Carl and Raylene Worthington believe that prayer–not medicine–should be used to treat illness.  When their 15-month-old daughter developed bacterial bronchial pneumonia, they turned to their faith rather than a doctor.  The child died, and the parents are now facing manslaughter charges.

Reading about the recent court battle over parental rights in Oregon has raised some questions that I’d like to share with the Dad-o-Matic community. This post is primarily intended to stimulate conversation at both philosophical and legal levels.

• Do parents have a right to raise their children as they see fit?
• If so, at what point should parents lose that right?
• What actions taken by a parent should allow the government to trump parental judgment?
• Who decides when a parent is no longer capable of caring for their child?

You may have additional questions, and I know that you will have opinions to share in the comments.  I look forward to reading them, and discussing.