God save the Children

There is a post over at Pharngula that will probably catch some heat from the fundies. But then again he's been doing that a lot lately, see?
The point is that there is a child dying of cancer, which is a tragedy thats occurring all to often. But the community is rallying behind them and helping the family. Unfortunately their favorite way of helping is by prayer.... Thats like me calling myself an activist because I get a bunch of e-mails everyday. Plus in a nasty side effect if the prayer doesn't work what does that mean? To me it means that this child was unfortunate the family did what they could, the doctors did what they could but to no ones fault she might not make it. Throw god in the mix and suddenly it means that their prayers failed, which can't mean that god failed so it must mean that they failed. The family failed, the community failed and saddest of all the child failed. This child should be told, we don't know what going to happen so lets just try to have as much fun as we can. If you want to go to school and be with your friends thats cool, if you want to go to the zoo thats cool, if you just want to sit home and eat milk and cookies till you puke thats fine, just keep a garbage can nearby. If on the other hand you tell the child that if they pray enough they will be saved then what can they do besides pray and if they don't feel better pray some some more. Now if they feel like they are getting worse they will think that they are doing something wrong, nothing like adding a huge pile of guilt and possible fear of hell onto the conscious of a dying child, thats very christian of you. Hopefully the doctors will be able to save her, but if not, it won't be the child's fault if they pass away.