Ethical Basis for Repealing Religious Exemptions From Child Abuse Statutes

Abstract

In a recent statement, the American Academy of peatrics' Committee on Bioethics maintained that "all child abuse, neglect, and medical neglect statutes should be applied without potential or actual exemption from religious beliefs." The AAP recommendation should be hailed. But sufficient attention should also be paid to the justification for it in philosophical and moral argument. This will ensure that the recommendation is followed in the long run, by providing physicians and others with a compelling reason to challenge present statutes that oppose it.