New documentary on A&E about faith healing "shield law"

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

On Monday, A&E will be airing a new documentary, No Greater Law. According to A&E's website:

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 “No Greater Law” explores the struggles between an Idaho-based faith healing community and a Sheriff investigating the deaths of children from the community.

According to a Washington Post article from February:

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In Idaho and more than half the other states, some kind of religious exemption allows parents to withhold medical treatment from a child. Sixteen states have no religious exemption, according to a 2016 Pew report.

And:

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Martin said that after Oregon removed spiritual healing as a defense in 2011, some Followers of Christ church members moved to Idaho to escape scrutiny of their religious practices.

Here's the trailer:

 

[TeddyBonkers]

That looks incredibly interesting! I recall a VERY old "Law and Order" episode (I want to say it was even before Jerry Orbach's time) where the detectives investigated a little girl's death from strep throat.

*The Google Machine tells me that it was Season 2 of Law and Order.

[Pecansforeveryone]

I second wanting to see this. No, you should not be free to make martyrs of your children. 

[Lisafer]

Hopefully this documentary will go to Netflix or Amazon soon so I can watch it. It does look very interesting.

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

@Lisafer, it was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival, but I haven't read anything about where else it will be shown after A&E. 

https://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/no-greater-law-2018

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/no-greater-law-1107504

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

Well, I don't have time to watch the whole 2 hours (including ads) tonight, but I watched the first half. I didn't really learn anything new so far, but I've been reading about this legal loophole and the Followers of Christ for awhile now. (I have a moderate amount of local knowledge, and I have known some members of this cult; some who have left it and some who have died. I don't know anyone who is both alive and a member.)

In the next few days, I'm curious to hear from anyone who has watched the documentary. It will be good to hear an outside perspective on a problem that's familiar to me. My husband has some familiarity with the topic, but started almost ranting about some of the bits he overheard while I was watching. That was validating. 

[caitrona]

I watched it.  I felt for the Sevy family, because he seems sincere in his beliefs, but no matter how sympathetic he appears, the children who've been victims of this loophole died agonizing, mostly preventable deaths.  The testimonies from the former cult members before the Idaho legislature shows exactly how damaging these beliefs are.  There absolutely is now a double standard for parents/guardians there based on whether they hide behind Jesus.  And were it non-Christians trying to claim exemptions there's no way in hell people would be ok with it. 

[smittykins]

I've never understood the whole "only God should heal" concept.  If you believe He created all things, why doesn't that include medicine?

[Dandruff]

Do their kids wear seat belts?