Speaking of bathrooms at the DC

by TweetieBird 13 Replies latest jw friends

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  TweetieBird

  Reading Mulan's thread about her daughter-in-law's experience in the bathroom, I couldn't help remembering what happened at one district convention in Jacksonville.

  A sister brought her little 2 year old son in to spank. She whipped him for so long with a thick comb and everytime the little boy would cry she would spank him some more because he was crying. I went back to my seat crying. This was the worst case I ever saw at an assembly, but, believe me not a convention goes by that hundreds of children are getting those beatings.

  There are too many elders and CO's advocating using the rod. It's almost hailed as being the sign of a true Christian.

  I remember one time when we were having some trouble with my oldest son, we had an elder talk with him. The elder basically said that if he had been his son, blood would be everywhere. This elder's own son had threatened to call HRS on him and the elder said, "Go ahead, and they can clean up the blood off the floor at the same time." What a fine example of a loving shephard.
• 

  reagan_oconnor

  Discipline is important. I am a proponent of spanking.

  I am *not* a proponent of abuse, and from your description of the situation, this was abuse.

  I see my sisters-in-law spank their children only as a last resort; they use punishment that "fits the crime" and differs from child to child. I see my next door neighbor refuse to discipline her children in any form.

  My sisters-in-law (the marjority of them, anyway) have well-behaved, respectful children. My next door neighbor has two little monsters that walk around in children's skin.

  Reagan

  I am the master of my fate/I am the captain of my soul.
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  slipnslidemaster

  I totally agree with you once again Reagan.

  Spanking should be used to fit the crime. Last resort too.

  Slipnslidemaster: "But at my back I always hear Time's winged chariot hurrying near."
  - Andrew Marvell
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  Yerusalyim

  Spanking children should indeed be the last resort. Mine get it for things that endanger their lives or those of others, or for direct and willful challenge to parental authority.

  Spanking of spouses on the other hand, should be done on at least a weekly basis (especially when the kids aren't home).

  YERUSALYIM
  "Vanity! It's my favorite sin!"
  [Al Pacino as Satan, in "DEVIL'S ADVOCATE"]
• 

  closer2fine

  As a mom, I too believe that the punishment should fit the "crime". Sometimes spanking is in order.

  That said, I still get knots in my stomach when I remember very young children (6m +) being spanked severely, really beaten, in the back of the hall for not sitting still.

  One of the circuit overseers favorite story was of a child (4yrs) who wouldn't sit still. After several warnings, his dad picked him up and headed to the back for a meeting with the "rod". The child, knowing what was coming, yelled "Jehovah, save me!"

  When this story was related and the congregation was laughing, I looked around, like, ok does anyone see ANYTHING wrong with this?

  If God dropped acid, would he see people? -- Steven Wright
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  SlayerLayer

  I was beaten beyond belief as a child for as little as not cleaning my room. My mom is manic depressive and took out the anger on my butt. In my first marriage, I spanked my son for only the serious "crimes". But now, my new wife is firmly against spanking, and has made it clear that if I ever spank our son, then she will leave. So I had to reform my thoughts on discipline.

  He is almost 2 years old, and has never been spanked at all. I have to say that he is an acceptionally well behaved child. That's not just daddy talking. Everywhere we go people say that he is so good.

  I hate it, but I've been proven wrong. We used to fight all the time about it. I hate being wrong. lol. I think that as long as you are using wisdom in the way you discipline, so that you are actually teaching as opposed to punishing, then you will have a well behaved child.

  Just my proverbial 2 cents.

  Slayer
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  regan

  I have seen horrible things too at the KH and conventions. Stuff that made my stomach turn. Children as young as babies being beat. One time I overheard an elder (huuuge guy too must have been 6 ft 4 and 300 pds) laughing with another guy after the Sunday meeting that he "hurt" his hand spanking his tiny 2 yr old daughter during the meeting. I wanted to throw up on his shoes.
  I have two boys now, and they have never nor will ever be hit. I am very much against physical discipline of children. I employ positive parenting methods. My boys are well adjusted and charming and fun to be around.
• 

  JeffT

  We were in book study and for some reason the conductor had us all pull our chairs in a circle. (It was a really small group that night)

  At some point the conductor's wife had given their 3 year old daughter a doll to play with. About half way through the meeting the daughter starts pretending to scold the doll, wagging her finger in its face etc. She then turns the doll over in lap, pulls its dress up and starts beating the daylights out of it. Mom can't get her to stop, she and dad are turning beat red, and the rest of us are trying not to laugh out loud. I think mom finally took her the back room or something.
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  individuals wife

  Reading these posts I remembered an incident in the kingdom hall, a young lad, only about 10 months old was upset and crying - his mother had left him on the lap of an elder and she was sitting elsewhere in the hall. The elders wife, instead of taking the child to its mother, put her hand over the little ones mouth to muffle the noise, nearly suffocating the poor thing. This went on for quite a while and they were hissing at him telling him to show more respect in Jehovahs house. What a way to treat a toddler who is just fed up and wants to go and play, not sit still and be silent for hours on end.
• 

  TweetieBird

  ______________________________________________________________________
  One of the circuit overseers favorite story was of a child (4yrs) who wouldn't sit still. After several warnings, his dad picked him up and headed to the back for a meeting with the "rod". The child, knowing what was coming, yelled "Jehovah, save me!"
  ______________________________________________________________________

  I think every circuit overseer I have ever had has relayed that story. I had the same response as you.

  I'm not totally against spanking, as I too think there are some occasions(and at certain ages) where that is the only way to deal with a situation. But I consider it child abuse to drag a 2 year old to the circuit/district assembly, make them sit perfectly still for 8 hours and then take them out and beat the living daylights out of them because they are fussy. We had one CO that actually suggested strapping our youngsters into a chair with a belt of strap of some sort at home to get them use to sitting in the meetings.

  Anyway, I have 4 children. I spanked my first one quite a bit to make him sit still at the meetings. By the time my second one came along I wised up a little and the spankings were less frequent. When the third one came along I pretty much quit spanking all together and the fourth one has never had a spanking. I have had more trouble with the first two children than the second two. Is spanking/not spanking a factor? I don't know. All I can say is that if I had it to do over again, I would handle things differently.