Another tragic death from fantasy

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Religious fantasy kills. Fourteen year old Dennis Lindberg of Seattle, Washington passed away last night because he thought getting a life-saving blood transfusion would make him unclean. Sad, really. This was even against his parents' wishes. They wanted him to live. Unfortunately, Dennis' aunt, a Jehovah's Witness, greatly influenced him. The judge in the case that let the eight grader die didn't believe his decision was the result of any coercion. What the hell is fantastical religious indoctrination if not coercion? The doctors said he would have had a 70% chance of beating his leukemia with the transfusion. The judge said his ruling was a death sentence. We need to protect our children from this idiocy.

You're elected to work not pray

Part of me makes me glad I don't live in Georgia, but I'm sure it is similar here. This story from CNN today raises the issue nicely. I'm talking about elected officials wasting valuable taxpayer paid time pleading with some fantastical deity for help when they could be doing work for the people. This year Georgia is suffering from one of the worst droughts in its history. Water shortages are reaching critical stage in Atlanta and many places in GA. There's a lot to do. So, what does Governor Sonny Perdue and the GA legislature have on their agendas today? Yes. They're going to stand around on the steps of the Capitol mumbling to some imaginary magical creature to come down and spread some rain around. This is NOT what public servants are elected to do.

Now, I have no problem with people praying. Prayer can make people feel good. It can give them inner strength and lift them up. The GA governor and legislature can pray all they want to, but can't they do it on their own time? Their constituents are certainly expecting more from their work day. Most working people don't get to stop working to organize prayer vigils. They use their day off on Sunday for their worship. Why should elected officials be granted special rights in this regard?

At least one guy down in GA has the right idea:

"The governor can pray when he wants to," said Ed Buckner, who is organizing the protest. "What he can't do is lead prayers in the name of the people of Georgia."