Since The Bible Sponsors Disciplining Your Children Do JWs Say It Is OK Spank A Child?

by minimus 22 Replies latest jw friends

  • Darth Fader The Sequel
    Darth Fader The Sequel

    I am abhor the practice of beating/whipping a child. I knew many that did it when I was growing up and some that still do. I am not against the very rare swat on the backside of a young child that is throwing a fit or behaving really badly (hurting another child, throwing objects, screaming tantrum, etc). This is only to get their quick attention and is done with an open hand and not done any harder than you would if you were playing or roughhousing with your child. Never to inflict pain or harm. I am a firm believer that using any sort of implement to strike your child should be grounds for criminal prosecution. No belts. No switches, No paddles. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

    But if we observe other species of animals (mostly large mammals) that have similar social structures as humans (apes, monkeys, big cats, canines, elephants, even cetaceans and pinnipeds) and observe the behavior of parent animals disciplining and correcting their youngsters we will see that animals often have to show some sort of force and dominance over their young to train them in the expected social manners of the family unit or pack or herd, whatever. This discipline and dominance is NOT done with any malice or true anger by the animals. It is done in a way that gets the attention of the youngster but without harming them or scarring them emotionally and breaking their spirit.

    Sadly, I have seen many JW children with broken spirits because their awful parents used "the rod" scripture as an excuse to have open season on their children. It is disgusting and shows the lack of love and lack of intelligence these parents have. What I know for sure, those parents get paid back tenfold for their abusiveness by their children one day.

  • titch
    titch

    All of these responses to the OP of Minimus are rather revealing of a mind-set, an attitude of many Witnesses from as far back as I can remember. And, it's an attitude that my own mom fought against She died, oh so many years ago, and she passed away as a Witness. But while she was a Witness, she was a "champion" for childrens rights, and dead-set against child abuse. Discipline of a child was certainly correct, but the child had to be of a REASONINGage, and not babies and/or toddlers. And it was never to be used for taking out your frustrations on a child. She was of the mind-set that children were definitely not "mini-adults". And, would you treat an adult with corporal punishment, if they" mis-behaved"at a meeting? My mom didn't think so. (And, what is mis-behavior, at a meeting, anyway?) And, I never thought so, either. So, why would you treat a child with corporal punishment? Way back in the late 70s, my mom and I were at at District Convention, and she personally saw a mother taking out her frustrations on a toddler-aged child who was sitting near her. That night, when we got home, she wrote a very lengthy letter to the Convnetion Chairman, expressing disgust at what she had seen that day. And, the next day, I personally delivered the letter to the Convention Chairman's office, and I told him that I personally agreed with the sentiments that she had written in the letter, even though I had not written it.

    BTW, this reminds me of a book that I found out about through this Website. Its title is "The Spanking Room", written by William Coburn. Anyone read that book?

    Best Regards Everyone

    Titch

  • Darth Fader The Sequel
    Darth Fader The Sequel

    I like what you wrote, Titch. I agree.

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