Oregonian Religious Nuts Are Going to Give Us All Measles If it happens, those folks will have no one to blame but themselves for wallowing in ignorance. The sad victims will be the elderly and immuno-suppressed who also have to pay the price. This already almost happened after the Superbowl. It is apparently a matter of time given the number of people "opting out" of vaccinations. On the plus side, Oregon Trail jokes will be abundant.
I have been taught that faith without works (action) is dead. I encourage faith/prayer for sickness; however, to rely on that alone is the epitome of ignorance. As I see it, God gave us intelligence to figure things out. If we refuse common medical treatment on religious grounds, we are refusing to utilize a very important gift. If treatment is refused for common easily treatable diseases in a child, I am all in on supporting wrongful death, abuse, and/or possibly murder charges depending on the situation (refusing antibiotics for strep that progresses into scarlet fever and death for example) for the ignorant bastards that refuse to get their child help.
The autism thing is bullshit. It's a result of changes in diagnosis and a ton of kids get special ed treatment that never would've gotten it.
The autism stuff is total wacko UFO type of stuff, and needs to be called as such every time it comes up. These people are endangering their children out of fear of something totally illogical.
I'd like to see the religious demographic breakdown of this area. Pacific northwest isn't exactly known as the Bible Belt. And I think both this and the autism thing are stupid. I also know a couple who refuses to have their little girl immunized because of it. My wife pleaded with the girl's mom about it, but to no avail.
Southern Oregon is very much a rhinestone plucked right off the Bible Belt. There is no in-between in Oregon. You're either a Prius-driving liberal, unwashed hippy, or dresses-only Christian/Christian derivative.