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The current state law allows parents who practice faith healing to avoid charges of manslaughter, capital murder and negligent homicide if God decides to ignore them.
“These are not things children die of in our time. This is what children died of back in the 1800s — not in the 2000s,” said Linda Martin, a vocal supporter of the new bill who grew up in a faith healing sect.
However, Republican lawmakers oppose the bill proposal because they feel it infringes on the freedom of religion. A similar bill failed to pass in 2014 for the same concerns after which the state suffered a string of preventable child deaths.
“Children do die,” said Christy Perry, a Republican Idaho representative. “I’m not trying to sound callous, but [reformers] want to act as if death is an anomaly. But it’s not — it’s a way of life.”
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Idaho GOP: Parents can choose prayer over medicine without consequences[/FONT]