MCL requires OUTDATED and INSECURE Java Version

When the launcher is started, it opens a dialog window with the warning that it requires JRE 1.6.0, which, when OKed, opens the browser to download Java.

What I expected to happen was...:
Launch minecraft.jar

What actually happened was...:
When the launcher is started, it crashes with the warning that it requires JRE 1.6.0, which, when "OK" pressed, opens the browser to download Java.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Double-click Minecraft.exe
2. Click "OK" on the dialog.