So what happened to live and let live? ;-)

John, I'm sure Mike will give you a reply, but AFAIC, he's voicing a valid observation about one of the psycho-epistemological flaws of Christianity as it is often practiced. And it has HUGE damaging effects.

As a kid, I had family and relatives who tried to put fear into me regarding God and believing. I thought it was absurd. Now, most five year olds aren't the intellectual rebel that I was....and wind up buying into that crap. There is little difference between what Mike's talking about, and the famous Comprachicos that Victor Hugo described in "The Man Who Laughs". (The Comprachicos changed the physical appearance of human beings by manipulating and mutilitating growing children...the only difference being that the Comparachicos did it physically, and Christianity does it psychologically)

Children should be taught to be strong and brave and independent....not fearful of something that doesn't exist.