"Believers" is an episode from the first season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.
Dr. Franklin faces an ethical dilemma when the parents of a dying child refuse to let him operate for religious reasons. Their son is suffering from a chronic respiratory ailment and will die soon. It can be cured with surgery, however their religion prohibits surgery (believing that cutting into a body will release the spirit, reducing the body to...
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"Believers" is an episode from the first season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.
Dr. Franklin faces an ethical dilemma when the parents of a dying child refuse to let him operate for religious reasons. Their son is suffering from a chronic respiratory ailment and will die soon. It can be cured with surgery, however their religion prohibits surgery (believing that cutting into a body will release the spirit, reducing the body to something worse than death, it is something only to be done to food animals). Franklin's associate Dr. Hernandez attacks their beliefs, but Franklin reprimands her, telling her that they have to work with the parents, not against them.
Despite his best efforts, the parents still refuse to allow the surgery. Franklin goes to Commander Jeffrey Sinclair to get him to order the surgery, but he refuses. Eventually he performs the surgery against orders, saving the boy's life. Unfortunately the parents now consider the son to be a soulless demon...
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