The Magic Clause

I was reading the news today and came across a story about a woman who starved her kid to death.  She was charged with felony child abuse resulting in death, but her plea deal includes a clause that says her charges will be dropped if her kid is resurrected.

See, the Maryland woman (Ria Ramkissoon) is a member of a cult called One Mind Ministries, and her cult leader has convinced her that her kid will come back to life.  That is, after first convincing her that her kid was a demon.  Because he wouldn't say "Amen" after meals.  That's why they decided to starve him, and that's why he died.  He was one year old.

Anyway, the terms were agreed to.  I'm not sure why.  I guess they figure it's impossible for the kid to come back to life, so they might as well agree since it won't make any difference.  But, I think they should have turned it down anyway.  And here's why:

1.) Agreeing to such a plea allows for the implication that resurrection of the dead is actually possible, which it isn't.  I mean, sure, there are some pretty amazing last second saves on operating tables, etc, but this kid has been dead since 2006 and spent most of that time shoved into a suitcase in someone's storage shed.  

2.) Agreeing to such a plea also seemingly implies that the only crime here is that the starvation led to death.  So, if you starve your kid and you manage to keep him alive, that's not felony child abuse?

3.)  A condition of being resurrected is that you have to be dead in the first place.  So whether or not the kid comes back to life, his mom still killed him. 

4.) Ramkissoon's belief in resurrection is based on the idea that her kid's death is God's will and that God's plan is to bring him back to life.  But, if God exists, wouldn't all deaths be God's will?  Would that make all murderers similarly innocent?  Or, just the ones who are lucky enough to kill people who God has slated for resurrection?

Ramkissoon is agreeing to testify against the other cult members, who have a variety of charges against them including first degree murder.  So, her sentence is going to be suspended.  I guess unless she messes up probation, she'll go unpunished as if her kid had come back to life.

Only, he'll still be dead.