I really don't like the idea of keeping track of donations with bar-coded envelopes. I had no idea that was happening!
That's just wrong!
Also, the parents shouldn't be surprised that their kids were kicked out. Doesn't seem like they were setting a good example for their kids anyway. How can they expect the kids to take their religion seriously when they obviously don't.
That's been happening for years. Instead of bar-coded envelopes it was names on the envelopes, before that it was the name on the check, before that the priest remembered everyone who went to church.