical...
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