As a lifelong Atheist, I can definitely sympathize with this young girl.  The reaction of her church 'leaders' is typical, and should be expected.  Organized religion is here to enrich the 'leaders', censorship, fear and intimidation is how they get folks to follow suit.  Tithing is the financial arm to keep it all going for those at the top!  While the USA is supposed to be the land of freedom of religion, more and more, it is the land of freedom FROM religion.  Once one realized 'the game' that one is participating in, one either charts a new path away or shrugs their shoulders and gets 'in line'.  While my parents aren't perfect people, they at least let myself and my brother chart our own paths when it came to religion ... NONE of us pursued religion in the least.  We all are rather busy on Sunday's pursuing the American Dream which doesn't entail wasting one's time praying to the flying spaghetti monster ...