Show FAITH CURE MARTYRS A SHORT time since the NEWS treated editorially editor lally on the subject of punishing faith cure believers for refusing to administer medicine to their children or other persons beneath their charge the yew new york sun has the following facts and comments upon a case of this kind four believers in the faith cure or members of the sect met calling themselves new evangelists have been sentenced iu in brooklyn to pay fines varying from to or to stand committed one day for each dollar of the fine they had refused to give medicine prescribed by physicians for children sti suffering firering from diphtheria and scarlet fever the penalties were imposed under the section of the penal code 1 ode which reads section A person who w wilfully omits without with ut lawful excuse to perform a duty br by law imposed upon him to furnish food e clothing athing shelter or medical attendance to a minor inor is guilty of a misdemeanor the accused undoubtedly violated this provision of the law and they made no effort to escape apprehension and punishment both larssen and jansen the fathers of the sick children called in physicians in order to comply with a regulation of the brooklyn board of health but they openly and stubbornly refused to administer the medicines ordered on the ground of religious scruples the two others of th the convicted were women of the sect who acted as volunteer nurses they are all sincere conscientious peaceable and generally law abiding peo plein that respect standing above the ave average rage of the community but they believe that in leaving their sick ia u the hands of god alone they obey a divine command moo which no human law can annul therefore so far as aa the present members of the sect are concerned such punishments as were inflicted on these four will be of no avail they look on fines and im as trials sent by god to strengthen their faith if they ban an give up their children to death because they believe it if to be the i divine will m mere ere temporal penalties inflicted on themselves will of course be without effect to change their faith laith and ancl their practice but dr Bler bierwirth wirth it p physician to the brooklyn society foi fbi the prevention of cruelty to child n thinks that ahat a few severe pu will frighten off new co comers and prevent an increase in their la number umber PP we very much question whether that will be the case experience of the past is such that fanatics if you may so call them are rather multiplied by what they regard as persecution of the world it affords them an opportunity to manifest before society the strength and sincerity of their conviction and d doubtless therefore all these four convicted are now rejoicing that they were chosen of god to b be witness es to chef the faith aith there are other people besides the new evangelists who do not believe in doctors or drugs they throw the doctors stuff out of the window preferring to leave the cure to nature even eveia now many regard the medicines administered by the 1 regular se schools hoolis as little better than rank baluk poi pol those who trust the old school of medicine look with pity on their neighbors who rely upon homoeopathic doctors there are an also minor sects in medicine aich distrust both the one and alad the others other |