The Spanking Hall? (page 2)

Frequent_Fader_Miles

Perhaps I may be one of the few exceptions to the rule, or maybe it's just a cultural thing. As children we always played at the Hall after meetings (not before though). As regards spanking, my mom always sat me down and explained what was expected of me before we went anywhere .. including the Hall. Wasn't spanked much as a child. The world was such an interesting place to me; by the time I was old enough to realize how boring the meetings were ... I had mastered the art of "zoning out". I would occupy my mind whilst sitting quietly.

yaddayadda

LOL at the title of this thread

Madame Quixote

I don't agree that it is WORSE than physical or sexual abuse. It is completely different.

unique 1, spanking is physical abuse.

SirNose586

Yeah, I'd say my spirit was broken. My mom, every so often, talks about how she "beat the evil out of me." I think I could've been a pretty creative and successful guy right now...but I've really dropped the ball...

WTWizard

Definitely, spanking can become physical abuse. It is emotional abuse when it is administered capriciously or excessively.

When a spanking is administered with little force, it gets the attention of the child. It should hurt little, but more startle. And it should never be used as the sole source of punishment. It is better to use time outs and removal of privileges as punishments. For sure, when you use a belt or a wooden spoon to administer a spanking, it becomes a beating which is always physical abuse. And using a heavy electrical cable is excessive--especially when you use excessive force or excessive numbers of beatings.

Also, discipline needs to be reasonable. A punishment might be appropriate when a child is doing something that could harm others. But, for merely dozing off at a boring meeting or for not sitting still, punishment is not appropriate. A child might be treated with a walk or some physical activity for not being able to sit still--that would fulfill the need, and usually solve the problem. But a spanking for not being able to sit still, administrated with a wooden spoon and so hard that the yelling can be heard from the auditorium, is blatant abuse.

The Humper

unique 1, spanking is physical abuse.

spanking is NOT physical abuse!

this is one thing that i disagree with most people on. beating a child is abuse, but spanking is not. some kids, like me, dont listen to thier parents untill a spanking. and ever since some idiot, that oprah endorsed on her tv show, said that spanking is abuse and we shouldnt do it, the children of our society have become more and more disobediant and defiant. just look at how many boot camp for teens there are, or on the daytime talk shows all the "my kid is out of control" episodes. they walk all over the parents and they have been given more power over thier parents because the parents believe that it is abuse to spank thier child. there is nothing wrong with a spanking, but there is something wrong with a parent who thinks that spanking is. if those kids were spanked as a kid they wouldnt be out of control.

P.S. I am right, you are wrong!

timmycat

I think you are being a bit hard, other churches may allow their kids to run around, hey you can be member of any other org and smoke, I've seen parents outside the church steps down the road blowing smoke in their kids direction not ever giving a damn. Oh yes the children of churchs and other orgs, never swear, never smoke, always behave and treat people with dignity, and of course they dress like angles, not off of them mind you, and not all JW children are goodies either but the goodies by far out way the naughties. The people in the org are not perfect and don't say they are, they are strick with their children in discipline, and besides they don't run around the hall, if they do they are told not to for the saftey of others, older ones have been hurt and knocked down by kids that get carried away, the congo is not a play ground. Children in the org, go on barbeques, the movies, other JW kids places, they are not bored or deprived play or even sport.

I do not agree with the handling of abuse cases the headies tried to hide and I think it is reprehensible the way they have treated abused victims. but I know things have changed and hopefully they will continue to deal fairly and honestly with members of their congo in a loving and human way, the way Jesus treated his flock. Some don't, but not all do.

The org needs to get back to the basic principle that is of love, instead we find a lack of genuine love among many of the members, and the elders, hopefully things will improve. For my part I just try to show love, and am slowly backing of. But I cant and wont put down the majority just because of a few ar*sholes.

WTWizard

The people in the org are not perfect and don't say they are, they are strick with their children in discipline, and besides they don't run around the hall, if they do they are told not to for the saftey of others, older ones have been hurt and knocked down by kids that get carried away, the congo is not a play ground. Children in the org, go on barbeques, the movies, other JW kids places, they are not bored or deprived play or even sport.

Here is the typical weekly schedule of a Witness whose parents are "exemplary" in the "truth":

Monday. Get up for school, spend day in school. No playing with worldly children at school, which usually effectively means no playing with any other children at recess. Come home, go out in service at 3:00 PM directly after school. Supper, study for the book study.

Tuesday. School, more service. Prepare for the meeting (the book study). Supper. Go to book study, come back home sometime around 9:00 PM.

Wednesday. School followed by service. Study after supper for Theocraptic Misery School and ~~MLM Training~~Service Meeting.

Thursday. School, service, supper, meeting. This is the one that often doesn't get home until after 10:00 PM.

Friday. School. Child will be tired from being up late last night. Service. Family study, since this is the one night without a meeting that or the next night.

Saturday. Get up early for street work followed by the day of regular service. Then study the Craptower study for the next day.

Sunday. Morning meeting, which means getting up and dressed up early. After meeting, spend time out in service.

Now, where does this schedule leave adequate time for play and sports? I know that many parents do not follow this schedule. And they usually get calls from Brother Hounder about it, since these are the ones that the Craptower disdainfully depicts as taking off in the Jeep for a weekend trip camping while the righteous ones are preparing for the misery that day. Those articles are liberally used on those not following this strict schedule. And they wonder why children run around in the Kingdumb Hells. I know that there is no place in those Hells to play. But children need play time, and will run around if deprived of play time long enough.

It appears that this schedule was devised by a bunch of old fogeys at Brooklyn (here, I define an old fogey as someone who has an intolerant attitude toward younger people and not as someone who is too old to enjoy life; those who are intolerant usually do not enjoy life anymore and wish younger ones to lose their ability to enjoy life as well). This is not acceptable, and I call it as much child abuse as the spankings and beatings. This is what destroys the spirits of children. Even school, which many children refer to as jail, has much more time off and even play time (called recess) built in. Children need to play, and if they are not allowed to during the week, they are more likely to run around in the Kingdumb Hell (where they do not belong anyway).

Stealth453

My father, the po, straightened out a wire coat hanger, and whipped my brother and I raw, in the lobby of the hall for laughing during a meeting.

He did it while the whole congregation watched.

DeViL DriVeR 76

Anyone remember the sounds of little children screaming while their parents drug them to the second hall or bathroom to get their beating? My father was abusive, as a child growing up I remember one time he went off and actually lifeted up our kitchen table and threw it at me. He then picked up my fishtank and threw that it hit the table and shattered. I rememebr being to scared to save the fish that were flopping around.

In the meetings I was so scared I always behaved myself. But no matter how hard I tried occasionally I would doze off as a child. My mom would hound me staring at me rather than the brother on stage digging her nails into me anytime my eyes shut. If I did it more than a few times my dad would bring me in the bathroom for a good old fashion JW ass beating. I wish all I got was a wooden spoon. At home my dad would make me and my brother hold a bound volume staright out with both arms and if we lowered our arms we would get a shot with a belt, and due to his crappy aim alot of times it would hit us in the back. Thats beyond abuse thats torture.

Me and my brother both have one comman memory we cant get out of our heads. We both dozed off a few times at a meeting and on the ride home my fathers telling us how bad were going to get it when we got home and my mother was cheering "yes" "yes"! at the same time. Horrible! It was ok for my dad to doze off as a MS cuz he worked at nights but it wasnt ok for little kids to fall asleep. It was the WTS fault anyway, those meetings were too boring for most adults let alone little children.

The Spanking Hall?

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