On November 6, 2016, two-year-old Ella Foster, the daughter of Grace and Jonathan Foster of Bethel, Pennsylvania, developed a cold. During the next two days, she became listless, her breathing more labored and rapid. On November 8 she died in her father’s arms from bacterial pneumonia. Because it violated their religious beliefs, the Fosters reportedly never took Ella to a doctor when she worsened. Instead, they prayed. 

Grace and Jonathan Foster belong to the Faith Tabernacle Church, whose doctrine reportedly instructs members “to believe that the Bible is opposed to all means of healing apart from God’s way.” “You either trust God, or you trust man,” said one church member. The Fosters have six other children, all less than ten years of age. They have since surrendered custody of all six children to the state.

Three months later, on February 1, 2017, John Adams, the Berks County District Attorney, charged the Fosters with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment. Because Pennsylvania doesn’t have a religious exemption in its criminal code, faith-healing deaths have been successfully prosecuted for decades. In many other states, however, the situation is different. Fifteen states have religious exemptions to felonies, including nine with religious exemptions to homicide, manslaughter and, in the case of Arkansas, capital murder. Twelve states have religious exemptions to misdemeanors. 

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