by Hairyhegoat 50 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
If we fell asleep during a meeting, we had to stand at our chair until the song.
This is something I avoid thinking about or even talking about. I don't think I had the worst of it, by no means. But I just can't imagine putting my daughter through the same. And it hurts to think my parents did it, and thought it was best for us. Honestly, I'm getting pissed off that anyone would even defend this. I'm taking a break.
Hey,
2 meetings each week of 1:45 mins long, give me a break, children in time learn to behave and pay attention. Parents just need to be smart about it; and, yes, for the most difficult ones, a good swat in the tush won't kill them and it's NOT child abuse!
DY
There is a big difference between a "Swat on the tush" and what the JW's do.
A "Swat on the tush" doesn't take their breath away and leave welps...
I didn't see any witnesses merely "Swat" their kids...I would classify it as "beat."
There is a difference between correcting a child and using a child to let out all your frustrations on..Don't kid yourself, it isn't about the "correcting the kids" when a parent goes to extremes when "Swatting a child".
Snoozy..
I just wanted to add, that after being in the JW religion from when I was newly married and now seeing many results ( a span of 40 years) of the treatment of their children, the ones that suffered "the rod" have grown up and are no longer witnesses..many even started rebelling in their teens.
Many teens rebel you say? Yes but the JW teens seem to go towards doing something to disgrace their parents and the religion. One I remember slept with one of the brothers wives..who was 20 or so years older than him. Another one married a black girl (he was white) which was really frowned on back in the 50's. Another got a girl in his hall pregnant..another shock back in the 50's.
I agree you do need to discipline your children but there are even better and more humane ways to do it now.
I wouldn't treat a dog the way many treated their kids .
JMO Snoozy
Doubtfully yours.
Experts would strongly disagree with you. Teachers know that most children have short attention spans. That is why they gear topics to 15-30 minutes each. If you want to keep them attentive and interested you need to get them to participate. And turning pages in a Bible they can't read isn't participating. Neither is taking notes. Most young children haven't got a clue.
Other churches realize this. Would it really hurt to actually do something for them?
On second thought. Don't! Let them grow up and leave. I actually like that much better.
Thank goodness my grandchildren will never see the inside of a KH.
And yes I swatted my kids - always on the behind. They were taken downstairs for a swat.
But you know what? When I left the JWs I stopped hitting my kids. I may not have always known what to do but I stopped the hitting.
BTW I got my last beating from my mother when I was 17 shortly before I got married. And when I say beating I mean beating - the kind that leaves welts and bruises. That seemed to be all she knew and was encouraged by the elders to beat us some more
the beatings I saw at the hall...... don't get me started on the horror stories
There's no way anyone can convince me that it's appropriate for infants, toddlers, preschoolers or any other innocent child to be exposed to adult discussions about masturbation, fornication, adultery and porneia in a house of worship. And yet, JWs don't give it a second thought whenever a Bible Reading™, Service Meeting™, Watchtower Study™ or Public Talk™ ventures into those topics. To me, that is mental abuse.
As a kid, I heard plenty of bona fide beatings of other children, from the bare-bottom smacks to the wails they produced, coming from the KH basement. One particular family had 4 kids, and each of them got hauled downstairs on a regular basis. For some strange reason, the beatings never seemed to make an improvement in the behaviour. Not only were those kids physically abused, but the rest of us listening to it were psychologically tormented too. There was always the unspoken threat, when my siblings and I weren't behaving like little automatons: dad's raised eyebrow and a look cast in that family's direction meant "you can be next!"
A spanking MAY not be "abuse", but a beating is ALWAYS abuse. A spanking is a slap that stings, but does not cause physical injury. Using a belt or spoon, or threatening with a pipe, is more than a spanking. That counts as a beating. As does repeated forcible slaps, any punching, or anything that could cause physical injury to the child. And, even the slap should only be used to prevent a child from doing something that could create more harm (such as running into the street after being told not to).
Worse is the demands that the religion places on children. They should not be forced to sit still for hours at a time. They should not be dragged out in field circus all the time--especially when they have school work. They should not be consistently forced to stay up until after 10 PM on school nights, especially when they have a major test to study for the next day. They should not be subjected to not having any Christmas joy when everyone else is enjoying the holidays. And, when they make a mistake, they get more spankings (which is emotional abuse), and often beatings (which is both physical and emotional abuse).
And it's not just at boasting sessions. When I was first going into the cancer, I saw one child that was always getting spanked and threatened with more "Just wait until we get home" (more emotional abuse). He was dragged out in field circus with his mother, who was pio-sneering during the REJECT Jesus Party season, when he was only 8. During school vacation, I would be out during the afternoons every weekday until 3 PM--he was out all morning, every day, and would stay out until sometimes 5 PM. That was his school vacation! And, every complaint, every playing with a twig or rock, every distraction yielded a spanking and threats of more spankings when they got home. The spankings were enough, but the threats of more--along with stealing his school vacation, were even worse.
Now, if the religion actually was the truth, why in hell do children always seem to "need" to be spanked, beaten, and threatened several times per event just to keep them in line?
I was a witness for 16 years. I didn't see it very much. The only one I really recall is an Elder...He took a rolled up Awake and smacked his GRANDSON in the nose with it. The brothers all saw it. I saw it with my mouth hanging open. The Elder saw that I saw and looked at me for a second....He then continued berating the child.
I NEVER got beat. My Dad would never allow it. Best parent ever!
The Batshit crazy lady who has never learned to obey the governing body ( as seen by her coming here) otherwise known as Doubtfully Yours has this to say regarding teaching kids obedience:
"such form of discipline never killed anyone. It teaches respect, discipline and self-control.And if the parents are smart about it, they don't even need to give said swat in the tush, they figure out a way to keep the child paying attention some other way."
In other words, if you can't get your kids to listen to the fun and exciting meeting, then try this:
So to you, DY, without any doubt, you are truly our resident hypocrite. For that, we thank you.
