A Matter of Medical Opinion

How far is too far for the government to reach?

In the case of a 13 year old boy with cancer, the mother has been placed in contemt of court and a warrant issued for her arrest because she is refusing medical treatment for her sons lymphoma that is supposedly highly treatable. She is plastered all over the news right now for fleeing her state (they suspect she could be headed for Mexico) because she doesn't want her son to go through chemotherapy. He went through it once, and his parent's considered it torturous, and wanted to seek holistic medicine instead. Now the doctors have come after them saying she can't do that, and her son NEEDS to be treated NOW because of the condition worsening. So she picked up her son and fled.
Or, how about the parents under scrutiny right here in Wisconsin for praying for God to heal their daughter who ended up ultimately dying from diabetes that went untreated. They are going to jail. Is that right?
How far can you go with your beliefs before someone steps in and overrules your decision as a parent?
Isn't it our responsibility as parents to make sure our children are as healthy and cared for as possible?
Are we violating that responsibility if we decide to forgo modern medicine in place of prayer healing?
Is it right that the aforementioned parents are being punished by our government for doing what they think is best for their children?
I mean, its not one of those cases you hear about where the mom stuffed a kid in the microwave, or a baby was left in a dumpster, so why are they comparing it to that?
I would love to hear your opinions on this readers- which side of the fence are you on? Should they be punished, or praised?
Are you one who believes the government should stay out of our family lives?
Or are you on who believes faith can only be an excuse for so much?
Me?
I will tell you this:
I believe that when it comes to my own children, no one can screw them up like their mother.
Now where was my doctors pager number again....