Idaho Faith-Healing Sect Linked to Preventable Child Deaths Due to Medical Neglect
In Idaho, children belonging to the Followers of Christ faith-healing sect have reportedly died from treatable conditions, such as pneumonia and bacterial infections leading to sepsis, almost every year since 2015. ProPublica, through an investigation, gathered death records from coroners and police in five Idaho counties and consulted with over a dozen pediatricians and birthing specialists. Their findings indicate that at least 15 babies and children from the sect died between 2015 and 2025 from illnesses that could have been successfully treated by medical professionals. The sect's doctrine, based on a literal interpretation of certain Bible verses, forbids medical care, asserting that God heals the faithful and that life and death are left to God's divine will. Former members of the sect claim that parents are pressured to adhere to this doctrine, with the risk of shunning if they seek medical intervention. The investigation also revealed that at least five sets of parents within the sect have lost mul... 
