I do remember when I was a boy, exactly what the highlighted part said being talked about a lot.
Doctor Spock who was one of the experts at the time wrote his first book saying don’t hit your child at all. Then he updated his view saying “the only thing that book was good for was to hit your child with it.”
yes he really said that I can’t find it now maybe the internet is trying to hide it but I remember it clearly being talked about in the congregation.
JWs had to defend their stance on hitting children. They thought it was Satans world who said don’t hit them and Jehovah wants you to hit them. Of course they put it another way and use that scripture about not sparing the rod.
They have flip flopped these days saying it’s the rod of discipline and not literally hitting them with a rod.
but when I was young it was understood to be a literal rod, I remember talks about it and the general feeling that they were right, they were so sure of it. All those parents in Satans world had it wrong not to hit their children and we are so grateful to have Jehovah to tell us to hit your children and they will thank you for it when they grow up. Well I’m grown up and I don’t thank my dad for hitting me so much