Some might question the piety of members of the Followers of Christ Church in Oregon City Oregon. After all, their faith healing efforts don't appear to be very effective:
- According to former Oregon state medical examiner Larry Lewman, "the faith-healing congregation's avoidance of doctors and hospitals may have cost the lives of 25 children, some under excruciating circumstances"over a ten year period.
- The Oregonian reports that of 78 minors the Church buried over 35 years, 21 "probably would have lived with medical intervention, often as simple as antibiotics."
- In 2008, church member Neil Beagley died at age 16 "following complications from an untreated congenital urinary tract blockage that flooded his system with urea, causing renal failure, heart attack, and death."
- Also in 2008, church member Ava Worthington (15 months old) died of pneumonia after her parents spent months waiting for the Lord to remove a cyst that grew to softball size and squeezed her windpipe and esophagus so that she had difficulty breathing and getting food down.
- At this very moment, little Alayna Wyland may lose her eye after months of holy oil anointing failed to cure the child's hemangioma.
- Alayna's father was widowed a few years ago when his first wife died of faith-healed breast cancer.
Like I said, some would chalk up such misfortunes to a lack of faith, but I'd like to think these good Christian people are not at fault. They tried, but our Heavenly Father was busy doing more important things like advising Sarah Palin and defending love segregation.
