Faith‑healing as a child‑protection stress test

A single local case — a newborn death in a faith‑healing sect and a twin saved after police/medical ultimatum — exposes how religious refusal of care strains prosecution decisions, emergency custody rules, and child‑welfare resources. It shows how one intervening official and an ex‑believer can tip outcomes, but also how inconsistent enforcement leaves similar children at risk. — Frames faith‑based medical refusal as a policy stress test for balancing religious freedom, criminal liability, and the state's duty to protect minors — with implications for prosecution standards, custody law, and public‑health outreach.