Dallas pastor gets 99 years for starving toddler to death

[Underseer]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/dallas-area-pastor-99-years-boys-starvation-death-53987304

A Dallas-area pastor who investigators say ordered that food be withheld from a toddler in order to rid him of a demon has been sentenced to 99 years in prison in the child's 2015 starvation death.

I don't have words for this. I can't decide if this is the most evil thing I've heard all year or the most stupid. Or both. It could definitely be both.

Not all Muslims and Evangelicals are screaming morons, but whenever I hear something fantastically stupid from a theist, it more than likely involves either a Muslim or an Evangelical. "Playing pen and paper roleplaying games causes witchcraft!" "Pokemon is a Jewish plot to subvert Muslim youth!" "Your toddler is possessed by demons; use starvation to get the demons out." "Why take this child to a doctor? Le'ts just pray instead!" "Vaccines are a Christian plot to sterilize Muslim children!"

Fuck fuck fuckitty fuck.

 

[Angry Floof]

Fitting sentence.

 

[fast]

Just how the hell do you think we're supposed to go about ridding a toddler from demon possession if not by withholding food for sufficient time for the demon to grow weak and vacate the body? Ninety-nine years for a prison sentence is asinine given the facts of the case. First, the action taken by the pastor was necessary--not some elective choice made on a whim. It's perfectly in line with standard practice and procedures for demon eradication. Second, the continued death of the child was not as a direct result of either the pastor or the family (who too realized the necessity for immediate and prompt action). The initial death, sure, but that's apart of the risk with such serious circumstances. Third, and I'd feel remiss not to remind you precisely who is at fault, clearly outlined in the very link you provided. The church had held a "failed resurrection" ceremony. Maybe the English wasn't clear enough for you, so I'll break it down. The ceremony wasn't to honor the failed resurrection. The ceremony was the attempted resurrection itself. How it must darken our hearts that such a simple resurrection procedure could end so badly. That's ashame, but the travesty is in blaming the ones with good intentions who incidentally was quite successful in their endeavor to elleviate the child's burden of demonic spirits. Always the liberal, ready, willing, and eagerly able to cast blame on the righteous ... and never mind the true failure and where it lies: squarely with those that attempted but fell short of bringing the boy back to life. Seriously messed up world we live in where a quite ordinary accepted set of common steps can't even be made without the diseased portion of society jumping in to aspects of people's lives they have no place being.

[/Lost it]

Oh, and for those that don't know me: yes, I'm kidding.

And for those that do: WTF, I hope the death was at least unintended. I mean, did they truly intend ahead of time to try and bring him back to life, as in, like, they knew he was going to die OR, was the death unintended and the attempted resurrection (as they call it) a last minute ditch effort after the boo boo mistake of taking the starvation bit too far? Damn!

 

[jab]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/dallas-area-pastor-99-years-boys-starvation-death-53987304

A Dallas-area pastor who investigators say ordered that food be withheld from a toddler in order to rid him of a demon has been sentenced to 99 years in prison in the child's 2015 starvation death.

I don't have words for this. I can't decide if this is the most evil thing I've heard all year or the most stupid. Or both. It could definitely be both.

Not all Muslims and Evangelicals are screaming morons, but whenever I hear something fantastically stupid from a theist, it more than likely involves either a Muslim or an Evangelical. "Playing pen and paper roleplaying games causes witchcraft!" "Pokemon is a Jewish plot to subvert Muslim youth!" "Your toddler is possessed by demons; use starvation to get the demons out." "Why take this child to a doctor? Le'ts just pray instead!" "Vaccines are a Christian plot to sterilize Muslim children!"

Fuck fuck fuckitty fuck.

The pastor's name sounds vaguely but appropriately like Arsehole Major.

 

[Underseer]

Just how the hell do you think we're supposed to go about ridding a toddler from demon possession if not by withholding food for sufficient time for the demon to grow weak and vacate the body? Ninety-nine years for a prison sentence is asinine given the facts of the case. First, the action taken by the pastor was necessary--not some elective choice made on a whim. It's perfectly in line with standard practice and procedures for demon eradication. Second, the continued death of the child was not as a direct result of either the pastor or the family (who too realized the necessity for immediate and prompt action). The initial death, sure, but that's apart of the risk with such serious circumstances. Third, and I'd feel remiss not to remind you precisely who is at fault, clearly outlined in the very link you provided. The church had held a "failed resurrection" ceremony. Maybe the English wasn't clear enough for you, so I'll break it down. The ceremony wasn't to honor the failed resurrection. The ceremony was the attempted resurrection itself. How it must darken our hearts that such a simple resurrection procedure could end so badly. That's ashame, but the travesty is in blaming the ones with good intentions who incidentally was quite successful in their endeavor to elleviate the child's burden of demonic spirits. Always the liberal, ready, willing, and eagerly able to cast blame on the righteous ... and never mind the true failure and where it lies: squarely with those that attempted but fell short of bringing the boy back to life. Seriously messed up world we live in where a quite ordinary accepted set of common steps can't even be made without the diseased portion of society jumping in to aspects of people's lives they have no place being.

[/Lost it]

Oh, and for those that don't know me: yes, I'm kidding.

And for those that do: WTF, I hope the death was at least unintended. I mean, did they truly intend ahead of time to try and bring him back to life, as in, like, they knew he was going to die OR, was the death unintended and the attempted resurrection (as they call it) a last minute ditch effort after the boo boo mistake of taking the starvation bit too far? Damn!

If your religion tells you to starve your own child (the parents were involved in this nonsense), then that is precisely the time to question your own religion.

 

[Jobar]

The story says the parents went back to Mexico; I'd say they are at least equally guilty. I find no word on attempts to bring them to justice.

 

[LordKiran]

The story says the parents went back to Mexico; I'd say they are at least equally guilty. I find no word on attempts to bring them to justice.

Having the death of your infant child weigh on your conscience for the rest of your days is a kind of punishment.

 

[ideologyhunter]

The story identifies the church involved only as 'evangelistic nondenominational'; in other words, wackadoo Christers following a charismatic leader.
Look at the established denominations with death tolls to their discredit -- the Christian Scientists and others who, in numerous instances, allow children to die from untreated illness...the Jehovah's Witnesses who encourage their congregation to deny themselves blood transfusions, I believe out of adherence to a reference in OT dietary law about ingesting blood....are these examples morally different from starving an infant, because they seem to be offenses of omission?

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

The story says the parents went back to Mexico; I'd say they are at least equally guilty. I find no word on attempts to bring them to justice.

Having the death of your infant child weigh on your conscience for the rest of your days is a kind of punishment.

Normal loving parents, yes. But I don't think these folks make the grade. If they were normal loving parents they would never have even considered doing what they did.

 

[Underseer]

The story says the parents went back to Mexico; I'd say they are at least equally guilty. I find no word on attempts to bring them to justice.

Having the death of your infant child weigh on your conscience for the rest of your days is a kind of punishment.

Only if they realize that they caused the death of their own child.

Ever heard of "sunk cost bias"? Because they caused the death of their own toddler, now they are going to be even more convinced that the child was possessed by evil spirits because now if they question that, they have to admit that they killed their own child.

 

[Lion IRC]

I don't understand why it went to trial.
Did she plead not guilty?
If she thought God told her to do it she should plead guilty.

 

[Underseer]

I don't understand why it went to trial.
Did she plead not guilty?
If she thought God told her to do it she should plead guilty.

If it went to trial, then it is safe to assume that at some point, she pled not guilty.

Are you saying that God didn't tell her to do it?

What proof do you have that God didn't tell her to starve the demons out of her child? Maybe they were really persistent demons. Maybe God needed another angel. Maybe both. You can't prove that God didn't talk to her, nor can you prove that God didn't say those things to her, therefore it is proven that God did say those things to her.

(Yes, I am lampooning a common Christian/Muslim argument about the burden of proof.)

 

[Lion IRC]

I don't understand why it went to trial.
Did she plead not guilty?
If she thought God told her to do it she should plead guilty.

If it went to trial, then it is safe to assume that at some point, she pled not guilty.

Right. But why? What was she denying?

..Are you saying that God didn't tell her to do it?

No but if God did, then why would she deny doing what (she believed) God said. Embarrassed?
Maybe she isn't sure whether God really did ask her to "follow orders"

...What proof do you have that God didn't tell her to starve the demons out of her child?

None. Maybe He did.

...Maybe they were really persistent demons. Maybe God needed another angel. Maybe both. You can't prove that God didn't talk to her, nor can you prove that God didn't say those things to her

That's true.

 

[braces_for_impact]

The story says the parents went back to Mexico; I'd say they are at least equally guilty. I find no word on attempts to bring them to justice.

Having the death of your infant child weigh on your conscience for the rest of your days is a kind of punishment.

Only if they realize that they caused the death of their own child.

Ever heard of "sunk cost bias"? Because they caused the death of their own toddler, now they are going to be even more convinced that the child was possessed by evil spirits because now if they question that, they have to admit that they killed their own child.

Unfortunately, that was my thought as well. If they were inclined to listen to the pastor as their child got weaker and smaller by the day, I cannot imagine them challenging his authority now. They'll call it God's will in order to save themselves from cognitive bias, and therefore, guilt.