Prosecutor says religious parents punished their 8-year-old son to death

[deadparrot]

MARIETTA, Ga. (Court TV) - An 8-year-old boy is dead because of the "horrible abuse" inflicted on him by his parents, strict disciplinarians who followed severe religious doctrine, a prosecutor told a jury Tuesday.

Sonya and Joseph Smith were watching an online church service offered by the Remnant Fellowship Church on Oct. 8, 2003, but their 8-year-old son, Josef, was misbehaving, according to prosecutor Eleanor Dixon.

Josef wasn't being obedient and wasn't praying.

The Nashville, Tennessee-based church encourages parents to physically discipline their children and maintain strict dietary control.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ct/20070207/cr_ct/prosecutorsaysreligiousparentspunishedtheir8yearoldsontodeath