http://forgottenfuture.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/toddler-javon-thompson-starved-to-death-by-members-of-cult/ Thoughts on Mental Health Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:50:29 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 http://forgottenfuture.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/toddler-javon-thompson-starved-to-death-by-members-of-cult/#comment-48 Deborah Clark Ebel Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:41:46 +0000 http://forgottenfuture.wordpress.com/?p=41#comment-48 Thanks so much for your comments. You're absolutely correct, of course. I'm sure a denial of responsibility will first come from a claim of religious freedom, but mental illness or mental deficiency is always there as a backup. As I said in my post, it was murder, it is murder, and those who care about children should see it clearly as a horrendously tortured way for a child to die. Requiring a small child to mimic an adult saying any phrase--yes, even "Amen"--is so ludicrous that it would be laughable were it not for the fact that Javon is now dead. Would have his soul now be resting any easier had he repeated, "Amen"? I don't think so. Thanks so much for your comments. You’re absolutely correct, of course. I’m sure a denial of responsibility will first come from a claim of religious freedom, but mental illness or mental deficiency is always there as a backup. As I said in my post, it was murder, it is murder, and those who care about children should see it clearly as a horrendously tortured way for a child to die. Requiring a small child to mimic an adult saying any phrase–yes, even “Amen”–is so ludicrous that it would be laughable were it not for the fact that Javon is now dead. Would have his soul now be resting any easier had he repeated, “Amen”? I don’t think so.

]]> http://forgottenfuture.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/toddler-javon-thompson-starved-to-death-by-members-of-cult/#comment-42 PsiCop Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:16:33 +0000 http://forgottenfuture.wordpress.com/?p=41#comment-42 I'm not sure that the mother will need to claim mental illness or brainwashing in this case. In the US a great many things are permissible, so long as they're part of a religious observance. The Texas Supreme Court declared this explicitly, a short time ago (http://www.agnostic-library.com/ma/2008/06/29/freedom-of-religion-or-freedom-to-harm-in-texas/) and in most other states, "religious freedom" is interpreted similarly. I’m not sure that the mother will need to claim mental illness or brainwashing in this case. In the US a great many things are permissible, so long as they’re part of a religious observance. The Texas Supreme Court declared this explicitly, a short time ago (http://www.agnostic-library.com/ma/2008/06/29/freedom-of-religion-or-freedom-to-harm-in-texas/) and in most other states, “religious freedom” is interpreted similarly.

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