Most parents share their religious beliefs with their children; many even require their kids to join their faith. But sometimes parents take that a little too far. Consider the case of Julia Lovemore who killed her six-week-old daughter by shoving pages from her bible in the baby’s mouth and sitting on her. According to a judge, Lovemore was “profoundly mentally disordered and suffering from religious delusions at the time.”
While this was going on, the baby’s father was praying loudly and shouting “Take the Devil out of Julia”. Social workers visited the home on the day of the baby’s death, apparently shortly after she died, but according to an independent probe, “the link between [mental illness and religious extremism] was not sufficiently articulated.” That is, they knew the parents were crazy and religious zealots, but failed to realize that it was a potentially — or actually — deadly combination.
I would argue that “religious delusions” (if that’s not redundant) are always potentially deadly. When parents pay more attention to what voices in their (or their preacher’s) head than they do their children’s safety and well-being, the likelihood of tragedy is pretty darn high. Simple rule of thumb: if there’s any way what you think you should do could harm your child, get a second opinion before you do it. There’s always time for a sanity check when it comes to your children.
[via Jezebel]
Bad Parenting 101 is a chance to learn to be a better parent by examining the mistakes of others. And by mocking them.
Tags: bad parenting, bible, death, parents behaving badly, religion, social workers
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