The Talmud states in another place that Elisha over-reacted, and was punished. However, it is a Biblical commandment to follow the sages, and Elisha was the foremost prophet at the time, so they youths did deserve it.
I just wanted to point out an example of the "scholarship" of this essay...
Ari
"So, in this blessed book is taught the duty of human sacrifice -- the sacrifice of babes. In the 22d chapter is this command: "Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits and of thy liquors: the first- born of thy sons thou shalt give unto me.""
Hmm, let's see, if he bothered to read the rest of the Bible he would notice that child sacrific is strictly forbidden (Moloch worship), and that the firstborns are "exchanged" for the Levites. All subsequent firstborns were redeemed monetarily...
"The book of Judges is about the same, nothing but war and bloodshed; the horrible story of Jael and Sisera; of Gideon and his trumpets and pitchers; of Jephtha and his daughter, whom he murdered to please Jehovah. "
OK, Sisera raped Yael 7 different ways, when he fell asleep she put a tent peg through his temple. Any objections? Gideon made a surprise attack in the night; he broke the pots and blew the trumpets to make the enemy think he had a larger force than he did. Jeptha didn't kill his daughter, see Radak - she went up to the mountains for a couple months, the Talmud says that such a vow is invalid, the Bible forbids human sacrifice, and the other opinion which says she died (Rashi) means that she didn't get married and have kids - he is citing the Midrash which explains that a person who doesn't have kids is considered "dead".
The whole article is like this; the author was a total ignoramous.
Ari