Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-01-23
FAITH CURE MARTYRS.

a SHORT time since the NEWS
treated editorially on the subject of
furnishing faith cure believers for
refusing TO administer medicine to
their children, or other persons be-
meath their charge. The New York
Sun has the folio wing fac;sand COM
nents upon a case Of this kind:
-Four believers in the faith cura
or members ofthe sect calling then,,
selves New EvangeIists, have been
sentenced in Brooklyn To pay fine
varying from 800 to $500, or to
stand committed one day for each
dollar Of the fine. They had re.
fused TO give medicine prescribed
by physicians for children suffering
from diphtheria and scarlet fever
ihe penalties were imposed under
the section OF the Penal Code which
reads,
section IS. 4 person who wnfully ouafts
VITA u lawful excuse, 10 perform a 1fpry,
~ Nv imposed upon him 10 furnish food.
oioihinE, shelter, or mecicai at,-ndsrre-to
mlnor' Is guilty Of misdemeanor.
The accused undoubtedly violated
this provision of the law, ana they
made no effort TO escape apprehen-
sion and punishment. Both Lars
sen and Jansen, the fathers Of the
sick children, called in physicians
IN order to comply with a regulation
OF the Brooklyn board Of health
Out they openly and stubbornly re- /
FUSED TO administer the medicines I,
ordered, on the ground Of religious /
scruples. The two others Of the con- !
Nlcted were women Of thesect vino
acted as volunteer nurses. They /
are all sincere, conscientious
peaceable, and generally law
ablains people, in that respect stand.
ing above the average OF the COM
munity; but they believe that in
leaving their sick ~ the hands Of
GOD alone they obey a divine COM
mand which no human law can
annui. Therefore, so far as the pres
cut members Of the sect are con-
,erned, such punishments as were
Diileted on these four will be of no
vail. They look on fines and i'm
lrisonment a trials sent by God to
trengthen their faith. If they can
ave up their children to death be-
.ause they believe it to be the
.lvine will, mere temporal penal
les inflicted on themselves will.
course, be without effect 10
mango theirfaith and their practice.
cut Dr. Bierwirth, physician to the
ir0okiyn Society 70, he Prevention
I Cruelty TO Child q, thinks that {
a few severe pun. hments will
lghten on new corners aud pre-
ent an increase in their number.'' :
We very much question whether
vat VIII be the case. The experi-
nee OF the past is such that fanatics.
You may 80 call them, are rather Il
iuitiplled oy what they regard as
ersecution Of the world. II affords
lem an opportunity to manifest be-
re society the strength and sin i,
.rity Of their convictions. and
'ubtless, therefore, all these four
'nvieted are now rejoicing that
ey were chosen of God to be wit
- TO the faith. = d
There are other people besides the
ew Evangelists who do not oe-
we IN doctors or drugs. They
row the Doctors stuff odt Of the It
ndow, preferring to leave the
re TO nature. Even now many
regard the medicines "
mlnistered by the regular schools
little better than rank poison.a and
'se who trust the old school of II,
'dicine look with pity on their
ghbors who rely upon hompo- =
hic doctors. There are also n,
nor sects in medicine which dis.
st both the one and the other. =