Parents Kill Son in 'Exorcism'

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2003-05-23 12:37pm

Way too Fucking Long-ass Link

I wish nothing less than a slow painful death on these two fucktards for maliciously murdering their son...

Post by **AdmiralKanos** » 2003-05-23 12:43pm

4 years for the man and time served for the woman because they "sincerely" believed they were exorcising a demon by strapping their son down and refusing to give him food or water for 7 days? Those fuckers got off easy because of their religious beliefs.

I'm so sick and fucking tired of this. Religion is the sacred cow that should be slaughtered. Believe in goofy things if you wish, but no one should ever get special treatment as a result.

Companion Cube · Post by **Companion Cube** » 2003-05-23 12:51pm

"Walter's last words were 'forgive me,' then he fell asleep," Mr. Arntfield said.

I, personally, find that sentence both moving and savagely inappropriate.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-05-23 12:51pm

Easy, make up a religion that enables you to get off lightly for assassinating idiots like these and get it to become officially recognised.

Play them at their own game.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-05-23 12:52pm

Hmm, canada, eh? Seems you have your own problems with fundies...

Post by **AdmiralKanos** » 2003-05-23 12:53pm

Small towns in Canada are fundie breeding-grounds, much like small towns in the US. I lived in one for 4 years; I know.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-05-23 01:01pm

Religous defense for manslaughter... This is pathetic. Ignorance is not a defense when it comes to the death of someone. These people should have been slapped with hard time. They should also have been charged with abuse and kidnapping. They accidently killed their son after kidnapping him (by tying him up against his will) and abused (maybe we can call it assault) through their neglect. These two pathetic individuals should rot behind bars for the rest of their lives.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2003-05-23 01:07pm

Ah, so now its the inverse of the "Devil made me do it" defense...and it seems to have worked for the worthless fucks.

EvilGrey · Post by **EvilGrey** » 2003-05-23 01:10pm

Religion is not to blame; it didn't cause the boy's death. Those people were mentally-unstable and should be removed from society (i.e., executed).

Ted C · Post by **Ted C** » 2003-05-23 01:17pm

EvilGrey wrote:Religion is not to blame; it didn't cause the boy's death. Those people were mentally-unstable and should be removed from society (i.e., executed).

No, it just gave form to their stupidity. Nonetheless, it shouldn't be a viable defense for their behavior; they should not have gotten off lightly because they were motivated by their religious beliefs.

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-05-23 01:32pm

But there was a bizarre incident when the normally quiet teen went to the front of a religious meeting in Toronto and took the microphone to profess his devotion to Christ — then spoke gibberish.

oddly enough, that was used as an example at rapture ready that christ lives and helps people speak in tongues.

not this atricle, mind you, but a similar event.

EvilGrey · Post by **EvilGrey** » 2003-05-23 01:36pm

Ted C wrote:
EvilGrey wrote:Religion is not to blame; it didn't cause the boy's death. Those people were mentally-unstable and should be removed from society (i.e., executed).
No, it just gave form to their stupidity. Nonetheless, it shouldn't be a viable defense for their behavior; they should not have gotten off lightly because they were motivated by their religious beliefs.

I agree, they should be locked away for life or executed.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-05-23 01:43pm

There are only two things that sicken me more than those two starving thier son to death: That other people agreed to participate in this exorcism, and they're getting off with a slap on the wrist because the invisible man in the sky told them to.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2003-05-23 01:49pm

Its basically the "diet" version of an insanity plea....

It is fucking sickening.

I know....why not have them exorcised as a punishment...obviously the devil was at work through them to kill thier son....

Korvan · Post by **Korvan** » 2003-05-23 02:01pm

For the crime of manslaughter, 4 years is a reasonable sentence, but was the crime manslaughter?
I found this definition of manslaughter in a legal dictionary:

Accidental homicide or homicide which occurs without an intent to kill, and which does not occur during the commission of another crime or under extreme provocation.

Their intent was not to kill their son, but from their statements, I gather that they thought it was an acceptable trade-off. Furthermore, since forcibly restraining someone is a crime in itself, the appropiate charge would be felony murder.

Felony murder requires the death of someone during the commission of another crime (in this case, forceable restraint) and does not require any sort of intent.

I couldn't find any info on sentencing (not that I looked that hard), but I'd imagine the sentence for felony murder is a tad harsher.

Post by **Lagmonster** » 2003-05-23 02:06pm

Unbelievable. They killed him outright - they wrestled him into submission, tied him down, and starved him to death. There's no other way to put it. I cannot even begin to explain how seething mad I am over that article.

The guy even swore at them and tried to break free, but they figured that was just the demon talking. And why? Because he smoked, hung out, and did dumb teenager rebellion shit. Who doesn't?

I don't give a fuck what apologists say - religiousness does NOT offer as many chances for good to the world as it does opportunities to commit evil. And I'll tell you what - the first time a fundie tries to wrestle ME down to exorcise a demon because they don't like the way I'm looking at them, or whatever passes for the standard of being possessed (probably everything up to and including not doing what the fundie says) I'll give them something worse to fear than demons!

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2003-05-23 02:08pm

Those mutherfucking assholes should be sent to hell.

I mean, good Lord those parents and people were sick. They are the ones being possessed. Bring a shrink, get some docs, but no bullshit torture exorcism please. Cock shit I tell you, those people are some of the sickest shit I have ever heard.

Post by **Lagmonster** » 2003-05-23 02:10pm

Korvan wrote:Their intent was not to kill their son, but from their statements, I gather that they thought it was an acceptable trade-off. Furthermore, since forcibly restraining someone is a crime in itself, the appropiate charge would be felony murder.

A good point I was considering. They fully intended to do something bad to him, because they figured that the ends justified the means in this case.

As an aside, I wonder that if, perhaps, someone you know tells you that they are going to perform a religious ritual on you, pray for you, over you, or whatever, with or without your permission, that there is any legal recourse? Of course, it could get pointlessly stupid very quickly, but it would be interesting to see if 'threatening someone with religious action' could be considered a form of harrassment or other crime.

EvilGrey · Post by **EvilGrey** » 2003-05-23 02:16pm

I'm amazed that so many of latch onto this as an opportunity to deride religion when the real problem was the mental instability of those people. Blaming religion and ignoring the dangerous problems that can arise from mental problems is foolish.

Acacia · Post by **Acacia** » 2003-05-23 02:20pm

The boys sister is mentally ill, I can't believe it didn't occur to them that perhaps he was developing an illness of his own.

As an aside, the religious argument doesn't even hold if you know anything about Christianity. That is not how one conducts an excorcism to begin with.

They should get life in prison for this.

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2003-05-23 02:21pm

EvilGrey wrote:I'm amazed that so many of latch onto this as an opportunity to deride religion when the real problem was the mental instability of those people. Blaming religion and ignoring the dangerous problems that can arise from mental problems is foolish.

In this case. I agree with you. Mainstream religion has nothing to do with this sort of behaviour. However, the same will not be true for more obscure sects, where exorcisms are still defended. Well, even the Catholic Church hasn't completely repudiated the idea of possession [although they don't kill people during the exorcism].

If people are told that demons can infect human beings, that is sure to augment their paranoia.

zombie84 · Post by **zombie84** » 2003-05-23 02:35pm

people like these are dangerous to society. i would throw the book at them. what was it, four years or less than that? that is disgusting! these people and anyone else involved in the "exorcism" should be imprisoned for the rest of their natural lives.

Post by **Lagmonster** » 2003-05-23 02:35pm

EvilGrey wrote:I'm amazed that so many of latch onto this as an opportunity to deride religion when the real problem was the mental instability of those people. Blaming religion and ignoring the dangerous problems that can arise from mental problems is foolish.

While Olrik has a point, inasmuch as one cannot blame religion wholesale for the actions of the individuals, I disagree on a key point: Religion is the blinder that prevents people from making otherwise rational decisions.

I've seen intelligent scientists with powerful objective minds wander home at night and belittle their wives because they believe it is their Biblical right to do so. Who are very competent researchers, yet believe in the global atheist conspiracy.

If you remove religion, you remove an entire impetus for behaviour. Without their belief in demonic possession, do you think this kid would have been tied up in a basement for acting wierd, or would he have been taken to a psychiatrist or a family counsellor?

EvilGrey · Post by **EvilGrey** » 2003-05-23 02:43pm

zombie84 wrote:people like these are dangerous to society. i would throw the book at them. what was it, four years or less than that? that is disgusting! these people and anyone else involved in the "exorcism" should be imprisoned for the rest of their natural lives.

I suspect Canadian law isn't up to par with American law?

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-05-23 02:45pm

Lagmonster has a point. If one's religion compels him to do something in response to what it views as, let's say demon possession, and prescribes a harmful "cure" then it isn't mental illness that actually causes the death but the belief in that religion and willingness to follow those beliefs. And if that is mental disease than everyone that follows a religion strongly is mentally ill.