"Maternal love is supposed to mean sacrificing yourself for your children".

Unfortunately, many woman are more interested in drinking like men, being 'equal' to men; and the maternal instincts are not there anymore. They are positively encouraged to turn nature and traditional behaviour on it's head. 52% if child murders are committed by women. Women use abortion as a matter of convenience. What used to be is gone for good; it's all part of the end of the West. The barbarians gave won.

Dear Foxy,

«Every religious tradition teaches the deep sacredness of life.»

Actually not. This is a modern interpretation, you do not find this in scripture. What you find instead is "Thou shalt not kill" and similar variants, with which I fully agree.

Besides, your initial claim was that "human life is sacred": Life and "human life" are different.

«After all, if a Creator gave the creation of life, then we've all received a profound gift to protect and cherish.»

Again a modern interpretation, that "life is a gift". You find this in modern poetry, but not in scripture. Rather, life is an unpleasant duty, if not even a curse.

«A mother's job is to protect her children.»

Indeed, though "duty" is more correct than "job".

Now what is a mother supposed to protect her children from?
It often includes death, but not always. At times a mother needs to protect her children from worse things.

On the balance of probabilities, this mother failed to perform her duty towards her children, but wasn't this failure already made long ago when she went on drugs?

And what about the father? Where is he? Why were these children growing up without him?

BTW, one's duty to God comes before one's duty to family, society or anyone else.

«A 3 and a 5 year old child should not go unsupervised near a broad expanse of water.»

Unless God wants otherwise. Retrospectively in this case, He did.

«However the law now will decide this case.»

I was not referring to the secular law at all in this thread. Waste of time - it is arbitrary and was never based on spiritual principles.

«To me it is a tragedy because it could have been prevented.»

You have a big heart, Foxy, but you should also use your intellect.
The fact that it happened proves that it could not be prevented.
Perhaps you mean that similar cases can be prevented - maybe. Desirable? who knows. In most cases, I think, it is better for children to drown than to be raised by a mother on drugs.

yuyutsu we have spoken before about your different way of thinking
And yes we differ, I would not have it any other way
Those kids in my view deserved a longer happier life, here on earth
As I believe in no God, but totally in what everyone is said to have thought, I can only fall back on reality

Yuyutsu,

I'm not going to argue with you about religious
beliefs.

Family law in Australia tells us that children have
the right to be safe. To be treated with affection.
To be educated. To have medical care. And, be
protected against cruelty and abuse.

Parents have the duty to protect their children's
rights until they are old enough to make their own
way in the world.

The authority to make decisions concerning and
affecting the care, welfare, and proper development
of the child is known as "parental responsibility."

Family law in Australia defines the responsibility that
parents have in relation to bringing up their children.
These include:

1) To protect your child from harm.
2) To provide your child with food, clothing, a
place to live.
3) To financially support your child.
4) To provide safety, supervision, and control.
5) To provide medical care.
6) To provide an education.

The mother in question has been charged with manslaughter.
Her case will be heard in court in May. The courts will
decide the outcome.

Dear Belly,

«Those kids in my view deserved a longer happier life, here on earth»

Possibly.

If they indeed deserved a longer happier life, here on earth, then no problem - surely they will have it, only they will need to have it in new bodies instead of those that drowned, mothered by a drug-addict.

Suppose they were to keep these bodies that drowned for longer, do you think that they could also have a happier life?
- No: longer indeed, but not happier. Now they have a chance to have BOTH longer and happier lives with the good parents that they deserve!

Dear Foxy,

You know this prayer:

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference."

I once thought that I can change things politically.
I no longer believe so.
Hence I do not wish to waste my time on that which cannot be changed.

Secular/civil law is as it is, arbitrary, illogical, idiotic and unprincipled, but this foolish gang who call themselves "the state", they have the guns and are anyway legislating and enforcing whatever they want: neither you nor I can do anything about it.

Hence you may have noticed that I am nowadays less active on OLO. I concentrate on religious, spiritual and moral issues, trying to leave politics aside. While I may at times comment in a politically-oriented thread, it is not the political aspect that I comment on.

So on this particular thread, I was silent regarding how the state treats this mother, but only commented about your personal grief that «This is a heartbreaking tragedy», saying: "grieve not. These two boys are now in a better place". If you insist on grieving then you should grieve for that mother which is now in a horrible mess.