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This is unfortunately something that can be justified in Hinduism, although of course most modern Hindus do not do things like this. Hinduism is actually very similar to the religion of pre-Christian Rome, the practice of which depended upon the social and educational level of those involved. At a lower level, they had a multiplicity of gods who needed to be propitiated in various ways, they practiced ancestor and emperor worship, and they also threw in a bit of fertility cult behavior; more educated people, on the other hand, had moved almost entirely into philosophical realm and were more or less monotheist, regardless of the ceremonies they had to perform to satisfy social expectations.

Christianity, more than anything else, set the poor free from their fears.

It also gave the final interpretation to what Christians refer to as the Old Testament, the Jewish Scriptures, and removed the literal nature of the commands to kill one's enemy and one's enemies children (which had actually already been interpreted allegorically for many years by the time of the arrival of Christ). Jews stopped practicing even animal sacrifice with the fall of the Temple a few decades after the death of Christ.

The Bhagavad-Gita.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.

Chapter XII


ARJUNA: LORD! of the men who serve Thee—true in heart—
As God revealed; and of the men who serve,
Worshipping Thee Unrevealed, Unbodied, far,
Which take the better way of faith and life?

KRISHNA: Whoever serve Me—as I show Myself—	5
Constantly true, in full devotion fixed,
These hold I very holy. But who serve—
Worshipping Me The One, The Invisible,
The Unrevealed, Unnamed, Unthinkable,
Uttermost, All-pervading, Highest, Sure—	10
Who thus adore Me, mastering their sense,
Of one set mind to all, glad in all good,
These blessed souls come unto Me.
Yet, hard
The travail is for whoso bend their minds	15
To reach th’ Unmanifest. That viewless path
Shall scarce be trod by man bearing his flesh!
But whereso any doeth all his deeds,
Renouncing self in Me, full of Me, fixed
To serve only the Highest, night and day	20
Musing on Me—him will I swiftly lift
Forth from life’s ocean of distress and death
Whose soul clings fast to Me. Cling thou to Me!
Clasp Me with heart and mind! so shalt thou dwell
Surely with Me on high. But if thy thought	25
Droops from such height; if thou be’st weak to set
Body and soul upon Me constantly,
Despair not! give Me lower service! seek
To read Me, worshipping with steadfast will;
And, if thou canst not worship steadfastly,	30
Work for Me, toil in works pleasing to Me!
For he that laboreth right for love of Me
Shall finally attain! But, if in this
Thy faint heart fails, bring Me thy failure! find
Refuge in Me! let fruits of labor go,	35
Renouncing all for Me, with lowliest heart,
So shalt thou come; for, though to know is more
Than diligence, yet worship better is
Than knowing, and renouncing better still
Near to renunciation—very near—	40
Dwelleth Eternal Peace!
Who hateth nought
Of all which lives, living himself benign,
Compassionate, from arrogance exempt,
Exempt from love of self, unchangeable	45
By good or ill; patient, contented, firm
In faith, mastering himself, true to his word,
Seeking Me, heart and soul; vowed unto Me,—
That man I love! Who troubleth not his kind,
And is not troubled by them; clear of wrath,	50
Living too high for gladness, grief, or fear,
That man I love! Who, dwelling quiet-eyed,
Stainless, serene, well-balanced, unperplexed,
Working with Me, yet from all works detached,
That man I love! Who, fixed in faith on Me,	55
Dotes upon none, scorns none; rejoices not,
And grieves not, letting good and evil hap
Light when it will, and when it will depart,
That man I love! Who, unto friend and foe
Keeping an equal heart, with equal mind	60
Bears shame and glory, with an equal peace
Takes heat and cold, pleasure and pain; abides
Quit of desires, hears praise or calumny
In passionless restraint, unmoved by each,
Linked by no ties to earth, steadfast in Me,	65
That man I love! But most of all I love
Those happy ones to whom ’tis life to live
In single fervid faith and love unseeing,
Eating the blessèd Amrit of my Being!

Here endeth Chapter XII. of the Bhagavad-Gîtâ,	70
entitled “Bhakityôgô,” or “The Book of
the Religion of Faith”.

So, the children were not ordered to be slaughtered, per 1 Samuel 15: 2-3?

Perhaps someone should look into rewriting the book, in that case.

Hinduism is actually very similar to the religion of pre-Christian Rome, the practice of which depended upon the social and educational level of those involved. At a lower level, they had a multiplicity of gods who needed to be propitiated in various ways, they practiced ancestor and emperor worship, and they also threw in a bit of fertility cult behavior; more educated people, on the other hand, had moved almost entirely into philosophical realm and were more or less monotheist, regardless of the ceremonies they had to perform to satisfy social expectations. Perhaps. What is for sure is that the Roman Empire in the West didn't last much past the conversion from Hellenic Paganism to Christianity. Constantine II's rule ended in 340 AD, Rome fell sometime in the next century, depending on who's milestone you like. I've always liked the sack of Rome in 410.

About 70 years from the overthrow of the religious underpinnings of the society to it's cataclysmic demise.

Projecting into our time, America was staunchly Christian for our entire history. A date we could conveneintly use for the end of that would be somewhere between Engel v. Vitale in 1962 outlawing prayer in public schools, and 1970's Roe v. Wade. Taking the earlier date we only have about 20 years until the sack of Washington D.C. might complete the parallel.

Note: This analysis provided for fun, I'm not actually suggesting strict circular repitition in history. Nor am I blaming Christianity for the fall of Rome.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/24169056/Hindu-Awake