Where in the world is it a damnable offense to take someone to a doctor to make sure that they either are or will remain healthy?

Reading the newspaper really is starting to make me weary. This world has seen more than enough religious “zealots” in the past few years than most people would care to see in a lifetime, ranging from radical Islamic suicide bombers to people right here in the state of Wisconsin.

I had been visited religiously – excuse the pun – by a very nice couple who wanted to share the Word with me from the church of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their weekly visits ended after I returned from a trip to the Blood Center and was still bandaged up. I cannot put into words the look of shock on their faces when I explained what the bandages were from.

There is a very sad picture being painted in a small community just hours north of Milwaukee. As you have probably already heard, 11-year-old Madeline Kara Neumann died in March from complications of her undiagnosed and untreated diabetes. This was a very unnecessary death in the grand scheme of things.

Here you had, I can only assume, a normal young girl filled with hopes and dreams for her future. But due to other circumstances, she will never have an opportunity to pursue those dreams. It’s even sadder when you realize that in today’s society, the existence of diabetes is common knowledge and the treatments to control it can be relatively simple.

Here comes the sticky part to this whole story: The reason that Madeline was never treated or diagnosed was the religious beliefs of her parents. Madeline had not been taken to see a doctor when her health began to fail.

Her parents, who now may face charges, belong to a religious group called Unleavened Bread Ministries, which believes that any healing should be left in the hands of God because He is in complete control over every aspect of our lives. The Ministry’s Web site even has a very interesting warning on it: “These are America's Last Days.”

The teachings of this group are based on the writings of David Eells, and urge people to let go of their worries and accept that the will of God is in control of their entire life. Thus, whatever He wants to happen, quite simply, will.

I am not claiming to be a Biblical expert by any means, nor an expert on the teachings of the UBM, but where in the world is it a damnable offense to take someone to a doctor to make sure that they either are or will remain healthy?

Here is where the great variance in deciphering the meaning of the words in the Bible can clearly be seen. On the UBM’s Web site they offer a listing of Eells’ books. One title on that list is “God’s Sovereignty Over Sickness, Death, and the Curse,” which goes on to tell about God’s power from Deuteronomy: “I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal.” Very powerful words that are very clear and straight-forward: God has the power to create and take life away, to cause and create death.

But simpler words can be used to make a case for allowing God to work in another way. Luke, prior to becoming one of the disciples of Jesus, was a doctor, or a healer if you will. Now I posit this hypothetical question for thought: If the power of God was as sovereign as the UBM teaches, would God even allow people to become doctors in the first place? If he can heal anyone at will, why would there be a need for such a profession?

The book of Luke helps to explain that a bit: “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.”

It seems, therefore, that there is a Biblical argument for both sides of this tragedy. But ultimately it is boiling down to which words to read and believe, too large of an argument to go into any further here.

There are still many unanswered questions in this story, and I want to turn slightly from the religious aspect of this for a bit.

Now I am not judging based on the religious beliefs of these people. It is not my place to say who can or cannot believe what they desire. Yet as a parent, I understand that when your child starts to look or act or behave in a way that is not what you are used to seeing, you call a doctor and have them looked at.

Mr. Eells has pointed out that many people also die while under the care of doctors in hospitals. But with the seemingly endless list of medical advances in diagnosis, treatments and cures, is seeing a doctor really such a bad thing?

Is God going to look upon us poorly for not trusting in His will? Or will He understand our concern for our health and allow us to visit some people on whom He has bestowed a great amount of intelligence, compassion and care for the human being as a whole? Doctors, be it an ER doctor, your primary care physician, or a psychologist, are there to help us when something, anything, is wrong.

But this is that gray area of religion: People can believe what they want as truth, and in the end it is really up to none of us. At the end of the day my heart is still sad for the Neumann family. For whatever it’s worth to them, my heart and prayers go out to their family as they try to get through this horrible and unneeded death.

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