Heathen,
I know its another game of mind-control. And they will even cite scriptural precedent as to when the Israelites were conquering the nations around them and how God in his beautiful love made the Israelites destroy the Men, Women, Children and Animals and the one time when they did not destroy the Women, Children and Animals they were punished by their wonderful God.
They also have other twisted scripural "proof" (I use that word very loosely) that the sins of the parents are held over the kids.... It DOES work on the majority of dubs. I have friends in the local congreagation who even now still say they have to keep going for their kids sake.
GD