Idaho Law Protects Faith Healers. It Wasn’t Always That Way.

Idaho’s law that shields parents who rely on faith healing from child‑neglect and manslaughter charges has been in place for decades, but it was not always so. The state’s legal framework shifted in the early 1970s, following a series of high‑profile deaths among members of the Followers of Christ sect and a federal child‑welfare program that inadvertently required faith‑healing exemptions.

Under current Idaho law, parents who refuse to provide lifesaving medical care to a child because they believe in spiritual healing cannot be charged with neglect or manslaughter. The exemption applies to a range of crimes, including endangerment. It was codified in 1971 and expanded in 1976 to prevent both criminal prosecution and foster‑care placement when a child’s life is at risk.

The change came after the state’s criminal code was rewritten in 1971. A new section explicitly barred endangerment charges against those who chose prayer or spiritual means as the sole treatment for their children. Legislative records do not explain how the wording originated, but the following year a law reaffirming the “spiritual means” language was attributed to the Christian Science church, a denomination that has a presence in Idaho. The church has stated that its practice is not “faith healing” and that members may use any healthcare method; it also supported the removal of a similar exemption in Oregon in 2011.

Idaho’s exemption was part of a broader national trend that began with the 1974 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). The federal law provided grants to states that could investigate child‑abuse reports more effectively. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare interpreted the act as requiring states to offer a faith‑healing exemption to qualify for funding—a requirement that states, including Idaho, adopted. Most states complied, and Idaho widened its exemption in 1976 to protect both parents and children from criminal liability and foster‑care placement.

The exemption’s roots can be traced to earlier Idaho statutes. In 1887, the territory’s laws made it a misdemeanor for a parent to willfully omit necessary food, clothing, shelter, or medical attendance for a child, with no mention of religious belief as a lawful excuse. The 1890 Idaho constitution limited religious freedom, stating that acts “inconsistent with morality or the peace or safety of the state” were not protected. The law was enforced against the Followers of Christ, a faith‑healing sect that arrived in Idaho in 1899. Between 2015 and 2025, the sect’s Idaho congregations were linked to 15 preventable child deaths, according to ProPublica.

One early case involved 13‑year‑old Pearl Annis, who died in 1915 after her parents, members of the Followers of Christ, refused medical treatment. Her father was arrested on a misdemeanor for refusing to provide care, but the case did not lead to a conviction. A 1960s case in Boise’s suburbs highlighted the legal tension: a mother’s refusal to treat her sick child led to the state taking custody of her 10‑year‑old brother. The judge ordered the father to provide medical care to regain custody, underscoring that the law required parents to protect their children’s health, regardless of religious belief.

Despite national shifts, Idaho has maintained its special treatment for faith healers. While many states, such as Colorado, reinstated prosecutions of faith‑healing parents in the early 2000s after deaths linked to untreated conditions, Idaho has continued to apply its exemption. The law remains a point of contention for advocates who argue that it undermines child‑protection efforts and for supporters who cite religious liberty. As of 2024, the exemption still prevents parents who rely solely on prayer from facing criminal charges or child‑abuse proceedings, even when a child’s life is in danger.