Jehovah parents' babies seized in blood transfusion row

[milmor_1]

There was a similiar case in Ireland only last year which caused great concern on religious grounds.

Jehovah parents' babies seized in blood transfusion row

Friday February 23rd 2007


THE birth of Canada's first sextuplets should have been cause for celebration.

But their struggle for life has provoked a ferocious battle pitching Church against State and a child's right to life against parents' rights to practise their faith.

When the four boys and two girls were born nearly three months prematurely in early January, they were hailed as a miracle.

The mother, on being told that she was carrying multiple foetuses, had been offered "selective reduction," a procedure to remove several foetuses to help to ensure the survival of the others. She refused.

At birth, the babies weighed less than 1kg each, and measured less than an outstretched adult hand. They were put into incubators but within a week two had died.

Doctors told the parents that the surviving infants desperately needed blood transfusions if they were to survive, but once again the parents refused.

The babies' parents, still unnamed, it now emerged, were Jehovah's Witnesses. Beyond evangelising, Jehovah's Witnesses are commonly known for one other thing: their fervent opposition to blood transfusions. In their faith, it is nothing less than akin to rape.

Unable to persuade the parents to allow the procedure, the hospital in Vancouver applied to the British Columbia government to take the surviving babies into protective custody so that the transfusions could be administered. The authorities complied and custody of the three most sickly infants was transferred to the state.

The parents applied for a court order to return the babies to their care. But in the meantime two of the babies in custody were given transfusions.

But, as their lawyer showed up to appeal against the custody order, the court suddenly reversed its decision and handed the babies back. That was three weeks ago but still almost nothing more is known about the babies' condition other than that they are "progressing".

The parents may again have custody but they are preparing to take the authorities to court over their failure to let them put evidence to a court before allowing the transfusions to proceed. The hearing is postponed until April.

Legal experts expect the government to argue that the babies' lives were in immediate danger and they had no option but to act immediately.

The case has shocked largely secular Canada, a country not famed for religious extremism.

Representatives of the Jehovah's Witnesses have urged the public and media not to make "stereotypical assumptions" about their faith based on the case.

Canada's constitution enshrines the right to freedom of religion. But prominent ethicists argue that this cannot apply to children too young to hold beliefs, never mind to express them.

Jehovah parents' babies seized in blood transfusion row - Irish Independent

[Woodmonkey]

Representatives of the Jehovah's Witnesses have urged the public and media not to make "stereotypical assumptions" about their faith based on the case.

That's impossible when looking at a religion where those parents were willing to let their children die rather than allow them a transfusion.

Canada's constitution enshrines the right to freedom of religion. But prominent ethicists argue that this cannot apply to children too young to hold beliefs, never mind to express them.

Someone has to intervene for the sake of the children since the parents will allow them to die otherwise. We had a cult, sect, whatever you want to call it, in Oregon that had a huge number of young children dying needlessly over the years (appendics, infections, pneumonia etc) and the state eventually had to step in and monitor those 'loving parents'.

[EdNigma]

Some people need to be born sterile.

[Caldric]

I wonder why they think that about blood?

I don't think parents have any right to allow children to die under any medical circumstance just because of their beliefs.

[jonathan_ddr]

I want to know what they witnessed; and what moronic inbreeding program produced parents like these.

Murdering gits the lot of them allowing their babies to die as if its gods will

PRATS!

[EdNigma]

I don't think parents have any right to allow children to die under any medical circumstance just because of their beliefs.

Well, I don't think parents should be allowed to slice their kids heads, and beat them with swords either. But that is the norm in the religion of peas. So, why not just let them die eh?
/HEAVY sarcasm off

I agree with your post.

[jonathan_ddr]

Blinkin Religion again, Eh!
Can't live with it, can't live without it...; hold on a minute, you can live without it.