The document discusses a case involving religious freedom versus medical science. A 12-year-old boy from a religious group that does not believe in doctors severely injured his arm, resulting in a serious infection. Despite warnings from medical professionals that the boy needed immediate medical care or he could lose his arm or die, his parents refused treatment due to their religious beliefs. Two weeks later, the boy died from the infection. The document poses questions about where to draw the line between religious freedom and medical care needed to save a child's life.
Dean r berry real world problems religious freedom or medical help
1. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OR MEDICAL
SCIENCE?
REAL WORLD PROBLEMS
BY: DEAN BERRY, ED. D.
1
2. THE PROBLEM
MR. AND MRS. METCALF ARE MEMBERS OF A RELIGIOUS GROUP
WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN DOCTORS OR ANY KIND OF MEDICAL
TREATMENT. THEIR 12 YEAR OLD SON DAMAGED HIS ARM BADLY,
AND A GRUESOME INFECTION MADE THE WHOLE ARM TURN
PURPLE AND SWELL TO DOUBLE ITS NORMAL SIZE. THE SCHOOL
NURSE TOLD THE FAMILY THAT GANGRENE HAD SET-IN, AND
THAT HE MUST BE TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL OR HE WOULD LOSE HIS
ARM AND POSSIBLY DIE FROM THE INFECTION. THE FAMILY WAS
REPORTED TO CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES. DURING A HOME
VISIT, CPS WARNED THE FAMILY THAT THEY WERE REQUIRED TO
GET MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR THEIR SON. TWO WEEKS LATER THE
BOY DIED FROM AN ARM INFECTION.
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4. THINK & DISCUSS
• SHOULD A PARENT BE ABLE
TO REFUSE MEDICAL
ATTENTION FOR THEIR
CHILD IN A LIFE
THREATENING SITUATION?
• SHOULD RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN
SOCIETIES’ BELIEF IN
MEDICAL SCIENCE AND
CHILD WELFARE?
• SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT
BE ABLE TO FORCE A PARENT
TO GET MEDICAL ATTENTION
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5. REPORT BACK TO CLASS
SHARE YOUR IDEAS
.
1. LET’S SUMMARIZE POSSIBLE
ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS.
2. INCLUDE THESE IDEAS IN
YOUR NOTES.
3. YOU MAY CHOOSE TO USE A
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER.
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6. PREPARE TO RESEARCH THE ISSUES
•NOW IT IS TIME TO RESEARCH VARIOUS
POINTS OF VIEW AND LEGAL POSITIONS.
INCLUDE ANY COURT CASES OR RULINGS
THAT MAY LEND SUPPORT TO YOUR
POSITION.
7. QUESTIONS TO GUIDE RESEARCH
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
• 1. REVIEW COURT DECISIONS REGARDING RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM AND THE RIGHT OF PARENTS TO REFUSE
CRITICAL MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR THEIR CHILD.
WHAT DO COURT DECISIONS SAY ABOUT THIS
ISSUE?
• 2. AT WHAT AGE SHOULD A CHILD’S OPINION BE
MORE IMPORTANT THAN A PARENT’S OPINION
REGARDING MEDICAL TREATMENT?
• 3. WHAT TYPES OF MEDICAL TREATMENT SHOULD
BE PROVIDED TO A CHILD REGARDLESS OF
RELIGIOUS VIEWS?
• 4. IF A COURT RULES AGAINST A PARENT WHO DOES
NOT WANT MEDICAL ATTENTION, AND THE CHILD
DIES EVEN AFTER GETTING MEDICAL HELP, SHOULD
8. IS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM GREATER THAN
MEDICAL HELP TO SAVE LIVES? 3 MIN
•HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/W
ATCH?V=QLCCMULPXC4
9. PARENTS LET TWO CHILDREN DIE: REFUSED
MEDICAL HELP 5 MIN
•HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/W
ATCH?V=69O_VEDVLT4
10. LITTLE GIRL DIES AFTER PARENTS REFUSE
MEDICAL SERVICE 4 MIN
•HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?
V=XN2VL_KLC9W
11. MOM REFUSES MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR SON
WITH CANCER 5 MIN
•HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/W
ATCH?V=VMGQUXMWDHI
12. USE THE FOLLOWING INTERNET SOURCES TO
GATHER INFORMATION ON YOUR RESEARCH
TOPIC.
SEE THE
POWERPOINT
VERSION OF THIS
UNIT IN ORDER TO
QUICKLY ACCESS
13. RESEARCH NOTES
• COLLECT A MINIMUM OF 2-3 PAGES OF NOTES
• GATHER INFORMATION THAT WILL ENABLE YOU
TO WRITE A SHORT TWO PAGE ESSAY
14. EVALUATE AND VERIFY
RESEARCH SOURCES
• INTERNET SOURCES WILL VARY GREATLY IN ACCURACY AND
RELIABILITY
• CONSIDER THE EXPERTISE AND REPUTATION OF EACH WEBSITE
• COMPARE FACTS AND INFORMATION OF DIFFERENT INTERNET
SOURCES
• SELECT INFORMATION THAT IS SUPPORTED ON SEVERAL
RELIABLE WEBSITES
• QUESTION OR REFUTE INFORMATION THAT LACKS CONSISTENT
SUPPORT
15. USE THE FOLLOWING INTERNET SOURCES TO
GATHER INFORMATION ON YOUR RESEARCH
TOPIC.
SEE THE POWERPOINT VERSION OF
THIS UNIT IN ORDER TO QUICKLY
ACCESS HYPERLINKED SOURCES.
16. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OR MEDICAL
TREATMENT
• HTTP://WWW.RELIGIOUSTOLERANCE.ORG/MEDICAL1.HTM
17. THE LAW: MEDICINE VERSES RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM
• HTTP://VIRTUALMENTOR.AMA-ASSN.ORG/2009/10/HLAW1-0910.HTML
18. OVERVIEW: RELIGION OR MEDICAL
TREATMENT
• HTTP://VOICES.YAHOO.COM/RELIGION-REFUSAL-MEDICAL-TREATMENT-
RIGHTS-2641729.HTML?CAT=5
19. FAITH HEALING AND THE LAW
• HTTP://WWW.PEWFORUM.ORG/2009/08/31/FAITH-HEALING-AND-THE-LAW/
21. HEALTH OR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
• HTTP://WWW.ASCENSIONHEALTH.ORG/INDEX.PHP?OPTION=COM_CONTENT&VIE
W=ARTICLE&ID=87:PRINCIPLE-OF-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM&ITEMID=171
22. LIMITS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
• HTTP://USATODAY30.USATODAY.COM/NEWS/OPINION/FORUM/2011-03-28-
COLUMN28_ST_N.HTM
23. SCIENCE BASED MEDICINE
• HTTP://WWW.SCIENCEBASEDMEDICINE.ORG/FAITH-HEALING-RELIGIOUS-
FREEDOM-VS-CHILD-PROTECTION/
24. MEDICAL CARE VERSES RELIGIOUS RIGHTS
• HTTP://CONTENT.TIME.COM/TIME/NATION/ARTICLE/0,8599,100175,00.HTML
26. THINK ABOUT THE
ISSUES• WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN IF MEDICAL
EXPERTS ARE SURE THAT THE CHILD WILL
DIE WITHOUT TREATMENT?
• SHOULD THE COURTS BE ABLE TO DECIDE
WHAT IS THE BEST MEDICAL TREATMENT
FOR A FAMILY’S CHILDREN?
• SHOULD RELIGIOUS FREEDOM BE MORE
IMPORTANT THAN SOCIETY’S BELIEF THAT A
CHILD NEEDS MEDICAL CARE?
• SHOULD MINOR AGED CHILDREN BE
GUARANTEED THE RIGHTS OF LIFE, LIBERTY,
AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS?
• EXPLAIN YOUR ARGUMENT BY GIVING
REASONS WITH SUPPORTING DETAILS.
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27. PREPARE TO WRITE
USING YOUR RESEARCH NOTES
• WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN TO THE
PARENTS?
• WHAT KIND OF PUNISHMENT, IF
ANY, SHOULD THEY RECEIVE?
• SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT
REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION IN
FUTURE CASES?
• EXPLAIN YOUR ARGUMENT BY
GIVING REASONS WITH
SUPPORTING DETAILS.
• WHAT HAVE THE COURTS SAID
ABOUT THIS ISSUE?
• WHICH FREEDOM IS MORE
IMPORTANT, THE RIGHT TO
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29. ORGANIZE
• REVIEW ALL OF YOUR NOTES
FROM THE GROUP DISCUSSION.
• SELECT THE MOST IMPORTANT
IDEAS.
• CHOOSE FACTS AND EXAMPLES
TO SUPPORT EACH IMPORTANT
IDEA
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30. DEVELOP A WRITING
PLAN
• DETERMINE WHAT YOUR MAIN POINT
WILL BE, AND WRITE A TOPIC
SENTENCE THAT PROVIDES FOCUS FOR
YOUR ESSAY.
• CHOOSE SEVERAL MAIN IDEAS THAT
SUPPORT YOUR TOPIC SENTENCE.
• SORT YOUR INFORMATION INTO
SUPPORTING DETAILS WITH FACTS AND
EXAMPLES. 30
35. PREPARE TO WRITE
• WRITE A FIVE
PARAGRAPH ESSAY
ABOUT THE ISSUE.
• AS YOU WRITE YOUR
ROUGH DRAFT, IT WILL
BE VERY IMPORTANT TO
USE SPECIAL WORDS
THAT ENABLE YOU TO
TRANSITION SMOOTHLY
FROM ONE IDEA TO THE
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36. TRANSITION WORDS
AS YOU VIEW THESE
WORDS, SELECT THE
WORDS THAT HELP YOU
MAKE TRANSITIONS
SMOOTHLY FROM ONE
IDEA TO THE NEXT.
• AS A RESULT
• SUCH AS
• FOR EXAMPLE
• NEVERTHELESS
• FOR THAT REASON
• FINALLY
• AT THIS TIME
• THEREFORE
• FURTHERMORE
• IN ADDITION
• IN CONCLUSION
• AS WELL AS
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37. PAIR SHARE
EDITING
WORK IN PAIRS TO
EDIT AND IMPROVE
YOUR ESSAY. READ
EACH OTHER’S
ESSAYS “OUT
LOUD” AND OFFER
SPECIFIC
SUGGESTIONS FOR
38. REVIEW, EDIT, AND REWRITE
1. RE-READ YOUR ESSAY SEVERAL TIMES.
2. HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE YOUR SENTENCES TO
COMMUNICATE MORE CLEARLY?
3. ARE YOUR MAIN IDEAS SUPPORTED BY EXAMPLES AND
DETAILS?
4. EXCHANGE PAPERS WITH ANOTHER STUDENT AND READ
EACH OTHER’S ESSAY OUT LOUD.
5. MAKE FINAL CORRECTIONS AND WRITE A FINAL DRAFT OF
YOUR POLISHED ESSAY.
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40. BRING YOUR COMPLETED PAPER
TO THE NEXT CLASS SESSION.
THE NEXT STEP
WILL BE TO
PRESENT YOUR
IDEAS TO YOUR
SMALL GROUP FOR 40
41. MEET IN SMALL GROUPS TO CROSS EXAMINE STUDENTS AS THEY
PRESENT THEIR PAPERS
• ANALYZE SOLUTIONS AND EVIDENCE PRESENTED BY GROUP
MEMBERS.
• ASK CHALLENGING QUESTIONS WHEN GROUP MEMBERS PRESENT THEIR
POSITIONS. LOOK FOR EVIDENCE THAT IS SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT
CLEAR, LOGICAL ARGUMENTS.
• ASK GROUP MEMBERS TO DEFEND THE CREDIBILITY AND
RELIABILITY OF THEIR SOURCES.
42. SHARE YOUR IDEAS
WITH THE GROUP
DURING THIS EVALUATION PHASE, CLASS
MEMBERS WILL SHARE IDEAS, ANALYZE
ARGUMENTS, AND REVIEW THE MAIN ISSUES OF
THE PROBLEM. STUDENTS WILL BE PREPARED TO
PARTICIPATE BY CONTRIBUTING THEIR IDEAS AND
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE. 42
43. DEFEND YOUR POSITION
AS YOU PRESENT YOUR PAPER TO YOUR GROUP,
CLEARLY STATE YOUR POSITION ON THE ISSUE
AND REVIEW THE MAIN POINTS OF YOUR
ARGUMENT. BE SURE TO CITE SPECIFIC FACTS
AND EXAMPLES THAT SUPPORT EACH POINT
YOU ARE MAKING. INCLUDE EVIDENCE THAT
SUBSTANTIATES ALL CLAIMS.
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