Yes, it is wrong to bring small children out in field circus to force them to make a side with a religion, especially one that is so hotly debated. Especially when they will not be allowed to change their decision when they get older--hell, if there is a raging debate between Christians and Muslims, why should small children be forced to take a stand for one branch of Christianity? Besides, they should be outside playing or in school, not going from door to door.
Some difficulties I have observed with other parents in dragging children into the cancer:
*Children acting out in field circus. I have been out in field circus all week (afternoons) during April the year when I first started, and saw one 8-year old that was literally dragged out every day that week. The mother wanted to auxiliary pio-sneer that month, so she had to drag the child out. He was out all morning when I came out, and was usually out until 4 or 5 in the afternoon. While out in field circus, any noises or activities like playing with stones or sticks resulted in spankings and threats of more spankings. That was a complete waste of his school vacation.
*One family had several children, the youngest of which was into everything (and extremely intelligent). I was extremely lenient with this behavior, since it was very natural (I even let this child explore what was in my suit coat pockets and meeting bag, in plain view of the parents). Other members of the congregation were nowhere near as willing to accomodate this, and the hounders even made a rule against my allowing this kind of exploration. Result: Spankings and being forced to stand in line instead of exploring the auditorium.
*Holidays wasted. I still remember the Christmas I wasted at the house of one of the hounders. We were going to have gone out in field circus, but were it not for the father getting called in to work to shovel snow. We had a little drive to the A$$embly Hell (empty), and to another Kingdumb Hell (also empty). That was a stupid waste of the day.
*I have seen numerous children with few or no toys. Once, at a Grand Boasting Session, there was a family that had a McHappy Meal binoculars. Anyone that has ever seen those things knows what crap they are--while they magnify, they create so much distortion that they are as good as worthless (they are made for about 5 cents). The children were very excited about having even this. That tells me that they have very little to play with. And, within my own congregation, I have seen one family where two children had virtually nothing to play with. Another had zero entertainment--no radio, no TV, no nothing. There were two children, then around ages 8 and 12, living there at the time.
*Once I was at the home of one of the hounders, going to the evening boasting session from there. I saw what a hassle they had getting the children ready--and they were teenagers at the time! It was blatantly obvious that they didn't want to go that evening (they were not sick that night). They ended up going. Bearing in mind that these are children that usually seemed to "enjoy" being out in field circus and at the boasting sessions. Just imagine having 4 or 5 children that do not want to be there, and trying to get them all ready.
