When is just believing not enough?
Last year an 11-year-old girl died in her parent’s living room during a prayer meeting. The meeting was called to ask God to heal the girl. It turns out the parents had decided not to take her to a doctor even though she was showing signs of sickness. They instead choose to rely on prayer and faith.
Today, a judge sentenced them each to 6 months jail time and 10 years of probation for letting their daughter die:
Marathon County Circuit Court Judge Vincent Howard told the Neumanns they were “very good people, raising their family who made a bad decision, a reckless decision.”
“God probably works through other people,” he told the parents, “some of them doctors.” […]
During the sentencing hearing, Leilani Neumann, 41, told the judge her family is loving and forgiving and has wrongly been portrayed as religious zealots.
“I do not regret trusting truly in the Lord for my daughter’s health,” she said. “Did we know she had a fatal illness? No. Did we act to the best of our knowledge? Yes.”
Dale Neumann, 47, read from the Bible and told the judge that he loved his daughter.
“I am guilty of trusting my Lord’s wisdom completely. … Guilty of asking for heavenly intervention. Guilty of following Jesus Christ when the whole world does not understand. Guilty of obeying my God,” he said.
From the Neumann’s perspective, they followed the only appropriate course. They took Jesus’ words about faith and attempted to put them into practice by trusting in faith alone to heal their daughter. After all, faith can move mountains, right?
In my family, we too pray for healing, except we also go to doctors. This morning I got a tetanus shot because if I step on a rusty nail in a few years I don’t want to die from it. Yet despite this fear, I’ve spent a grand total of zero minutes of my life praying that God would protect me from tetanus.
Likewise for any other ailment in my life: I have faith that God will heal me, but that faith is in God guiding the doctor’s hands.
In a lot of ways, the faith of the Neumanns is astounding to me. They’re clinging to their beliefs even when the judicial system has told them they seriously need to reconsider.
What about you, where do you draw the line between trusting in God and trusting in men? Are they even exclusive of each other?
And if you can keep it civil, what do you think about how the Neumann’s handled the situation?
I would still trust God. I don’t think the Neumanns should change their beliefs. I do think they handled the situation wrong. They need to understand that Jesus works through other people such as doctors. The mother said she trusted truly in the Lord. Actually she didn’t becuase she didn’t use the resources (doctors) that Jesus provided for us. You can still trust in God and man at the same time. This is truly a mistake that many people can learn from.
Interesting comment from the CBS link in your post…
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It reminds me of an old joke of a faithful man who fell into a raging river. As he fell in he called out to God to save him from drowning. Just then an old log floated by, but the man refused to take hold of it, saying “God will save me.” Then a couple of men rowed up near him and extended their oar and told him to take hold. Again, the man refuse, still saying, “God will save me.” Finally a rescue helicopter flew overhead and they dropped a lifeline down to him, but he refused that all the while proclaiming that God will save him. But he drowned!
When he reached heaven he was perplexed and asked God, “I believed in you, why didn’t you save me??!!”
God’s reply:”I sent you a log, rowboat and helicopter, what more did you want?”
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God uses people. A stone didn’t magically come off the ground and hit a giant. These people didn’t look for carrots in a forest in hopes God put them there, or only eat apples from a tree that they happened accross. They shopped at a store managed by people that provided food and they live in a house built by people and used resources that from their perpective would not be “God provided”. They obviously disconnected this association when it came to healthcare though.
6 months in jail oughta cure that though…
I have hidden issues when someone says: God worked through the doctors to heal so and so. How do I know it’s God? How do I not know that it was just b/c it was a skilled doctor? I struggle with this all the time.
Yes the Neumanns trust God and have faith but they failed to realized that God gave us the resources and His intruments like the doctors for them to diagnose and cure our illnesses in order for us to be healed,
as in Jesus time they were also doctors who uses herbal medicines to cure their patients but when it comes to demon possessed patients Jesus
preaches first, and can tell whether you have faith then He heals.
So the Nenmanna rely on their own intelligence and failed to discern God’s plan for their daughter which is supposed to go to the doctor.
Because in these modern world God no longer heal us directly unlike in time of Moses and the prophets..He will heal us only if we will put our trust also to His chosen ones (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, etc.
I beleive the neumanns Trusted in God to the best of their ability. I do believe God still heals us directly, and that he knows the begining from the end. and the days we live before he calls us home.
Hello, I believe that God is real and very trust worthy, in the bible it says not to trust men period, but I would still take my son to the Dr if need trusting that God is the one taking care of my son and not the human. God has worked wonders in my life and I believe he has a plan in everyones life. Also we need to learn how to be guided by the Holy Spirit who will take is in the right direction speacially in situations like this. We have to ask God for that spiritual hearing to know what he want to do with us, its not just faith. God bless, and cover this family with his grace.
This is just another case of the so called system of justice persecuting Christians. Every reference to physicians in scripture is negative.
Check out 1 Samuel 15:23, 2 Chronicles 16:12, Mark 5:25,26, Luke 8:43,44.
Doctors have become our idols. Our government makes us pay a whole bunch of people, just to get the medicines we need. Where do you find trusting a doctor, prescriptions, and drug companies, and the FDA in the Bible?
Take your choice. Believe the Bible, or the authorities in the world. What has changed since the early persecution of the church? Very little!
The Neumanns were right. It won’t be too long before, the judges and politicians, and doctors will learn right from wrong, and it won’t be pleasant.
Having said all this, there is a place for the use of medicines in scripture. Check out Isaiah 38:21. God has provided many natural materials for our healing that don’t cost an arm and a leg.
That is so true because in John 14 it tells us JESUS is the way,the truth, and the life,he said let not your heart be trouble, believe in GOD and believe in him also.And also in John 15 it tells us JESUS is the true vine he said if you abide in him and his words you can ask of any thing in his name and it shall be done.and also they did hate JESUS and he tell us the servant is not greater than his LORD, so they hate us too.In Psalm 118:6-10 I called upon the LORD in distress:the LORD answered me and set me in a large place.The LORD is on my side; i will not fear:What can man do unto me? The LORD taketh my part with them that help me:Therefore shall i see my desire upon them that hate me. It is better to trust in the LORD than put confidence in man.It is better to trust in the LORD than put confidence in princes. All nations compassed me about:but in the name of the LORD i will destroy them.SO trust in GOD only.Faith is the key and the Neumenns have it.The Battle is not ours, it’s the LORDS,there’s no pain JESUS can’t feel,no hurt he cannot heal all things work according to his perfect will so no matter what just remember GOD is only using us for this Battle is not our’s it’s his.
I like that i’ve could not have put that in better words myself i give you a amen on that one stay blessed in the lord as he is using you right now for his will in gods grace amen.
God’s blessing to all.
I read an article a while back on the subject of praying for healing. The author specifically wrote about this type of situation. One of his points was that we have to be very aware of what we pray for. The Bible makes this clear as well. We are to pray specifically. Unfortunately some of us are guilty, myself included, of making general prayers that often reflect our own self-centered desires. When this happens we have the tendency to forget about the will of God and the Word of God.
The fact of the matter is that God actually answered their prayers greater than they asked for. If their daughter was of the age of accountability and was a believer then she was healed permanently. The Bible clearly states that there is no more pain, sickness, corruption, etc. in heaven. Apart from the body, home with the Lord, healed forever!
We are here to glorify God. It is not our will but His that is to be done. God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours. We are to conform to the image of Christ. Unfortunately we too often try to conform God to our image. God spoke the world into existence, yet we can be dumfounded when God works beyond what we expect or imagine. There are many, actually too many local bodies that are accepting a watered down version of God and His Word, both the Living and the written.
The Neumanns should be supported for standing firm in their faith. One of my favorite Bible verses speaks of how our stand should be. I share two versions but the root truths are the same. “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” (Isaiah 7:9b, NIV) “If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.” (KJV)
This family stood firm in their belief in the promises of God, that Christ is Lord, and that they are empowered by the Holy Spirit. The world needs more people with such faith. To the glory of God their daughter was healed beyond the human expectation.
As we look at what has happened in this country over the last 50 year or even the last few years, more effort seems to be toward removing God rather than glorifying Him. Believers should not be surprised at the world’s response to true Christianity. (John 3:19 – 21 and 7:7) Jesus said that we who follow Him will have tribulation in this world. He also said that we are to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. Praise the Lord!
God answers prayer and He also answers the hard hearted. A study Bible I use has notes for Isaiah 7:9. The principle is that we have to choose to trust the Lord’s Word or fall into the hands of the enemy or, even worse, experience a final heart-hardening. The reference is to 6:9,10.
Many need to ask themselves if it seems too evil to serve the Lord, if so then they must be aware of whom they choose to serve. (Joshua 24:14, 15) There are only two choices. God is what’s right, everything else is what’s left.
I pray that many will be edified. Only the truth will set us free. Thank you Lord Jesus.
Here in Oregon City a few months ago. The Worthingtons who live here were on trial for the death of their daughter. The Father received a few months in jail and was realeased on good behavior. Though I do not believe in all of their doctrines of their Church.. I wondered about this topic as I have been studying biblical healing and found Andrew Womack’s Ministries radio ministry very helpful. Learning HOW to pray for healing is important, how deliverance is different than healing.. How to pray the word of God to the issue and not pray about the issue to God as God already healed us on the Cross and gave us the authority now to heal.. I in faith prayed for multiple, painful planter warts to be removed from my sons foot. Healing is very rarely studied in Churches yet the bible is FULL of healing references from Apostles, Christ and disciples…
How the worlds laws affect our beliefs is a personal matter between us and God though a study on the word Pharmakea in the Strongs Concordance how Pharmakea is sorcerty and as the sin of Witchcraft.. how King Asa died in the OT and how God’s will is for every believer to be healed… and our part in that healing… is an excellent study..
VERY GOOD RICK, I MIGHT ALSO ADD THAT YOU MUST ALSO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES YOUR STANDING ON. THESE TRUTHS NEED TO BE STRONG IN YOUR SPIRIT AND NOT JUST IN YOUR HEAD. IF AN ADULT IS IN NEED OF HEALING HE/SHE MUST UNDERSTAND THE WORD, ACCEPT IT AS TRUTH AND THEN CONFESS AND ACT ON THAT WORD. ONLY THAT ADULT CAN KNOW WHERE THEIR FAITH IS. IF THE LITTLE GIRL IS UNDER THE AGE OF CONSENT THEN HER PARENTS HAVE AUTHORITY OVER HER. IF SHE IS OF THE AGE OF CONSENT THEN THEY NEED TO FIND OUT WHERE HER FAITH LEVEL IS AND FOLLOW IT. EVEN AT THAT BEFORE YOU PRAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE YOU SHOULD ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR GUIDANCE AS WHAT AND HOW TO PRAY AND EVEN IF PRAYER SHOULD BE IN ADDITION TO MEDICAL HELP. I HAVE A FEELING THAT THE PARENTS BELIEVED STRONGLY IN THEIR HEADS AND MISS READ THEIR SPIRITS. I WOULD EVEN SUGGEST ASKING THE MINOR CHILD IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO TO THE DOCTOR FOR HELP AND THEN PRAY FOR HER HEALING AND FOR THE WISDOM OF THE DOCTOR. WHEN IT IS FOR OURSELVES THE DECISION BECOMES MUCH EASIER AND LESS DAMAGING. I FEEL FOR THE PARENTS AND WOULD LIKED TO HAVE SEEN THEM RELEASED AS I KNOW THEIR SUFFERING AND PAIN IS NEVER GOING TO GO AWAY. MAY GOD LEAD ALL OF US IN WHAT TO DO IN EVERY AREA OF OUR LIVES.
Read Psalms 25:3.
The reason that the daughter was not healed and then died is because the Neumanns did not have faith even as a mustard seed that the Eternal God was verily going to miraculously heal their daughter. Some people just wish to appear to others as very faithfull. But the Eternal Creator is the only one who you need to appear as faithfull.
IT IS TOO BAD THAT YOU DON’T HAVE THE LOVE OF GOD IN YOU. THAT IS THE RUDEST AND MOST CRUDE STATEMENT I HAVE HEARD IN A LONG TIME. YOU DONT KNOW WHERE THEIR FAITH IS OR WAS AT THAT TIME. THEY MADE A POOR CHOICE ABOUT HOW THEIR DAUGHTER SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF AND THEY LOST HER BUT DON’T ATTACK THEM, MINISTER TO THEM. I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT YOU NEVER HAVE YOUR SO CALLED FAITH TESTED WITH A LOVED ONE. NOW ASK THE LORD HOW YOU SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED
What is this noise about? If it is possible to get the records, the ratio of those that lost their lives in doctor’s hands to those that gain it in God,s faith will be like 1,000 to 1. How many doctors or parent that believe in them has been jailed for it. The Neumanns must not allow the “faithless in power” to kill thier faith in God. God answered every prayer of faith in the best interest of His children. If only in this world we have hope, we are most miserable of all men. It is the Neumanns trial, and the Lord that saw Job, Joseph, Daniel, and a host of others through shall surely see you through in Jesus name. You are coming out of this shinning in Jesus name.
I say this trust in god with all thy might and thou mind and soul and lean not to our own understanding and aknowledge him and all thou way and he shall direct our path for our thiking is not his thinking and our way is not his meaning that he give the doctor wisdom and the knowledge to take care of us and the medicine to to heal our bodies. cause he did not say just be foolish he also made us aware to know the diferent between right and wrong.
I applaud the Neumanns for their faith, courage, and belief. It takes very strong character to believe like they believe. Queen Esther in the bible had that kind of faith; stating, “If I perish, I perish.” Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednigo said, “…the God we serve is able to save us from it (the fiery furnace), and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods…”
Though it is true that God can and often does work through doctors, we know that many people have died under a doctor’s care. Let us not be deceived into thinking that just because God uses doctors, that he “needs” a doctor in order to heal someone. We don’t know anymore than the Neumanns knew about their daughter’s time to die. God is “well able” to do what he choses and He works it out for the good of those who love Him and are called to His purpose. God and God alone makes the final decision.
Greetings in Christ,
I admire the Neumann’s faith. I also admire them that they are enduring to the end. I cannot say what I would have done in their situation. We do not know how we will react until it happens to us. My faith in God has truly grown over many years that he has blessed me with. I have encountered many illnesses; I have always gone to the dr. I also have always seeked God for his divine healing. Although I have had medical treatments from the DRs. and medical staff, I know with all my heart that it was God that healed me. I seek him first in everything and I feel it was his guidance that leads me to see the Drs. So many of us do not have the knowledge of how to care for our bodies and I feel with all my heart God has gifted others to care for the sick. I know when it is our turn to go to the Father, there will be no one to keep us alive on earth. All our days are numbered. It is not ours to judge whether the Neumann’s made the correct decision that is God’s call. I do feel with every being I am that the Neumann’s’ daughter is resting safely and secure in Jesus. I lift the Neumann’s up to God for his care and for his angels to be watchful over them for safety. In Jesus name I ask, Amen
Mr. Bill McClellan summed it up. This little girl was and is totally healed. Pray to never experience this type of thing, but their faith is faith to be envied. this little girl is alive and well. her temporary building is at rest, until the redemption of the purchased possession is manifested. check out 1 Cor. 15:50-55. and Paul said “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain” the little girl is doing better than we are.
DRs. are a blessing from God and should be recocnized ,however I have been taught by the n. Star church of God is that Christ has already healed us—-BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED—- Thats where i put my faith in healing. you must read scripture into your prayers and for what ever you need healing or miracle with. You must give it the truth and it will set you free.
Not only does Gods love to hear his word prayed back to him in our prayers as our fathers word is the truth that has healing powers and miracles, but you must have faith in it and believe in it—-THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE.
You must use Gods word wich was givein to us for a reason. He doesn’t want us to be sick as he made us perfect in his image—thanks for letting me share. i am sorry for the situation these folks are in right now but if they will learn or praise God the Father even in bad times they can see blessings as it gives him a chance to do wonderful things in they’re lives
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I am a Christian who believes in divine healing.I’m also a doctor who practises the profession.I won’t condemn the couple for what happened but I think they should have visited a hospital for proper care.Faith without works is dead.When looking for a job,do you pray to God about it,and then sit at home without applying to companies?NO.In the same manner,pray to God,believe with all your heart that you’ve received the healing,then step out in faith to a health facility.Contrary to common opinion,it is not lack of faith to patronize a hospital.When you’re hungry,you go to an eatery,so why won’t you go to a hospital when you’re sick?Unless God tells you otherwise,Please visit the hospital.Countless people have died from preventable causes because of this reason.
I empathize with the Neumann family over the death of their daughter. But I agree with chioma. God sometimes heals without doctors and medicine, sometimes with and through them. After the Christian has prayed for God to heal him, if the symptoms do not get better, then for whatever reason, God has not healed him. I find no example of Jesus or the disciples claiming that a person coming to them was healed of their disease, but left with their symptoms getting worse.
I know a man right now who has cancer in his brain and throat. He was told by the oncologist that 7 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy would very likely put him in remission. But he claims that God healed him, and that he must “stand” on his faith. He believes that if he acknowledges that his symptoms are getting worse, he will lose his healing. He refuses to submit to a PET scan or MRI, which would either prove the tumor smaller or larger, for belief that God would somehow get angry and allow him to die for testing his healing. Without medical help, he will either die from the cancer, or God will indeed heal him. Meanwhile, if the cancer is spreading, his chance of being healed through the doctors is ticking away.
What a shame! When this same man hears his brakes squealing, he takes his car to the mechanic to have the brakes repaired! He doesn’t expect the Lord to do it. When his clothes get dirty, he waits for his mother to wash them before he puts them back on: he does not ignore the dirt, nor expect a miraculous cleansing. When his head aches, he takes aspirin. He appears to use the brain that God gave him for everything except the most important issue he has ever faced.
If God does not heal him, at his funeral I will probably hear words like, “It must have been God’s will to take him to heaven.” Hogwash! This man will just have allowed himself to die. His misinterpretation of the scriptures will have caused his demise.
well i guess some christians should understand that God works in various ways,i will blame the parents for allowing there daughter to die,but understand the fact that they were been over religious. pastors goes to hospital for checkup,are they not servants of God?well,my reason why i will undertand with the parents is these, i had a pain in my lower abdomen for over 9months now, i went to the hospital,saw (doctors),took drugs serveral time but the situation was worse for me instead.only two days ago, i was in the church for a prayer meeting,i prayed and told God to help me about the problem,that i was tired.at the end of the prayer,i saw like a vision,that i should get a glass of water,pray over it and drink,i did that a day after the prayer meeting which was 9th jan,2010. and after drinking it,i notice the pain i have been suffering for months,left me without me taking any drug again. so those parents should learn to listen to the voice of God.
I don’t believe anyone has the right to judge these parents for what they did, that should be up to God. I would have taken her to the Doctor because I would have been afraid to trust my faith for her healing. I know God could heal her but if he was basing her healing on MY faith, would I have the right to put her at risk? There are many good Doctors who believe in God and pray for God to work with them to bring healing to their patients. They use the knowledge they possess and trust God for the rest. My husband has cancer again and I am praying for him everyday but we are also taking him to the best Doctor we can find and praying for the Doctor also. If Jesus were here in person as he was in the New Testament times, I would encourage my husband to touch just the hem of his garment for his healing but that is not possible at this time and my husband’s faith is not the same as mine. We have to work with what we have and trust in God to see us through. Also, there may have been a tragedy in that little girl’s future that only God could see and he took her to a place of safety to prevent her going through it. As the old gospel song says, We’ll understand it better by and by. The Bible says that all things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and do his will. Someday the puzzle pieces will fall into place and we will see the whole picture.
God has never let whoever that trust in Him to see shame.He doesnt need the Dr. before healing takes place.if the N’s trusted God but still their child,let them not think that God has disapoint them.i pray God to help me have this kind of faith.