"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"

From the "Religion - whichever way you look at it it'll fuck you up" file:

A fundamentalist religious philosophy that espouses corporal punishment to "train" children to be more obedient to their parents and God is now being investigated in connection with the death of a young Paradise girl and serious injuries to her sister.

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey confirmed Thursday that other children in the home who have been interviewed told investigators "this philosophy was espoused by their parents."

...

Prosecutors allege the two victims were subjected to "hours" of corporal punishment by their parents on successive days last Thursday and Friday with a quarter-inch-wide length of rubber or plastic tubing, which police reportedly recovered from the parents' bedroom.

...

The two young girls reportedly sustained deep bruising and multiple "whip-like" marks on their back, buttocks and legs, which authorities believe resulted in significant muscle tissue breakdown that impaired their kidneys and possibly other vital organs

...

investigators are researching a possible connection to an Internet Web site set up by "fundamentalist Christian people" that recommends use of the same whip-like implement "as an appropriate tool for biblical chastisement ... to train a child from infancy to make them a happier child and more obedient to God because they are obedient to the will of their parents,"

Fucking hell. I knew that religion was pretty fucked up but how utterly evil do you have to be to actually believe that an invisible man in the sky wants you to torture your children?

But the best bit has to be this...

The father's attorney, Michael Harvey, declined to comment regarding the specific allegations against the couple until he has a chance to review the evidence.

"All I can say is the family is shocked; they are grieving the loss of their daughter and (ask) that people of faith will pray for everybody involved," the defense attorney stated outside of court Thursday.

Might I respectfully suggest that with a little less prayer in the world we might see a bit less "biblical chastisement"?

If these fuckers walk anywhere but to the electric chair I'll personally be coming round to wherever the hell Butte County is* to show you a new form of the death penalty called "Immolation by Dragon".

Full story here: http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_14388171 (H/t to The Daily Athiest on Twatter)


* California, apparently. Which is a surprise as I was expecting some hickvsille bible belt place.