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Two Oregon City parents whose church relies on faith healing, were arrested Thursday and charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death of their 16-year-old son.
Jeffrey Dean Beagley and Marci Rae Beagley turned themselves in to Clackamas County law enforcement after a grand jury decided that there was enough evidence to try them.
Neil Beagley died June 17 of heart failure linked to a urinary tract blockage. The blockage could have been easily treated, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Witnesses told Clackamas County sheriff’s deputies in June that Neil Beagley had refused medication. His parents are members of the Followers of Christ Church, which promotes faith healing through prayer rather than medicine.
It was the second time this year that a child of church members died without medical help. In March, 15-month-old Ava Worthington died even though her life could have been saved with simple treatment.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Greg Horner said he would not comment at this time. He said that if the Beagleys were convicted they could face up to 18 months in jail, but would be able to seek probation.
If they had done this to an animal they would be in jail. They tortured this kid. I can't imagine how much pain he must have had. And people don't think government should interfere? The entire role of government is to protect kids like this. Gods bless this kid, and no amount of pain they go thru with the legalities will touch the pain he must have had in his death.
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 02, 2008 at 05:02 PM
Wow...a whole 18 months...these nuts should have to serve as long as the expected life span of the their children would be....how about 80 years....
Prayer...how's that working for ya??? If they want to pray when they are sick instead of gong to the doctor, well that's just fine..but they dont have the right to make that decision for their children. What a couple of pukes..
Disgusting.
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 02, 2008 at 05:24 PM
The boy needed to be catheterized to save his life. The exact same thing happened to me April 22nd. Catheters was the only treatment they could give him. Not medicine. Get the facts straight please?
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 02, 2008 at 06:25 PM
Ummm, seems I remember "Whites" forcing Native Americans to stop certain religious practices because they were injurious to those who participated. No one balked about that. In fact, we still don't permit such Native American practices for the same reasons. Where does "freedom of religion" end when it involves the death or injury of individuals. No one can yell fire in a theater under the disguise of "freedom of speech", the same should hold true for those who claim religious freedom and then turn around and permit someone to die.
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 02, 2008 at 06:28 PM
SO YOUR SAYING (THEIR GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER)?
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 02, 2008 at 08:52 PM
Faith healing is cheaper than medical insurance and more dependable, too. The family just didn't believe hard enough, that's all. If they were REALLY GOOD CHRISTIANS, the child would have lived. It's pretty simple if you ask me.
I think it is an excellent health care option that needs to be looked at for ALL of the American people.
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 02, 2008 at 09:17 PM
If it were any other person they would be charged with MURDER not neglect.
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 03, 2008 at 12:50 AM
It is so sad that this young man has passed. There is a place for religious healing, but you have to understand, that you must also live by the laws of the land. The parents went outside the law. Unfortunatley, someone needs to be held accountable for this death. No body wins on this one.
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 03, 2008 at 09:26 AM
Ummm, seems I remember "Whites" forcing Native Americans to stop certain religious practices because they were injurious to those who participated. No one balked about that. In fact, we still don't permit such Native American practices for the same reasons. Where does "freedom of religion" end when it involves the death or injury of individuals. No one can yell fire in a theater under the disguise of "freedom of speech", the same should hold true for those who claim religious freedom and then turn around and permit someone to die.
"phoenix"
---------------------
Phoenix, the difference here is the difference between an adult making an informed choice for themselves, and a child having a decision forced upon them by their parents.
A Native American should be free to practice their rituals as they see fit, even if it involves something that the "white/Christian establishment" might see as harmful to them (taking peyote, etc.) Government interference there is unconsitutional and wrong.
However, a parent should not be allowed to force their religious beliefs on to their children, when the child's health or welfare will be injured, or in this case, removed entirely.
The role of laws and government is to give each human a right to life and liberty (before anyone says anything about it, I'm pro-choice - I don't believe life begins at conception), regardless of religious beliefs or any other criteria such as social or economic standing, ethnic background, etc.
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 03, 2008 at 10:11 AM
I totally agree with the folks that stated that there is a difference between adults who can make an informed choice and those who can not. In my opinion I think these parents need to be told by their pastor that "faith-healing" is meant for some illness' but to seek professional help as needed. It doesn't take a smart person to figure out that something just plain needs medical attention and soon!!! Even if these folks didn't have insurance they still would have been seen by a doctor in the ER.
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 03, 2008 at 11:24 AM
Isn't it obvious that when you pray for healing, sometimes God just might connect you with a doctor or pharmacist? It is a lack of faith to question God!
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 03, 2008 at 11:37 AM
Since God gave man the ability to learn and understand medicine, then couldn't that be considered a gift from God. These people ignored this gift, and no amount of praying will change this, and to make the matter worse, this is the second child from this church to die. I see all the children as in immanent danger. The fact that these parents(if you can call them that) are looking at only 18 months is dispicable. because of their inaction, they caused the death of their son.
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 03, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Do parents ever get charged when a child dies under the care of a doctor? I know someone who's child died after getting a vaccination. Every parent has the right to do what they think is best for the child.
"Unless we put Medical Freedom into the Constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize into an undercover dictatorship. . . to restrict the art of healing to one class of men, and deny equal privilege to others, will be to constitute the Bastille of Medical
Science. All such laws are un-American and despotic and have no place in a Republic ... The Constitution of this Republic should make special privilege for Medical Freedom as well as Religious Freedom."
-Benjamin Rush, MD, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Surgeon General and personal physician to George Washington
(email verified)
Sat, Oct 04, 2008 at 04:38 AM
Hey Matt Gone:
Did your brain leave? Who do you think invented the use of catheters, the treatment to use catheters, the diagnostic information for when to use catheters...Oh that would be the medical industry....
Next time you need to be catheterized....go to your pastor, preacher, faith healer, snake handler,....dont waste valuable dollars and insurance benefits on a real medical doctor, nurse or ER..
(email verified)
Sat, Oct 04, 2008 at 03:56 PM
Funny how these people use prayer for healing, then people die. Wouldn't that clue you into the fact that prayer doesn't work by itself and won't keep you alive? I'm all for prayer in addition to modern medical care, after all that is what it is there for, however I'm not a very religious person. God won't be mad at you for saving your childs life by getting them modern medical care. I believe "GOD" should condemn these worthless parents because they willingly allowed their child to die, which is no different than homicide in my real world.
(email verified)
Sun, Oct 05, 2008 at 11:45 AM
The "entire role of government is to protect kids like this" ("a healthcare worker")? Which government? Which kids? In a world and time when people are nourished on soundbites, cannot remember what happened a year ago, and cannot carry two conflicting ideas at the same time, one must be cautious about tossing around such generalizations. The role of the Federal government is to regulate matters between the states and to provide for a common defense (ref: US Constitution). Perhaps the writer refers to state or local government, which sometimes makes rules that step on the Constitutional rights until corrected judicially.
I suggest we trust the law on this one. If these two parents are convicted, y'all can use your passion to work to overturn the decision or support it via valid precedent.
(email verified)
Mon, Oct 06, 2008 at 07:01 AM
I think these faith healing folks are confusing God's power to heal with On Demand. People can pray for strength, for grace, for forgiveness, but to demand that God heal anyone of anything simply because they have proclaimed it needs to be done is blind arrogance.
They killed their son, plain and simple. Maybe on appeal the next judge will give them a LONGER term. Eighteen months in jail in exchange for a child's life deliberately being wasted due to the parents' ignorance and arrogance does not seem like justice to me.
Now that the parents have been arrested, let's see if they use the services of attorneys, or if they simply pray about that as well. To me, if they use attorneys, ride in cars, use electricity or any other modern convenience, they are complete and total hypoctites. If they are not supposed to be "of the world", they will use none of the above mentioned worldly accoutremonts.
In an earlier article, an accompanying photo of the home they live in looked like a regular home- not hand hewn of logs, sod, or adobe, so my guess is that they pick and choose which modern conveniences are worldly or not. If they were true to not being worldly, shouldn't they be living in a cave and burning tallow for light? Cooking wild game over an open fire? Growing their own food? Weaving their own cloth from which to sew their own clothing? Driving to the grocery store, yet denying basic medical care to their child because it is "worldly", is quite a duality.
(email verified)
Mon, Oct 06, 2008 at 08:52 AM
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Re: Faith-healing parents charged in son’s death
I really hate to see interference with parents in the raising of their children and we have to be really careful about where we decide to step in and override their decisions. As a pastor, I too believe in prayer for healing. However, it is not instead of treatment, especially for children. If an adult makes that informed choice, that is up to them.I would fight for their religious right to make that decision. But, we must protect our children. The grand jury made the right decision.
"David Walmer"
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 02, 2008 at 01:43 PM