Someone get this man a gold star!

I avoided all news outlets after I heard about that too. Just in case.

Am I the only one who sees the problem with the treatment option for the woman in this story?

So she starves her 1 year old son to death due to blindly following a religious cult...and the treatment includes bible study? Ummmm....

You're not the only one.
WTF?!

whatWhatWHAAAAT!?!

The judge not only threw out (okay, suspended, whatever) her 20 year sentence and forced her into "treatment" that includes religious indoctrination? Are you fücking kidding me judge?!? Please re-read the First Amendment.

Yes, the Bible will teach her that when God asks you to kill your child, it's only a test. He doesn't really mean it. He will, however, kill the children of your enemies. Ultimately, if really pissed, he will kill his own son, but just for a while, which triggers the favorable portions of his plea deal.

Well, I always have an issue with any government mandated program that has a religious requirement (but I won't go into detail because I don't want to piss off people here again) so just on that level I've got issues.

That said, if she is of such a strongly religious bent that she starved her child it might be better to wean her on a form of religion that does not starve children rather than asking her to go cold turkey.

I like to think that if the gov't ever gave me a religious requirement of any kind, I'd take it all the way to the Supreme Court.

Don't drink & drive ;)

(Sorry Alex - or at least that's what I think you were alluding to)

I wouldn't suggest isolating her from religion cold turkey. And I understand that religiosity (whether it's generic bible study, or generic spirituality) are easy and, by some measures, effective shortcuts in a system that simply has to rely on shortcuts to point people towards a better path. And I have no doubt it works for a lot of people. And I know the judge didn't say, "Put her in bible study, that'll learn her!" it just is part of the default program. It just happens that a case like this points out the shortcomings of relying exclusively on those shortcuts. I have no problem with access to religious outlets being part of recovery programs, as long as there's some choice invovled.

but I don't know, it's not like the article has details. There's nothing that says that participation in bible study is compulsory, so maybe it's over reaction, and Alex is right, I can't argue that mainstream religious oxposure probably would still do her some good. But I can't shake the eerie feeling I get when I think of it as treating someone who clearly doesn't process religious thinking very well with more religion.

How about the part of her plea deal thatsays " If Javon comes back to life, the plea will be withdrawn" Seriously WTF!!??! What kind of court room was this!