Religion or Fear?

Big news the last couple of days about a mother kidnapping her son to remove him from being forcibly treated for cancer. While the family is primarily Catholic, they also subscribe to a belief that natural (or "alternative") treatments should be the only ones used. After the mother and son saw an x-ray that showed the boy's tumor back to its original size (after the first chemo treatment, before the refusal for more), they fled and have not been seen since.

There are so many people on the fence about this one. The biggest question, of course, being whether or not the state has the right to intervene and order the boy to get the treatments that will save his life. The judge went on record when he made his ruling and said that if there was any significant doubt as to whether the chemo would work, he wouldn't have ordered it. But apparently, the treatment has a 90% chance of successfully treating this boy, leaving the judge feeling strong enough that it is in his best interest. As for me - my biggest issues regarding this issue are the age of the boy, and the child's mother herself.

First, regarding his age...since when is the age of 13 old enough and mature enough to truly UNDERSTAND the meaning of death? I mean, sure - he knows the technical meaning. But does he truly understand the ramifications of refusing this treatment? Kids this age still have a very hard time understand consequences related to their simple, everyday actions - and this consequence could truly be the be-all and end-all for this child.

More importantly - I just cannot understand the mind-set of this boy's mother. I cannot. I have tried, and I have failed. I have two children, and if it ever came to the point where my religious beliefs would mandate the death of either or both of them from something that could be treated - my religious beliefs would no longer be an issue. Period. Even if it was something that *might* be cured, or that had a *chance* of being treated...I’d renounce EVERY religion if that’s what it took. Because isn't that what mothers are supposed to do? If you bring a child into this world, it becomes your job to make sure that child has the absolute best chance at survival possible in order to grow and to thrive. To me, it's no different than choosing to kill a snake who might be poised to strike - if there is a threat to my children, then that threat must be eliminated to the absolute best of my ability. And if that threat has an amazing 90% elimination rate, and I refuse to take that chance, then that is tantamount to murder. In this case, pre-meditated.

Irony is, the woman is Roman Catholic. Catholics have no issue with using modern medicine to treat illnesses. What this woman is claiming as a “religion” is, in fact, a belief espoused by a very few people and started by a man who CLAIMS to have healed his cancer with all-natural treatments. There does not appear to be anything to back up his claims, and nowhere does anyone seem to have made the connection that ALL PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT. What works for one may not work for another – regardless of the disease. While I firmly believe that people should explore alternative medicines and natural remedies, and that modern medicine tends to be too firmly focused on treatment rather than prevention, that does not eliminate the use of common sense to decide that one may work better than another for a particular illness or disease. When so many options are available these days, only a fool refuses to see any value in exploring them all.

Part of me wonders if the absolute refusal of this mother to have her boy treated is more fear than anything else - fear of the pain and misery the child will endure to be rid of the cancer. Fear of the slight chance that it may not work anyway. Fear that what she has believed so far may, in fact, be wrong.

They say fear is among the most powerful motivators. If that is true, then she may just be motivating her child right into the grave.