A Legacy of Complicity: How Idaho’s Faith-Healing Exemption Became a State’s Tradition

Idaho’s law protecting faith healers from prosecution for neglecting their children’s medical care has been in place for decades, but its origins are complex and disturbing. The recent revelations about the Followers of Christ sect’s history of preventable child deaths serve as a stark reminder that Idaho’s exemption is not just a quirk of the law, but a symptom of a deeper cultural issue.

Historians have noted that the concept of faith healing originated in 19th-century America, when Christian denominations emphasized spiritual healing over traditional medicine. However, it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that states started enacting laws protecting faith healers from prosecution. In Idaho’s case, the exemption was introduced in 1971 as part of a broader rewrite of the state’s criminal code.

The language used in the original legislation is telling: lawmakers explicitly stated that parents who chose prayer over medical care for their children could not be charged with child neglect or manslaughter. This marked a significant departure from earlier laws, which made no mention of spiritual belief as a justification for withholding medical treatment. The shift in policy was hardly accidental – it reflected the growing influence of Christian fundamentalism in American politics.

The 1974 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act inadvertently contributed to the proliferation of faith-healing exemptions nationwide. By interpreting the law as requiring states to have such an exemption to qualify for grants, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare created a perverse incentive for lawmakers to prioritize the interests of faith healers over those of their vulnerable children.

As other states rolled back their exemptions in the 1980s and 1990s, Idaho remained committed to its special treatment. The state’s continued refusal to prosecute faith healers has left a trail of preventable child deaths in its wake – most notably within the Followers of Christ sect. The sect’s history is marked by repeated cases of children dying from treatable illnesses, often due to their parents’ insistence on prayer over medical care.

The case of Pearl Annis, who died in 1915 at the age of 13, serves as a haunting example of this tragedy. Her father, Lurid P. “Lewis” Annis, was arrested and charged with neglecting to provide medical attention – but ultimately escaped punishment due to Idaho’s shifting laws.

In contrast, other states have taken a more robust approach to protecting children from faith-healing parents. Colorado, for instance, has consistently prosecuted such cases as child abuse, regardless of the family’s spiritual affiliations. This stark contrast highlights the need for Idaho to reexamine its own exemption and consider the long-term consequences of shielding faith healers from accountability.

Idaho’s faith-healing exemption is not just a relic of a bygone era – it represents a disturbing legacy of complicity that continues to this day. As we grapple with the moral implications of our laws, it is imperative that we confront the darker aspects of our state’s history and take concrete steps towards protecting its most vulnerable citizens.

The question remains: will Idaho continue to prioritize the interests of faith healers over those of its children? Or will it choose to join other states in recognizing the inherent value of medical care for all, regardless of spiritual affiliation? The answer will have far-reaching consequences for generations to come.