Sad, sad story.
So. Where do we stand on prayer?
If we take the approach that it's a quaint sort of custom or a metaphor or a ritual of some sort, it seems to me that we're denying that we can ask God for something and expect/hope to get it. It seems to me that robs us of something, a direct connection to God as personal caretaker who acts in this world.
I don't think I want God to be so distant that prayer doesn't work.
On the other hand, God gave us brains and free will and we've figured some stuff out, like how to cure some cancers and other diseases and how to fly.
There's that old joke, the punchline to which is, "Well, I sent you the rowboat, and I sent you the helicopter. What more did you want?"
Do we use prayer as a last resort? Do we use prayer in conjuction with secular techniques we've discovered? That sounds reasonable to me.
Oh, and on the legalities: My instinct is that adults who do this sort of thing with their children are neglectful and should be held (criminally) responsible. (Adults who get bitten by snakes and want to rely on prayer are on their own, but when kids are involved....) Of course, that could be a bit of a slippery road. If adults are held legally responsible like this in how they care for their kids, do we reach into the womb with that law? Ai yi yi, tricky.
Lemme toss this out: http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=132113932
Exodus 21:22
When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman’s husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine.
In other words: it ain't murder (assuming you get your law from the Old Testament, which a lot of conservatives seem to do, when they quote the Ten Commandments).
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