Originally Posted by Alaistier
I don't have a problem with religion. I disagree with it, but I accept people's choices to be or not be religious. These children are taken to a point past religious, though. It's the parents I express disgust towards. These children learn they have to repent and if they do anything wrong (they are kids after all) they will go to hell and burn for eternity. During a sermon, for lack of a better word, the large woman incriminates these children for thinking "dirty thoughts," saying "bad words," and disobeying their parents. Kids do that, and with time they learn the lessons. It's unfair to rein down on a child as though they are an adult who knows the rules and has been living them for 20+ years. There's a reason we don't try children as adults in court.
From the parents view this is a necessary course of action.
As you said, this is an extreme example, so the parents completely believe that bad actions will earn you a free ticket to hell, for them to do anything but impart this eternal-soul-saving knowledge on to their children would be irresponsible. If you were them, you would do the same thing in order to protect your children. Just try to see it from their side.
I know this example is not exactly the same, but;
Most parents teach their children not to talk to strangers, even though the vast majority of strangers are not paedophiles. It is the parents' belief that telling the kids not to talk to strangers will save their lives.
Many parents even teach their kids to wrap up when its cold, so they don't "catch a cold". This isn't really true, yet parents believe it, and so they force it on their children.
It is just a part of parenting.
I am sure there are examples of the opposite (scientist parents teaching science from an early age, or simply not giving their children access to religion), the example that comes to mind is fictitious, from Dresdan Codak's webcomic, in which the protagonist has been raised by atheist scientist parents, and really has 0 access to religion. Of course, the protagonist grows up to reject religion too.
In a perfect world every child would have access to every theological view, but that is simply impossible. I don't think there is any reason to be more outraged at this than at any other type of parenting.
