Church Tells HIV Patients To Stop Treatment - And they Die

Some UK Churches are under fire for reportedly telling members they were cured of HIV and could stop taking medication. Six of them are now dead, according to Sky News. The evangelical churches are located in in London, Manchester, and Glasgow. There is a video report below.

Faith Healing Convictions

Two more members of a faith healing church in Oregon will spend time behind bars. A jury found Dale and Shannon Hickman guilty of of manslaughter in the death of their infant son David. Five other members of Christ Church have been convicted as well for other similar crime. The Hickman's prayed and rubbed oil on their son when he had trouble breathing just nine hours after has birth. An autopsy showed he had a bacterial infection and underdeveloped lungs - and hospital treatment would have ensured his survival. The Hickman's claimed the charges was nothing more than religious persecution. The couple will be sentenced at the end of October.

Saving Aimee

Kathie Lee Gifford is telling the story of faith healer Aimee Semple McPherson through her musical Saving Aimee at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. The promotional material for the show describes the story this way:

Tangled with scandalous love affairs and a tabloid-frenzied trial, this powerful new musical tells the real-life story of Aimee Semple McPherson — the charismatic leader of a theatrical super church in 1920s L.A. who was equally passionate about saving souls and making headlines.

Oregon Church Faces Scrutiny

A church that shuns traditional medicine for faith healing leads to numerous child deaths. CNN offers this video report.

Prison for Faith-Healing Couple

An Oregon judge has given a couple 16 months in prison for watching their son die while relying on faith healing. Jeffrey and Marci Beagley were convicted of criminally negligent homicide for their 16-year-old son's death. Their 15-year old granddaughter died last year from pneumonia and a blood infection that also could have been treated. Her parents were acquitted of manslaughter. The Beagley's church cemetery includes many headstones marking the graves of children. An appeal is planned.

Faith Healing Verdict

An Oregon couple who practice faith healing are found guilty of neglecting their son before he died. KATU has a video reports.

Faith-Healing Conviction

A Wisconsin jury convicted Leilani Neumann of reckless homicide because she prayed for her daughter’s healing instead of getting medical treatment for the 11-year-old’s diabetes. She could get 25 years behind bars but plans an appeal. Her husband will go on trial for the same crime later this summer. WSAW-TV has this video report.

Faith Healing Trial

The trial is underway for a woman accused of praying over her dying daughter rather than taking her to the doctor. A Wisconsin jury will decide whether Leilani Neumann should have had her daughter’s diabetes diagnosed. Neumann says her family believes the Bible for her daughter’s healing. Her husband also faces charges and his trial will start later this summer. Neumann’s lawyer has asked that Texas faith healer Thurman Scrivner be allowed to testify that faith healing is a legitimate way to cure illness.

A License for Faith Healers

Russia’s Federal Health Service is handing out licenses to faith healers and anyone else that proscribes traditional medicine to patients. That includes herbal treatments claims of paranormal powers, cleansing of auras and even those who say they can read minds or cast spells. In the last two years, more than 130 have gone through the government’s voluntary testing program that claims to determine if someone has an ability to cure – by whatever mean they choose.

Couple Arrested in Faith Healing Case

An Oregon couple will appear in court this morning on charges related to their son’s death. When she fell ill, they relied on prayer instead of medical care. Jeff and Marci Beagley, who attend Followers of Christ Church in Oregon City, lost their son to bladder complications several months ago. A medical examiner says his death could have been prevented had his family taken him to a doctor. Several children from the church died in the 90’s. Another couple in the church already face charges involving the death of a toddler who passed away earlier this year. They are expected to go on trial next year.

Teen Dies for Lack of a Catheter

A teenager in Gladstone, Oregon died from an illness that could have been easily treated. Neil Beagley died of heart failure caused by a urinary tract blockage. A catheter would have saved his life. His family attends Followers of Christ church and believe in faith-healing. Recently Beagley’s 15-month-old cousin died in a case that has led to criminal charges. But police say there will be no charges filed in Beagley’s case because in Oregon a 16-year-old can legally make his own medical decisions.

Parents Face Charges

A Wisconsin couple who prayed instead of taking their sick daughter to a doctor face charges of second-degree reckless homicide. Dale and Leilani Neumann of Weston could get 25 years in prison for letting their 11-year-old die of diabetes. Leilani Neumann told Associated Press they believed in the Bible but had nothing against doctors. They do not belong to an organized church. The girl’s grandmother says the child was ill for days and wasn’t able to walk or talk.