• State Senator Lena Taylor and the Church of Christ, Scientist are working to clarify faith healing law.
• An 11-year-old girl died because her parents relied on faith healing instead of conventional medicine.
• The Catholic Church believes in prayer and doing what you can for yourself.
• A faith-healing bill will soon be proposed to state legislature.

Wisconsin State Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) and the Church of Christ, Scientist are working together to clarify the Wisconsin law regarding faith healing.

Their efforts stem from the March 2008 death of 11-year-old Madeline Kara Neumann. She died of diabetes after her parents relied on prayer for her healing instead of seeking conventional medical treatment.

Her parents, Dale and Leilani Neumann, are now facing charges of second-degree reckless homicide.

Alison Barnes, professor of law, said the Neumann's case is serious because Madeline was a young healthy girl developing a chronic disease that was easily controllable. Because Madeline was never taken to a hospital and was unable to make her own medical decisions as a minor, courts never had the chance to intervene, Barnes said.

Dan Maguire, theology professor, said that the law usually leaves adults alone when they use faith healing instead of medical treatment but may interfere when a child is involved.

Joe Farkas, part of the Church of Christ, Scientist's committee on publication for Wisconsin, said they are working to "entirely eliminate" the statute and replace it with a clearer one.

"Our proposal removes a statute that been perceived to provide immunity for inappropriate behavior," Farkas said.

The Neumanns are not members of the Church of Christ, Scientist, according to Farkas.

The current Wisconsin statute states, "A person is not guilty of an offense under this section solely because he or she provides a child with treatment by spiritual means through prayer alone for healing in accordance with the religious method of healing permitted under (two other statutes) in lieu of medical or surgical treatment."

Farkas said the Church of Christ, Scientist want to clarify the law so that it cannot be a shield for unreasonable abuse against children.

"This is really all about the protection of children," Farkas said.

According to an encyclopedia entry written by Marquette Law professor Scott Idleman, "Spiritual healing, or faith healing, refers broadly to efforts aimed at curing or ameliorating physical or psychological ailments through religious belief, prayer or ritual."

Idleman also wrote most believers in faith healing use the method to supplement conventional healing methods rather than replace them. But, as demonstrated by the Neumann case, faith healing does sometimes replace medical treatment.

"There can be healing results from good psychological support, but God is not to be seen as a doctor on emergency duty," Maguire said. The Catholic Church believes in prayer and petitions but it "want(s) you to do what you can do for yourself."

The Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, a nonpartisan agency, is currently examining the proposed statute, refining the language, and exploring the effects it will have if passed. Then the bill will be introduced to the Legislature by its sponsors.

Farkas said he is "confident that people will be fair" regarding the bill.

The Church of Christ, Scientist started thinking about taking legal efforts five months ago, Farkas said. Other legislative efforts the church is involved in include trying to make spiritual healing a part of any health care bills.