Fans of the show have been asking me what TGA host Jeff has been up to, and so I’ll allow this comic to give you a little preview. This comic is in response to parents attempting to give their children chicken pox through contaminated candy. Yep, these morons want to “avoid” giving their children autism (which has no link to vaccination) by giving their children a virulent form of a disease rather than a weakened one. What are you supposed to say to someone who is that fundamentally ignorant?

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It never ceases to amaze me how utterly incapable some people are in admitting defeat. A few days ago, we recorded a bonus show reporting that a group of skeptics in Britain had staged a “mass suicide” at one of the largest pharmacy chain in the country. They consumed entire bottles of homeopathic “medicine” to demonstrate that they are no better than a placebo, arguing that Boots has no business selling what is essentially water as real medicine. Recently the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians responded by posting this up, and it’s worth a read if you want to have a good laugh:

Do these “skeptics” really think the public cares about Avogadro’s number [referring to the limit of how much substance is present in diluted form] when homeopathy has just significantly improved their toddler’s autism or offered help with any of a vast range of diseases which respond so well to homeopathic (and often not to conventional) treatment?

This is just another tantrum by the clueless wing of the scientific/medical community that can’t understand why the people don’t praise them for their ideological purity and courage, even when the fruits of their scientific labors rot like a brown banana. Note to protestors: maybe they’re just not that into you.

In other words, skeptics are big meanies who like to try and use science to ruin everyone’s good time. Don’t they know that people ignorant of the scientific method have continued to enjoy their products and attributed their body’s natural healing process to solutions that contain no trace amount of medicine at all? Who cares about intellectual integrity when you have “good feelings”?

Sad, just sad…
(props to James for the find)

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Remember the controversy surrounding Andrew Wakefield and his Lancet article that tried to make a link between autism and the MMR vaccine? If you don’t, the basic 30 second version goes something like this:

In 1998 Wakefield writes publishes a paper suggesting a link between autism and gastrointestinal disease with the MMR vaccine, and asks the government to stop distributing the vaccine until more study is done

In 2004, the Sunday Times reports that most of the parents of the children used in the study were recruited by a lawyer to file a lawsuit against the MMR vaccine manufacturers, and that Wakefield himself had been paid by this same lawyer to conduct the study

It was also discovered that data was falsified to prove that the symptoms had all occurred after the shot, even though many of the children showed the symptoms before actually getting vaccinated.

Flash forward to today, where the General Medical Council ruled that Wakefield acted both dishonestly and irresponsibly, and had failed in his duties as a consultant. Now the Lancet has also removed his article from the archives, effectively closing an embarrassing chapter in their otherwise illustrious history.

There you have it. There really are no arguments left. The only piece of evidence “anti-vaxers” have has just been definitively proven to be a fraud, and Wakefield is disgraced. All that’s left is for the GMC to take disciplinary actions against him. Obviously, we all know that this won’t do anything to stop the anti-vaccination movement, which is hell bent on proving that a connection exists. They don’t need anything inconvenient like evidence to back up their claims; as far as they are concerned, they’ve already made up their minds.

It’s sad when people refuse to accept the truth, but in a way, I feel a bit of sympathy for these idiots. They want someone to blame for the fact that their children are developmentally disabled, and the MMR vaccine was an easy scapegoat. It can’t be easy trying to raise a child with a disability, but it doesn’t entitle you to make shit up, and put other children at risk because you can’t accept reality. Because of their efforts, previously contained diseases like the measles and rubella are back with a vengeance, and for the first time in decades people are dying from these highly preventable diseases. I personally feel embarrassed that we can’t stop these morons from spreading their misinformation, even when their own studies are disgraced. When are people going to learn?

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We take modern medicine for granted. It’s something we hardly ever need to think about. The odds of dying of the flu are small; you’re about as likely to die from that than from accidental electrocution. But it wasn’t always this way. Just a few generations ago, before we had the ability to develop vaccines or antibiotics, infant mortality rates were frighteningly high. Children suffering from diabetes would slowly fade to nothingness, their tiny bodies literally starved to death.

The times, though, they have changed. When children are properly immunized, their odds of dying from what were once deadly diseases have dramatically been reduced, so much so that we have begun to underestimate their dangers. Worst still, a small but vocal group is working diligently to actively discourage parents from giving their children vaccines under the mistaken belief that they cause autism.

Leading this unthinking and uncritical mob is former playboy model Jenny McCarthy. Her child is autistic, and like many who believe that there is a connection between the MMR vaccine and the neurological disorder, she made the inference simply from her own observation. Because the ideal time to vaccinate (roughly 13 months of age) coincidentally corresponds to the time when symptoms of the disease, a large number of individuals incorrectly assume that the two are linked. Their fears and mistrust of medicine actually make them believe the idea that the scientific community is purposefully suppressing information that links the vaccine with autism. The truth is that no correlation has ever been found.

Take, for instance, this passionate letter author Roald Dahl issued in 1986 (re-issued last month) begging parents to immunize their children. He lost his daughter in 1962 to measles. At the time, there was no vaccine for the disease. Now it’s as easy as making an appointment with your family doctor.

Unsurprisingly, the unthinking masses have been reluctant to vaccinate their children, and as a result, the disease has been on a comeback in Britain. In 2005, there were 76 cases, and 2006 saw an increase to 100. These pale in comparison to this year so far; in Wales alone, the NHS reported that the total number of cases so far is 277. A disease that once appeared beaten and downtrodden has come back with a vengeance. The problem lies in the fact that although parents may think it is their choice alone not to immunize their kids, the result is that their lack of immunity puts everyone at greater risk.

When Dahl wrote his essay in 1986, 20 kids were dying every year from a highly preventable disease. It looks like the risks have just gotten higher for everyone else thanks to the tireless work of intellectual midgets like Jenny McCarthy and her pet, Jim Carrey. Can you morons all go back to making movies and leaving the job of educating people about health to the professionals? What is it about acting that makes you believe you know enough to be giving council to women about the health of their loved ones: was it a cameo on ER or something that made you think that was a good idea?

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If you don’t watch her show or buy her stupid magazine, you might not be aware of the raining endorsement Oprah is currently giving to her friend, Jenny McCarthy. Jenny used to be hot shit, but then she got preggers and disappeared from the limelight, only to emerge as one of the main anti-vaccination spokesperson. You may recall that there are still some unfortunate people who think there is a connection between vaccinations and autism. Only a few weeks ago did I tear Jim Carrey a new anus for even trying to pretend he understands the issue. His movies may occasionally be funny, but let’s not forget the painful fact that the man is poorly educated.

I could spend all of today writing a scathing letter to Oprah condemning her new endorsement, but luckily this charming and intelligent woman has already done so. I think this letter pretty much sums up how we all feel about her supporting bad science (I still remember how much of a big deal she made over the Secret). Here’s a quote from the article:

Surely you must realize that McCarthy is neither a medical professional nor a scientist. And yet she acts as a spokesperson for the anti-vaccination movement, a movement that directly impacts people’s health. Claims that vaccines are unsafe and cause autism have been refuted time after time, but their allure persists in part because of high-profile champions for ignorance like McCarthy. In fact, ten of the thirteen authors of the paper that sparked the modern anti-vaccination movement retracted the explosive conclusions they made due to insufficient evidence. Furthermore, it is now clear that the study’s main author, Andrew Wakefield, falsified data to support these shaky conclusions.

Shaky conclusion? That’s a nice way of saying the guy made a bunch of stupid shit up.

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There are currently an estimated 170 million people worldwide that suffer from diabetes. A few decades ago, this disease was destroying lives. Children diagnosed would slowly fade away, often dying of starvation even though they were eating plenty of food. The discovery of insulin, and later it’s manufacture, has allowed what would otherwise be a deadly disease to become only an inconvenience for those who suffer from it. In other words, diabetes is no longer the death sentence it was 60 years ago.

The availability of insulin, however, was not able to save poor Kara Neuman, who died Easter Sunday last year. Her parents are followers of the “Unleavened Bread Ministries“, an online church that forbids using modern medicine and preach that the End Times are near. Kara’s parents refused to call a doctor, even as their daughter lay dying in bed. She did not survive, and now the parents are being brought to trial for child neglect.

They have chosen to make this a First Amendment issue, asking that they be allowed to practice their religion without interference from the state. They say that they are grief stricken, and that they have already been punished enough by the tragic death of their young daughter.

I don’t doubt the fact that they loved their Kara very much, or that they feel terrible about the events that transpired. They are no doubt wrestling with their theological convictions as we speak. The problem is, that the decision not to seek treatment was not theirs to make. Sure, they are her parents, and as caregivers, they are allowed a great degree of flexibility in how they chose to deliver this care. However, their own personal religious convictions cannot interfere with the well being of another human being. Kara was her own person, and her right to have medical treatment outweighs the rights of her parents to live according to their religious doctrine.

We see these kinds of cases all the time, and they haven’t stopped being so controversial. People don’t want the state telling them how to raise their children, or their lives. Although I’ve never had a problem with an adult deciding for themselves that they do not wish to seek treatment for their own illnesses, I do not agree that this right extends also to their children. To deny another human being the right to live is more than neglectful; it is a form of abuse.

Consider the Travoltas. Their son suffered from autism, a disease that the parents deny even exists. They did not seek the proper treatment, and as a result, he died of a seizure. And yet, these ignorant people have not been prosecuted. Their religious belief was more important that the life and health of their boy. It stands to reason that this type of insanity should not be allowed to continue. Religious beliefs that conflict with medical science are wrong. They are responsible for the countless deaths of innocent children who had the misfortune of being raised by people who were more interested in make believe than they were in the lives of their loved ones.

Cases like this highlight the growing rift between science and religion. Fundamentalism is forcing us to make difficult choices. Among these is the notion that parents do not ultimately have the power of life and death over their children. If a life can be saved using medical science, it will be sought. The damage to a persons religious conviction is not seen as a bigger threat than the loss of an innocent life.

Do I wish to see the Neumans in jail for the next 25 years? No, not especially. I believe that the death of their daughter was a tragedy that began with the dangerous assertions made by their church. Religious individuals need to realize that their beliefs are protected so long as they remain private, and dictate only their own personal lives, not the lives of others around them. This is a warning to parents who place their doctrine over the lives of their children: call the doctor, or get ready to call your lawyer.

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I get a kick when one religion claims that another belief system is totally stupid and illogical. The gargantuan effort of trying to make someone else seem silly when your own beliefs are farcical never ceases to amaze me. It’s akin to saying “that guy’s is freakin’ crazy, man! He eats his poo raw. Everyone knows you have to cook it!”

Brother Harry Hardwick argues that Travolta neglected to seek treatment for his son’s autism, which caused him to have a seizure and die. One wonders how critical he would have been of the Travoltas is they were Christian scientists who refuse to seek treatment hoping simply that prayer would do the trick. Well, it’s obvious he wouldn’t, since Hardwick thinks the harm here is done by not informing people of the power of the Lord rather than the power of medical science:

Frankly, I refuse to buy into any conspiracy theories because they’re meaningless. Whether they killed him or not, the couple is culpable of a much more serious crime than murder: they raised their son to be a member of a cult rather than a follower of Jesus Christ. Even if you live to be 100, the life you have on earth is but a nanosecond of eternity. Ensuring that your child spends forever in flames is the cruelest of crimes. When any Scientologists, Mormons, Catholics and other cultists brainwash their children into believing the nonsense that is their “faiths,” they are guilty of the worst form of child abuse. And if a child’s death is in any way connected to one of those “religions” or its beliefs, the parents are guilty of reckless homicide.

Now I’m not going to deny that the Travoltas fucked up big time. In fact, Scientology itself has extremely unsound theories about mental and health diseases. Although I don’t question the fact that they loved their son, it seems as though their dangerous and uneducated beliefs about health led to the death of poor Jett. Religion here is to blame, but the solution certainly wouldn’t have been switching over to another equally wrong ideology; it would have been to place their trust in the fact that medical science is actually based on evidence, rather than simply conjecture. Scientology is not the only religion that denies care to infants out of the stubborn and ignorant protestations from parents. When human beings place their trust in an invisible being rather than each other, the consequences are dire indeed.

I feel sad for the Travoltas, really. They have been denied the pleasure of their son’s company, and he has been deprived of the chance to experience all the wonder of life. Brother Hardwick, like any good Christian, has surely as much compassion about it as I do, a lowly atheist, right? Well, here’s what he thinks:

Here, the Travoltas caused their son to suffer a fate far worse than death — eternal torture. For that, they deserve a good-old fashioned stoning, so they can experience for a brief period what Jett will experience forever.

And we’re the bad guys apparently…

**NOTE** It turns out that the site is actually parody. It seems as though I have been a victim of Poe’s Law. Still, although this article is now essentially useless now, it doesn’t change the fact that the comments from the parody are almost indistinguishable from real life, or that the Travoltas really fucked up…

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Here’s a video that will cheer you all up. This one shows a Benny Hinn special where a little girl, supposedly born with no brain, can now walk, count to five, and incredibly, cross her legs! What I find funny is that this family was probably told that their daughter was born with a brain deficiency (possibly autism), but that the parents understood this as the brain pysically not being in her head. That’s good parenting!

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