Backside Baptist Child REAR-ing

By Patricia Backora

I doubt those tiny tots weighed forty pounds apiece soaking wet!
That polished board was thick and rounded, crafted of heavy
hardwood. The husband of the household, who had a crabby face,
must have made it himself, I thought. It looked more like Fred
Flintstones club than a civilized tool to train toddlers to love Jesus.
Wielded with sufficient force, it could have crippled a 300-pound
man. Maybe I was being a little nosy, but while nobody was looking
I picked up the massive rod of correction and tried it out on
myself with one very gentle swaying motion.
It registered. My
conclusion: These very nice-looking people wanted to make sure
they got the maximum pain out of each whack! I truly felt sorry for
their poor little kids.
I picked it up and showed it to the childrens mother. I asked her,
with a look of disbelief, Is this what you use to spank your children
with?
She sounded as matter-of-fact as if Id asked about her choice of
curtains. Well, it gets the job done.
WHAT job? Causing severe injury and/or lasting psychological and
spiritual damage to your own child? What if a husband hit his wife
with something like that? Why, shed press charges for assault! I
realized that even the weakest woman could cripple a toddler with
that thing. I recalled the flatter wooden paddles used at one country
school. They were bad enough, but this one was MONSTROUS!

If you struck an adult with something half that size it would be

criminal assault! So why is it okay for parents to use their own
judgment in what implement to use (belt, paddle, yard stick, etc.)?
Even wild animals are protected by law from cruel and inhumane
punishment. What guidelines should people observe when they
judge how much force is reasonable when hitting a child with their
chosen implement of punishment?
How many times are they
allowed to pummel the same place on a childs body, compounding
the pain and possible injury? Should the corporal punishment be
confined to the buttocks, or should the legs be struck instead, or
possibly even the back or shoulders? What about a bony kid who
has less padding? Should a chastiser run the risk of breaking a frail
childs bones? Not all kids bodies can survive rough treatment.
Where do you draw the line in deciding which types of offenses
merit corporal punishment? Where do you draw the line in
determining what constitutes excessive force in using the paddle?
Not all parents are created equal. Some are much bigger and
stronger than others. Some parents are quick-tempered, others
mild-mannered. Should a huge, muscular parent, a body builder or
martial arts expert be banned from physically punishing a child?
Even if corporal punishment isnt illegal, should special laws be
passed to protect children under a certain age or weight being
struck by an adult several times their size?
I watched this MASSIVE TV preacher holler about cute little babies
being vipers (deadly snakes) who need to get the devil beaten out
of em. Makes me wonder what kind of child REAR-ing this man
experienced. That man must have weighed at least 450, if not
more. If he hits are hard as he hollers (his sermons can break your
eardrums!) he could DEMOLISH a babys butt. I fear for all the
blind, obedient SHEEPLE who took his advice and whipped a
helpless infant for screaming in the wrong key!
Then theres the risk of uncontrolled parental anger increasing risk
of serious injury to the child. Some parents might get in such an
ugly mood from others picking on THEM at work that when they see
a bad report card they take out their frustrations on the youngster,
forgetting how fragile human flesh (and life) is. Parents yell about
THEIR rights to discipline any way they see fit. But what about the
rights of the child not to suffer physical and emotional damage?
I just had to wonder about any parent who would use a club to
paddle tiny children. What kind of a Christian father could either
make or buy such an instrument of cruelty to hurt his own flesh and
blood with? This particular man had spent time on the mission field
converting others to that same gentle Savior Who never once

taught severe treatment of children in any of the four Gospels! In

fact, the ONLY mentions of harsh treatment of children in these
books were negative ones, not commandments!
King Herod
murdered the babies in Bethlehem (Matt.2:16). Jesus was
displeased when His disciples rebuked children for coming to receive
His blessing (Matt.19:13). Jesus warned that evil parents would
betray their own children to death during the Tribulation Period
(Matt.10:21).
He also warned that anyone who caused little
children to lose faith in Him would suffer Gods judgment
(Matt.18:6). By misrepresenting Father God as a fierce ogre Who
mercilessly punishes children before He is willing (or able) to forgive
them, strap-happy Christian fathers (or mothers) can drive these
poor kids to forsake Christianity in disgust and horror and turn to
alternative belief systems once they are grown enough to leave
home.
That paddle was such a crude-looking club Im sure it wasnt
bought at your local K-Mart. Does such a parent have a clue about
the grace and mercy God expects us to display toward weaker
people who dont know any better (Rom.15:1; Heb.5:2)? Yes,
CHILDREN ARE PEOPLE TOO! Does a strict Christian parent
expect his own Heavenly Father to go any easier on him when he
slips up? Some people can dish it out but they cant take it. When
they fear their Heavenly Father might be getting out His belt, adult
Christians will desperately plead for mercy and patience for
THEMSELVES. Mercy they deny the tiniest, most vulnerable
members of their own family, who weigh a fraction of what they do.
Gen.49:5: Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty
(brutality) are in their habitations.
At what point do you cross the thin line between reasonable
chastisement and injuring a child with an instrument of cruelty?
I designed a fictional book cover to show how disgusting doctrine is
perfumed (and sold) with soft colors and flowers. In the following
example, both spanking and being spanked are regarded as
hallowed devotions unto God. Deeper Life theology permeates
many Christian Child REAR-ing books. Suffering is sacred
business. Im reminded of a TV program where some big guy gets
cheered as a hero for eating mountains of junk food till hes sick
enough to throw up. Those people arent cheering the guy for
enjoying himself, but for torturing his own stomach. Self-imposed
suffering (e.g. fasting or sleep deprivation as a spiritual discipline)
makes other Christians admire you, and dont forget to teach your
kids that your holey paddle steers their boat to heaven.

Spankianity Vs. the Grace of God

One popular manual for raising Christian families, published back in
the 1970s, takes child REAR-ing to extremes. Brother Bat, the
author, seemed to be into rigid legalism. He confused a fathers
authority with being a control freak who monitored the inner lives of
his children. It wasnt just a case of forbidding his children to
commit actual sins. It was all about regimented control of their
suspected thought processes and their daily schedules. Every child
was expected to rise and shine at the crack of dawn every day.
Brother Bat expected ALL people to be cheerful early risers (what
about people working night shifts)? Rumor has it this man even
believes wife beating is justified under certain conditions. Would
Brother Bat wallop his wife if she felt like getting extra beauty sleep
at six a.m.?

Brother Bat sounds like a pretty grim dad to have. Poor kids. At
least daily life at his house was a bit more bearable on Saturdays,
the only day his children could read their comic books. If thats not
a law (legalistic behavior) nothing is.
Insofar as instilling holiness into a child, Brother Bat seems to put
the paddle on a par with the Cross of Christ. Brother Bat advises
parents to continue a hard spanking until the kids crying signals
repentance, not just pain, fear, anger, etc. The philosophy behind
this brutality is to beat the child until his or her will is broken. Thats
worse torture than water-boarding someone at Gitmo to force a
confession, isnt it? One book illustration was a semi-circular
REPENTANCE METER (should have been called a SPANKOMETER)
where you used your imagination (which is SUBJECTIVE, and varies
from parent to parent!) to move an arrow in the middle left or right
to determine what type of crying your child was doing while you
were carrying out the spanking sentence. The first point was pain.
Somewhere in the middle were other negative indicators such as
anger, fear, etc. The final point, to the far right of the
SPANKOMETER, was repentance, indicated by submissive sobs and
a sorrowful face. At that point the spanking could stop and the child
could be asked if they were sorry and wanted to reconcile with the
parent and pray a prayer for forgiveness. Evidently a repentant child
doesnt qualify to receive absolution from his Heavenly Father until
AFTER his earthly father whales the daylights outa him.
Brother Bat insisted a few swats just wouldnt do. A SPANKING IS
AN EVENT, he insisted. Well, Brother Bat, so was a hanging in the
Old West. The whole community came out to watch that event.
Brother Bat turns it into a tear-jerking religious ritual as he tans his
kids hide, then acts as the childs priest, taking him into the
Presence of Almighty God to receive forgiveness for his sin. Talk
about an egotistical head trip, at least theres a bit of glory in it for
Brother Bat.
Men have always tried to usurp some of Jesus glory. Brother Bat
contends that the Christian father-priests true motive for pounding
his kids rump steak is to make it possible for his child to reconcile
with the God of heaven. I thought Jesus Christ was the ONLY
intermediary between God and man, where dealing with sin is
concerned (I Tim.2:5)! Once Jesus applies His precious blood to a
believers sin, its GONE! I know that if a murderer gets saved
before his execution date hes still got to die to satisfy secular
justice, even if his sin has been washed away. Many Christian
parents insist the beating must still be administered whether the
child repents or not.

Even the case of the repentant murderer, capital punishment is an

act of vengeance, not a corrective measure. Similarly, many parents
inflict a spanking as REVENGE to soothe their annoyance or
embarrassment from the child acting like hes alive in church. Ive
seen parents train their toddler with a stick for whimpering from
tiredness during a solemn, quiet moment in the church service
when everyone is supposed to concentrate on Jesus. Do those
dopes seriously think a little noise scares Jesus away? He worked in
a carpenters shop, for Petes sake! Some of those power-crazed
priests need to remember that they also have a Father in heaven
(Col.4:1) Who keeps a careful record of how much mercy a parent
shows. Thats the same measure of mercy that parent will receive
back from God, no more and no less!
Brother Bat gave the impression hes deep into Christian mysticism,
that boo-hoo baloney which holds that from the time of birth people
need plenty of tears and suffering in their lives to crucify their
fallen human nature (I thought the Word of God and the Blood of
Jesus sanctified people, not beatings). Brother Bat believed he had
the power to peep deep into his childs heart, and if Brother Bat
thought the childs heart wasnt properly broken with repentance,
hed keep on beating his kids butt till his heart got sanctified. I
thought GOD ALONE knows whats inside a human beings heart (I
Kings 8:39; 2 Chron.6:30; Acts 1:24). I thought the heart of a
Christian believer (even a child) was GODS domain (Eph.3:17).
Why doesnt Brother Bat respect Gods privacy and let God alone do
His sanctifying work in that heart?
Brother Bat glorified spanking as being THE means of sanctifying an
unruly child and making that kid worthy enough to ask Gods
forgiveness (the child wasnt supposed to pray for forgiveness till he
got his backside blistered). I guess even the most hard-hearted
chastiser would find it hard to wallop a repentant rascal whose heart
has just been spring-cleaned by the Lord. Let the paddle do its work
before God washes away the kids guilt for spilling the milk and
ruining the new carpet!
What joy it would bring to the parents heart if, after working their
child over, that little one wanted to repent and ask Gods
forgiveness. But what do they expect? That poor kid would do or
say anything to save whats left of his battered butt. Either the
child changes its tune or that already bruised caboose gets beaten
to a pulp with further licks from the rod of correction. Of course
that kid will mouth the right words. Hell even hug his dad after the
beating, even if hed rather tune him out till the dust settles. What
sane individual wants to end up in the hospital emergency room
with broken hip bones and massive internal bleeding from crushed

muscles and broken blood vessels? How can any Christian parent
beat the love of Jesus into a tiny, defenseless child? After that
destructive book made its rounds in Christian circles back in the
70s (and Brother Bat got rich and famous off it) some survivors of
its harsh teachings may have been left with a severely damaged
concept of the fatherhood of God. The very term father would
carry the connotation of brutality and terror, a big brute to be fled
from instead of loved and trusted.
Problems With Proverbs
Brother Bat used a few verses in Proverbs to justify his extreme
spanking doctrine. But why doesnt Brother Bat enforce OTHER
Proverbs in his home on an equal basis? Because he himself would
end up in traction, thats why.
How bout Prov.26:3 which
prescribes a a ROD FOR THE FOOLS BACK? Im sure Brother Bat,
like most everybody else, does or says something really stupid
every now and then and gets egg all over his face. So next time
Brother Bat makes a jackass of himself in public, let him put on a
horses bridle, then go get a fishing pole and whale the daylights out
of his own back and see how he likes it!
Next time Brother Bat does something foolish he gets sentenced to
one hundred stripes (Prov.17:10). Quit picking on kids. Theres no
fool like an old fool!
Better yet, heres something you could install on the speakers
platform of your church. Have someone build an old-fashioned
STOCKS, you know, that contraption that struck fear into the hearts
of New England townspeople back in the 1600s. The authorities
would chastise some poor guy for misconduct by forcing him to sit
on a bench with his hands and feet poking through holes in a wide
wooden board, unable to move. Next time Christians catch their
pastor staring at shapely legs that dont belong to his wife, he gets
STOCKED a la Proverbs 7:22.
Solomon contradicts his own advice in Proverbs 27:22. He states
that even if you grind up a fool with a mortar and a pestle, you
cant beat the foolishness out of him! For Petes sake! If a good ol
grindstone wont do the trick, surely a fly swatter wont do any
better! First Solomon preaches the power of THE ROD to drive the
foolishness away from a child (Prov.22:15; 23:13-14) and save his
soul from hell, then he admits that foolishness CANT be driven out
even with a mortar and pestle! Cmon now! This aint Burger King!
You cant have it both ways.

I thought you had to be consistent in keeping Scriptural

admonitions. Why dont Christians enforce other equally valid
Proverbs the same as the spanking Proverbs? Why dont Christians
confine a philandering pastor in stocks so hell get laughed at by the
congregation? Next time the deacon tells a dirty joke, why dont
they pound him with a mortar and pestle? If the pastor marries the
wrong kind of woman, why dont Christians curse that pastor, beat
him and tear out his hair like Nehemiah did to some guys whose
marriages he disapproved of (Neh. 13:25)?
Because anybody who acted that way toward another adult might
get arrested for assault. Paul forbids Christians to curse
(Rom.12:14). He forbids them to strive with each other and
commands gentleness in interpersonal relationships (2 Tim.2:14).
And as for commanding others to swear by God, Nehemiah was
obeying the Old Testament command to swear (Deut.6:13;Jer.4:2).
But Jesus said, swear not at all (Matt.5:34).
Jesus had a habit of challenging old ways of thinking. For example,
He didnt tell His disciples to work themselves to death to
accumulate earthly wealth. Christ seems to have held a dim view of
the pursuit of riches (Mark 10:23). He even said it was hard for
those who possessed earthly wealth to enter Gods Kingdom. But
what did Solomon say, just two verses before he warns you that if
you dont beat your son you dont love him?
Prov.13:22: A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's
children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
Fascinating. Solomon encourages people to accumulate enough loot
not just to provide for their own immediate needs, but to leave a
tidy nest egg for their grandkids. Despite the fact he wrote other
verses which teach it is vain to set your heart on riches.
Prov.23:5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches
certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward
heaven.****Solomon, who enjoyed all the fine things money could
buy in his day, teaches that wealth is as insubstantial as cotton
candy. How does Solomon expect wealth to hang around till a good
mans grandkids grow up to inherit it, if that wealth sprouts wings
and flies away before that happens?
Prov.27:24: For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure
to every generation?
Come on, now! Didnt Solomon just teach you to squirrel away a
fortune for your grandkids, as if your wealth could be passed down

from generation to generation? Couldnt he foresee that rotten

banker on Wall Street would gamble all your lifes savings away
before your grandkids could go buy a candy bar with it in the year
2030, after runaway inflation eats away most of the value of this
precious inheritance you would have left them?
You read it yourself. Solomon plainly states that a GOOD man
leaves an inheritance to his grandkids. But it works both ways: If
you either cant, or wont, leave your grandkids a billion bucks after
you die, youre NOT a good man! Even if another Great Depression
hits and wipes out all youve saved after working your butt off 100
hours a week. Even if money aint worth the paper its printed on.
You hear lots of preaching about how rotten you are as a parent
unless you hit your kids. But if one proverb is binding, they ALL
are, and equally so. Why isnt there more hullabaloo about poor old
folks being hell-bound reprobates because they couldnt save an
inheritance for their grandkids? And next time these self-righteous
Bible twisters go share the gospel with some sinner, why dont they
tell that sinner hes got to cough up some cash because the wealth
of the sinner is laid up for the righteous?
Jesus did NOT teach that earthly wealth is a sign of Gods favor.
Nor did He teach spanking in any of the Gospels. Solomon views
children as being full of foolishness and in need of a good beating
(Prov.22:15). Jesus teaches adults to become as little children in
order to enter the Kingdom (Matt.18:3). Whose viewpoint holds
greater authority in our lives? That of Solomon or Christ? And where
Old Testament ways conflict with the New, what should win out?
The old or the new?
Why dont Christian bosses increase worker productivity with a whip
like Solomon did (I Kings 12:14) ? Because its against the law to
administer cruel and unusual punishments, especially in America.
But spanking is legal (and left to the parents own discretion) in
most parts of the world. Fallen man tends to do whatever he can
get away with. If spanking were illegal like those other punishments
in Proverbs, perhaps Brother Bat would do a rethink on it.
The Priest of Paddles
There was a lot in Brother Bats book about how considerate and
loving husbands should be toward wives, etc. There was much talk
about devotion to Jesus, the priesthood of the father, etc. But for
the most part, it was a How to Beat Your Kids manual which
whitewashed physical torture by turning it into a holy, emotionally

charged religious rite administered by Daddy, the teary-eyed, allwise punishing priest of the family.
Can you imagine Brother Bat kneeling in the candlelit woodshed as
his kid bends over waiting for the Spanking Ceremony (excuse me,
EVENT!) to begin, and Brother Bat waves his arms and sings, I
bow at thy shrine, O paddle divine!
If pain is what drives kids to faith in Jesus, then how big does the
stick have to be? Are we talking about a boat paddle or a fly
swatter? Is a kid has been worn out with a three-inch thick holey
paddle, is he any holier than the child who gets two swats with a
wooden spoon? Is a puppy holy because he gets swatted with a
rolled-up newspaper when he decorates the floor? How many licks
should your child get for dropping a gum wrapper on that same
floor?
Many years ago a bunch of us young people would ride together to
church meetings.
Juanita, this divorced lady started driving
several of us around to different Christian events. Juanita had an
adorable two-year-old son, always full of life and questions. I never
saw Joey do anything bad and couldnt figure out why he kept
getting in trouble with his mom. Maybe he whined just a little
because he was tired from all the excitement. But whatever the
reason, Juanita would jump on it as an excuse to use The Rod to
train her little boy. More than anything, Juanita believed in the
power of The Rod to turn children into fine upstanding Christians.
It wasnt just the spankings, it was the WAY they were carried out!
Personally I dont think that two-year-olds who moan and groan
because theyre tired are mature enough to realize theyre
committing some terrible sin that merits punishment.
On several occasions, Juanita would decide it was time to chastise
Joey for the vague offense hed probably already forgotten about.
Shed pull over by the roadside. Her friend Mary would carry out
the sentence. Sharply shed order Joey to pull his pants down.
Mary would switch his backside until he started crying. Then shed
tell the toddler she was trying to train him with The Rod. Id sit
there feeling embarrassed for the poor child with his BVDs exposed
to everybody in the car. Though Id been told this treatment was
good for Joey, for some vague reason Id feel grieved deep inside
my heart. But is this the Christian way to treat a toddler, a human
being barely out of infancy who cant yet tell his right hand from his
left (Jonah 4:11)?

Deut.1:39: Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a

prey, AND YOUR CHILDREN, WHICH IN THAT DAY HAD NO
KNOWLEDGE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, they shall go in thither,
and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.
If youve gotta crack down that hard on a toddler who doesnt even
know right from wrong, and cant tell good from evil, how come
grown-up Christians who DO know these things dont get spanked
when they act restless in church?
Can you imagine the pastor
catching some man fidgeting and playing with his cell phone, then
he orders the poor guy to drop his drawers in front of the whole
congregation so the deacon can swat him with a tree branch?
The supreme irony of the situation is this: Juanita, the very same
lady who whipped her son to train him to be like Jesus, ended up
doing something far worse than whining. She knew this couple who
were having marital problems. Instead of encouraging them to
work it out and stay together, Juanita tried to steal the other
womans husband! When the pastor rebuked her for this, she
complained to everyone that it was none of his business! Imagine if
Juanitas Heavenly Father was as hard on her as shed been on her
own son! Where was HER punishment from the Rod of Correction?
Some Christian parents are so strict they refuse to relent even if the
child pleads for mercy with tears. They insist that even if the child
repents before God before hes dragged down to the cellar, the
spanking still has to be inflicted because thats the law in their
home.
The Law demanded the death penalty for sexual sins, offenses far
more evil than any childish pranks (Lev.20:10; Deut.22:20-24).
Nothing is said about the guilty people being spared the punishment
even if they ask Gods forgiveness. They had to die. Period. So on
that one point the Bible agrees with Brother Bat, at least the Old
Testament.
Jesus Himself, our supreme Example, is NOT recorded to have
struck anyone with the possible exception of Temple traders (see
John 2:12-17). He welcomed children with open arms, and His
disciples grumbled about it (Matt.19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16).
Mark 10:13-16 (KJV) 13 And they brought young children to him,
that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that
brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased,
and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and
forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Verily I say

unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little
child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms,
put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Quite a number of little children came to Christ. Chances are, a few
of those kids might have been naughty instead of nice, at least a
little bit. But you dont see Jesus whipping off his belt and laying
into any of them. He didnt beat them, He BLESSED them!
Proverbs was written under the Dispensation of Law, by a King who
built demonic idols to please his pagan wives, idols that burnt up
babies thrown into their big belly furnaces. Did Jesus ALWAYS
literally apply the law to each and every situation? He broke the
Sabbath to obey the higher law of mercy (Matt.12:1-8; Mark 3:15). Jesus saved an adulteress from executioners (John 8:4).
What would King Solomon have done? Most likely, this very same
man who didnt have himself executed for idolatry would have stuck
to the letter of the law and ordered her to be stoned. He
condemned hypocrites but acted like one himself. In Proverbs youll
see warnings against sloth written by a king who lived luxuriously in
his scented harem and knew no hard physical toil. Youll see
proverbs about marital fidelity written by a king who had a
thousand wives to choose from. Youll see proverbs written by a
king who urged mercy towards the poor, but beat his own workers
and taxed the people mercilessly.
But not a single proverb
condemning idolatry. I wonder why.
What was Jesus attitude toward certain harsh Old Testament laws?
Matt.19:8: Matthew 19:3-10 (KJV) 3 The Pharisees also came
unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man
to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said
unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the
beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause
shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife:
and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more
twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let
not man put asunder. 7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then
command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts
suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was
not so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife,
except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth
adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit
adultery. 10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so
with his wife, it is not good to marry.

In the Old Testament, it was (legally) okay for a man to divorce his
wife just for burning his toast, if she were no longer attractive to
him or just because the husband felt like it. Jesus stated that this
law permitting husbands to divorce wives FOR ANY REASON was
permitted by God because of the hardness of peoples hearts.
Christians resort to spanking FOR ANY REASON because they feel
bound by biblical law to do it, not because its always the wisest way
to respond to a childs real or suspected misbehavior. And BECAUSE
OF THE HARDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS, Christians, like the
Unmerciful Servant of Matt.18, will exact every last ounce of
retribution they can out of a tiny defenseless child. Jesus did not
say that the Unmerciful Servant had no LEGAL right to throw the
debtor into prison, perhaps it was the law of the land. But the
Unmerciful Servant, who had been FREELY forgiven a much greater
debt, had no MORAL right to deal harshly with his helpless fellow
servant.
When his own lord found out about this two-faced
hypocrisy, he was so enraged he took back his forgiveness of the
Unmerciful Servant and reinstated the original penalty!
How many harsh, overbearing, scripture-spouting, paddle-waving
parents have been forgiven by their own Heavenly Father for
infinitely greater sins than their tiny children have committed (if
these little beings know the difference between right and wrong at
all)? Let them beware. It would be far better for them to be sunk in
the sea by a millstone than to drive little children away from Jesus
with these words: Jesus told me to spank you and I must obey
Him. No! Solomon, builder of child-eating idols is the ONLY Biblical
writer who commands corporal punishment. Just like he mentioned
other punishments adult Christians conveniently neglect to apply to
their lives: Beat a fool (of any age) with a rod (Prov.26:3), or lock
him up in the stocks (Prov.7:22). Do this to the spankster preacher
next time he sneaks a peek at porn TV!
Just like the lord of the two servants was enraged by the cruelty of
the forgiven servant, God, Father and Lord of the Christian, will
spank the unmerciful, hot-headed, heavy-handed Christian parent
who demands grace for himself and law for their helpless child.
When horrible retributive judgments fall upon them, they will moan
and groan about how unfair God is treating them!
Brother Bat related an incident where he spanked one of his kids for
something he didnt even do. Brother Bat said, I cant unspank
you. But will you forgive me?
The boy said, Sure, dad, can I have a peanut butter sandwich?

Brother Bat was trying to reassure parents that even if they get it
wrong sometimes and spank an innocent child, itll all come out in
the wash. When I read it, I felt like saying, Bend over, Brother Bat.
You spank your children and leave them with a blistered butt even if
their guilt isnt established beyond the shadow of a doubt. You tell
parents to punish children when their tiny hands spill milk at the
dinner table. So why should you get off the hook when YOU have
an accident?
In John chapter 4 Jesus spoke with the woman at the well about
salvation. This particular woman had a long string of former lovers.
She wasnt even married to her present partner. Jesus didnt tell
that shameless hussy to bend over the well so he could spank her
for unchaste conduct. And in John 8:3-11 he dealt kindly with
another woman who committed adultery and was about to be
stoned by a mob of enraged men. Jesus helped this woman escape
the penalty stipulated by the law: death by stoning (He knew He
would soon die to pay the penalty of her sins). Jesus asked the
crowd if they were any better than she was. He told her to go and
sin no more. No mention of any whipping being necessary to
discipline her flesh or break her will.
The men who dragged this woman to judgment did just like King
Saul when he only PARTIALLY obeyed Gods orders. In I Samuel 15
God ordered Saul to totally annihilate ALL the Amalekites and ALL
their livestock.
Saul butchered a bunch of Amalekites and
Amalekite animals, but let the Amalekite king and the best of the
Amalekite animals live. Samuel chewed Saul out for keeping Gods
orders his own way. In Gods sight, partial obedience is the same
as DISobedience. The adulterous woman was taken IN THE VERY
ACT (John 8:4). It takes two to tango. They could have seized the
man and brought him to Jesus too. Didnt these good Jews read
their own Bible?
Lev.20:10 specifically states that BOTH the
adulterer and the adulteress had to die.
Even if the Roman
occupation didnt permit the Jews to put MEN to death at that time
(see John 18:31) they were still disobeying Gods commandment by
sparing the guilty man. Oddly enough, that catch-22 didnt stop
them from stoning Stephen, a male, in Acts chapter 7.
The above examples are an illustration of SELECTIVE enforcement
of law over grace.
The angry mob were probably misogynist
Neanderthal brutes who hated women anyway, so thats why it
didnt bother them too much to dump all their fury on the woman
while the man got off scot-free (to go hit on somebody elses wife).
But when Stephen preached Christ to hostile Jewish men and
pricked their evil conscience, the angry mob ignored the Roman law
against Jews carrying out executions and unleashed their fury on

him. Just like the mob would have killed the woman if Jesus hadnt
shamed them out of it with His wise words.
Fundamentalist Christian parents can be very SELECTIVE about who
gets law and who gets grace in their home. Some are so strict that
even if their four-year-old child tearfully apologizes after dropping a
dish, theyll get the switch out anyway and let her have it to train
her (for what? To be afraid of them)? Thats law. But when Daddy
hits his thumb with a hammer and takes the Lords name in vain,
hell ask Jesus to forgive him and go on his merry way as if nothing
had happened. Thats grace. Unmerited mercy and forgiveness that
arent first earned by enduring a spanking.
Bubba the Butt Buster
Imagine an affluent pastor visits a poor family of six, and theyre all
gathered at the dinner table. The three eldest childrens backsides
are all swollen and sore from the bad beating Daddy gave them
yesterday. Hazel, their mother, bless her soul, is worried itll
happen again before their blackened buttocks get the chance to
heal up.
Bubba, the childrens daddy, wants to impress the pastor with the
reverent atmosphere of his household. Bubba wants to prove how
blessed he is even if he aint rich. Bubba had been flabbergasted
when the pastor invited himself to come over to get better
acquainted. Funny how Hazel only smiled, as if she werent too
surprised. Very few folks from the poor side of town ever got a visit
from this popular pastor. Laid off from his last job because of his
bad temper, Bubba had to dip deep in his piggy bank to be able to
afford this feast. Normally the family subsisted on starchy junk like
noodles and pinto beans, or anything they could forage from the
local food bank.
Soft pillows have been placed on the childrens chairs. Only baby
Jason is able to sit without pain. Roast beef is on the table, along
with dishes of mashed taters, gravy, butter beans, corn bread and
black eye peas. Theres even a vase of fresh flowers on the clean
white tablecloth. Soft hymns play on the same CD player which
usually churns out Blue Grass country. Every head is bowed and
every eye closed. The preacher, given the seat of honor at the head
of the table, smiles at the tranquil scene before him. He wonders
at the way the well-mannered children sit so reverently with bowed
heads and folded hands. Not one eye dares to open to peep at the
mouth-watering treats on the table. The preacher shuts his eyes
too.

Before the preacher can utter the first word of grace, the silence is
broken by a loud, deep bullfrog burp. The children hold their noses
to stifle their nervous snickering but they cant help it. Starved of
fun and laughter for so long, they tumble out of their chairs in
uncontrollable hysterics.
The toddler watches the older kids
laughing and joins in, so excited he makes a puddle in his high
chair.
HIS moment of glory has been ruined! All year long Bubba has
waited for HIS chance to impress the senior pastor of his 5,000member church. That wonderful Christian leader in the fancy blue
suit will probably never drop by this heathen home again.
That rich pastor must think were all a bunch of ignorant hillbillies,
Bubba fumes, mad as a junk yard dog robbed of a rump roast.
Alvin! Bubba yells at his oldest son. You done that on purpose!
You got in trouble yesterday, so I know it was you that done it! Im
gonna burn up your britches, boy! Bubba unbuckles his belt.
Daddy, no! Alvin cries, cowering. Dont hit me!
NO! his wife pleads. Leave him alone! It was me! I couldnt hep
it cause my innards always growl when I git hungry!
Just look what you kids made that baby do! Bubba yells. Its adrippin all over the floor and that dumb dogs a-lickin it up! Right
in front of the pastor, too. Oh, Pastor Hibbins, how will God ever
fergive us for the unholy things you seen here today?
To his surprise, the preacher laughs too. Brother Bubba, Im used
to stuff like that. I was raised in a family of seven children and we
had our awkward moments too.
Still, theres gotta be dizpline in this here house, mean old Bubba
grumbles. Alla you kids laughed, so go stand off to the side of the
table and bend over. The baby made a mess so it gets punished
too.
His wife jumps up from the table and picks up the wailing baby, who
cant understand plain English, but responds to all the fear and
tension in the air. Dont you dare hit my precious little baby! Hazel
cries hoarsely.
You hush up, woman! Bubba booms, raising his big bulky body
from his chair. My Bible teaches you to submit to your husband! I
can do whatever I want to around here. Aint that so, Pastor?

Pastor Hibbins stares at his plate, silently. He wishes he were a

million miles away.
Well, aint that so? Bubba demands again.
No, Bubba, the Pastor finally says. You can only do whatever
God wants. By the way, how much do you weigh?
Whats that got to do with the price of peas in China? Bubba
mutters.
Just answer me, Bubba. How much do you weigh?
Around 320 I guess, give or take a few pounds.
Now, how much does the baby weigh?
Bubba doesnt know, but his wife does. Just last Friday a nurse
weighed him. Hes up to sixteen pounds.
Thats a fairly easy problem to solve, says the pastor. Hmmm.
That means Bubbas twenty times the size of baby Jason. And not
only that, hes at least four times bigger than the older children.
So whatre you drivin at, pastor? Bubba drawls.
Bubba, the pastor says, its bad enough your older children live in
fear of your strap, but what about this tiny little toddler youre
threatening right now? You know youre big enough to break every
bone in his body. Who gave you the right to do such a thing?
God put me in charge of this here home, pastor, and my wife has
gotta do what I say.
Not if it means going against God, Bubba. He gave you those
precious children to love and cherish, not to beat half to death. Any
mother worth her salt is gonna protect her own babies from harm.
And how would you feel, Bubba, if some man four times your size
laid into you with a belt every time you made a mistake?
Bubba glares. Hazel hopes she can soften him up. What about me,
Bubba? I told a lie when I said I was the one that burped. Nobody
knows who done it cause all our eyes were shut tight.

And I laughed along with the kids, the pastor coolly admits. Its
a good thing you werent laughing, Bubba, because you wont like
what I have to say.
Huh? Bubba blinks, looking up from the meat hes carving. He
keeps on slicing, mouth open, staring into space, until
Dadgummit! I cut muh durn finger! Hazel, go fetch the Bactine!
Bubba picks up a paper napkin to stop the bleeding as his frazzled
wife flees the room.
There you go again, Bubba, says the pastor.
swear.

I just heard you

Didnt do no such thing, pastor. I said dadgummit and durn.

But I know what those words stand for, Bubba. Not only that, last
Sunday I was getting in my car to go home from church when I
overheard you in the parking lot cursing and swearing and using
REAL cuss words.
Well, what of it?
Dont you think thats a sin, Bubba?
Naw, I had every right to do that. A bee snuck up from behind and
stung me. Where, I wont say.
But Bubba, the pastor sighs, what if one of your children had
used such foul language?
Ida tore em up right then and there.
Even if they asked God for forgiveness?
Yep. Gotta dizpline my children.
The pastor opens his Bible. Bubba, James 3:1 teaches that those
who are in charge of teaching others will be judged more severely
by God when they stray from the paths of righteousness. Also, our
Lord Jesus taught that the servant who didnt know any better
received fewer stripes than the one who knew his Lords will and
disobeyed Him anyway.
But pastor, grown-ups dont get spanked, kids do.

Wrong again, Bubba. Read Hebrews 12:6 and youll discover how
risky it is to provoke God to anger like youre doing right now by
being mean to your family. God disciplines every son whom he
receives, not just those under 21.
Bend over, Bubba. The Bible says the father is supposed to set a
godly example for his family. If your children have to get spanked
every time they foul up, so do you.
But pastor
No buts, Bubba. Except the one I came here to beat.
Spankianitys Destructive Teachings
Did Bubba comply? Ill leave that one hanging. Some Christian
adults sing and shout about how they live under Gods grace and no
longer fear being under his wrath as imperfect human beings. Yet
they deny grace to their own tiny children, who are expected to
behave like perfect ladies and gentlemen ALL the time! Perhaps
because adults brought their child into this world and pay for their
upkeep, they feel they own these tiny human beings and are
entitled to threaten and beat them how and when they please. To
them, its no big deal to wear their kids out for acting cranky when
theyre tired or for not eating all the peas on their plates.
Are adults any better? Christians sometimes envy other Christians,
they sometimes get mad at God, they gossip about other Christians,
they sometimes act uncharitable or dishonest toward other people.
Sometimes Christian marriages break up because of adultery,
spousal abuse or desertion. Occasionally you hear of some famous
Christian Bible teacher whos on his third or fourth divorce &
remarriage. Can you spell hypocrite?
Adults act no holier than the children they punish. But theyre eager
to cast the first stone. Perfection is expected of tiny children who
have just entered the world. But grownups who have had many
years to learn the difference between right and wrong expect
others to overlook their own flaws and imperfections. Just like
dictators can get away with crimes peasants get punished for, adult
authority figures are held less accountable for what they say and
do.
When some little children were brought to Jesus for His blessing,
the disciples thought they were being a nuisance (Matt.19:13-15).
But Jesus welcomed them with open arms and blessed them. He
didnt do like one popular televangelist who yelled that little

children, even newborn babies, are vipers who need to get their
spiritual education out in the woodshed.
Human will is evil, Brother Bat asserted in his manual. So evil it
must be broken in early childhood to make us pliable in the Hands
of the Lord (or other peoples hands?). Human nature is wicked,
desperately so. But sin cant be beaten out of the human heart.
SPANKIANITY is bad theology and dangerous error. SPANKIANITY is
a form of a heresy I call Supplemental Suffering Salvation. Other
ways this might be practiced are:
1. Many medieval saints tried to earn their own salvation by
enduring poverty, enduring bad treatment, sickness and disease.
Some of them wore scratchy hair shirts crawling with lice to
discipline their flesh.
2. Many nuns and monks fast or flagellate themselves to punish
their bodies for sin.
3. A Pentecostal might vow to God that hell fast every Wednesday
from now on, if only God will forgive him for cheating on his wife.
Spanking kids who are ALREADY repentant teaches them that they
must pay matching funds with Jesus to persuade God to forgive
them and clear their account in heaven. Only when theyre grown
up do they escape the shadow of the paddle (Law) and enter the
realm of grace like their daddy, who doesnt get his backside
blistered when he uses a swear word. This unfairness makes
children wonder if Jesus sacrifice on the Cross works better for
Mom and Dad, who dont owe any extra suffering for the sins they
commit!
Far from seeking to crush the human will, God repeatedly affirms its
crucial role in human life.
Acts 5:4: WHILES IT REMAINED, WAS IT NOT THINE OWN? AND
AFTER IT WAS SOLD, WAS IT NOT IN THINE OWN POWER? why
hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied
unto men, but unto God.* * * *Peter tells Ananias that while he had
his own land in his own possession, Ananias had the right to do
whatever he wanted with that land. That implies the right to
personal human will! God did not break Ananias will to FORCE him
to sell his own land. Ananias sold it out of greed, not fear. Ananias
and Sapphira knew they could live off the church common fund if
they lied to the apostles and said theyd given away all their assets
to the church. So they kept back part of the price of the land and
kept their mouths shut about it. Incidentally, Ananias fatal sin was
lying to the Holy Ghost, not refusing to give all his cash to the

church. Notice, that Peter did not scold Ananias for possessing a
human will. The sin was in the misuse of that will to lie to God!
I Cor.9:17: For if I do this thing WILLINGLY, I have a reward: but if
against MY WILL, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto
me.* * * * *Pauls will is involved here as to his own personal
choice. Paul does not condemn the possession of a human will.
I Cor.7:39: The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband
liveth; but if her husband be dead, SHE IS AT LIBERTY TO BE
MARRIED TO WHOM SHE WILL; only in the Lord.* * * * *Paul does
not advise a Christian widow to have God break her will so shes
forced to marry some mean old wife beater who will teach her
patience and longsuffering. She uses her OWN free will to freely
choose any new husband God approves of.
This phrase, break the human will appears NOWHERE in Scripture,
only a willingness to discover and live by the perfect will of God
(Rom.12:2). This is done by the RENEWING of your mind, not
through submission to torture meted out by an authority figure.
There have been cases where nuns or monks try to beat selfishness
and other vices out of themselves, thinking that abusing their body
can drive out the carnal nature and help them make it to heaven.
Brother Bats teaching on breaking a child is sort of like this. The
very idea that you can achieve holiness through bodily suffering is
the same reason some Catholics crawl up a mountainside on bloody
knees to reach a religious shrine.
These deceitful religious teachings slipped in by satan seem to be
oh, so spiritual because they involve a false humility (drummed-up
self-abasement) discouraged by Col.2:23. But theyre deadly to
true faith in the grace of God, which is FREELY bestowed through
the righteousness and obedience of Christ (Rom.5:15-21). These
punitive practices do nothing to counteract the weaknesses of sinful
flesh. These ways APPEAR to be wise because of the discomfort and
difficulty involved in such self-abasement.
Some see certain non-Biblical teachings
as being binding
principles of the Christian life. Many are deep into Christian
mysticism, a practice of searching for deeper truths of God hidden
in the Bible, instead of being content with its plain content. Only
more mature believers understand these hidden gold nuggets of
secondary and tertiary meanings distilled from selected scripture
texts while the rest of us dumb yokels just take the Bible at face
value. Much of Brother Bats rationale for harsh paddling springs
from his Christian Mysticism point of view. Jesus suffered terribly
so in order to make your kids holy, so it follows that in order for

them to walk THE WAY OF THE CROSS (as defined by Brother Bat),
they have to suffer terribly too.
The Breaking of the Will was a Christian Mysticism teaching
circulating in the church world back in the 1970s, taught in
Christian magazines and articles. Another one was the Breaking of
the Soul, taught nowhere in scripture as a binding doctrine on the
believer. The ONLY scripture where break and soul appear
together is Psalms 119:20: My soul breaketh for the longing that it
hath unto thy judgments at all times.* * * *The psalmist has an
intense longing for the Word of God. He doesnt beg God to break
his soul to pieces. It is NOT a commandment to Christians under
grace to torture themselves (or others) to prove to God how
spiritual-minded they are! Its the King James English way of saying
that the Psalmist aches with longing to learn the ways of the Lord,
similar to the way youd ache with longing to see righteousness
prevail in an unjust society. It is dangerous and spiritually unhealthy
to base church doctrine on one isolated verse.
The breaking of the soul (b.s.) doctrine was practiced by deep
mournful sobs of self-abasement. I almost fell for this gloomy
garbage but my pastor caught it in the nick of time and dealt with
the brother who tried to sneak it into our church. One article I read
on the Brokenness heresy was based on the story of the broken
alabaster vase which released the fumes of sweet perfume for all to
enjoy (Mark 14:3). Before the perfume could be enjoyed, the
alabaster vase must first be broken.
I believe God included that story in scripture to show that our love
for Jesus must sometimes manifest itself in extravagant ways, just
like Mary was thought to be extravagant when she used the
expensive perfume to anoint Jesus for His burial instead of selling it
and giving the money to the poor. The aim of this story was NOT to
teach Gods people to beat up on themselves!
NOWHERE in the
Bible does God demand the destruction of your soul in order for the
fragrance of Jesus to be released! Another popular heresy.
I got spiritual indigestion from Christian Mysticism teachings. They
made me a sadder Christian, not a happier one. Such negative
nonsense made me more inwardly focused, instead of being able to
concentrate on what God could do through me to bless others.
Christians dont need to complexify the teachings of Scripture to get
sufficient meaning out of it. Why isnt the PLAIN Word of God,
RIGHTLY DIVIDED AND CORRECTLY APPLIED TO NEW TESTAMENT
BELIEVERS UNDER GRACE, enough to help Christians raise their
families?

I hate to say this, but I kinda suspect that the REAL reason
Christians get swallowed up in all those deeper teachings is its
much easier to minister to ONE (yourself) than to be outwardly
focused. Inwardly-focused believers really dont relish having to
buckle down to the business of winning souls, ministering to the
hungry and sick, and generally doing good, POSITIVE things to be a
blessing to others. Satan knows you cant do more than two or
three things at once as you live out your limited time on earth.
No-nonsense James defines the Christian life in a nutshell:
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is
this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to
keep himself unspotted from the world.
Which brings us back to our topic. Notice, James says nothing about
spanking being a Christian act of devotion. The first thing he tells
you to do to show you love Jesus is to do something kind for some
unhappy, needy person. Bring joy to someone elses life instead of
tears. James also says were to avoid being contaminated by this
world of sin. But James doesnt mention 72-hour prayer hotline
shifts, whipping, fasting, or beating holiness into a tiny child.
Perform practical, POSITIVE acts of love and clean up your own act
before you wear out some toddler who dropped his peas on the
floor! Some Christians would rather perform a three-month water
fast to make other Christians feel like gluttonous, carnal pigs than
take food to a hungry family in the church! Some Christians would
rather beat the tar out of their kids to show the love of Jesus
than spend ten minutes playing Frisbee with them in the park.
Dont feel like a failure just because you dont listen to flaky
teachings which can actually do more harm than good. I feel sorry
for children brought up by parents who are steeped in the suffering
is good and break the human soul and will heresies. They know
firsthand what that breaking involves.
Speaking of breaking, Ive read and heard horror stories of
teenagers being badly beaten and tortured in Christian homes for
wayward youth. And for such nebulous offenses as making a bed
the wrong way or being unable to memorize a long scripture
passage. What a wonderful way to instill love for the Word of God
into children! What a wonderful way to ground them in the love of
Jesus!
Kids were reportedly chained to drainpipes, forced to
swallow soap, tied up with Duck Tape, forced to kneel on marbles,
paddled black and blue, locked in a room with no bathroom
privileges and forced to sit in their own filth while audiotapes of
Brother Blastoff played full blast.

If these allegations are accurate, no wonder those sadist scumheads

didnt want the godless state to license their homes! According to
one boys account, religious officials beat the skin off his back and
nearly killed him, and thought it was funny. Theyll be laughing
when God sends them to a hell tailor-made with the same torments
they used on others who couldnt defend themselves!
Im not advocating a lack of discipline in the home. Far from it.
Any kid whos beating up his brother or sister and wont stop acting
like a wild animal might need enough of a swat on the seat to
subdue him so hell stop his dangerous, aggressive behavior before
somebody gets hurt. When children bite somebody, a firm swat or
two might be necessary in that case also. Gentle verbal persuasion
might not work with a wildly aggressive child, nor would time out
in their room work, because the child is acting hostile and violent
and endangering others. You couldnt wait several months for
positive reinforcement training to persuade an aggressive child to
quit biting. Either you or one of the other kids might need stitches
by the time the little biter grows out of his biting fixation.
But for children who are cooperative, calm, rational and non-violent,
spanking is harmful and unnecessary. If a child already enjoys an
excellent relationship with his/her parent, and deeply repents right
away, punishment isnt necessary. And even when a penalty DOES
need to be meted out, it should fit the crime. For example: A child
who deliberately wrecks his siblings bike has to do extra chores
around the house to earn money to pay to replace it, and during
that time he or she loses the use of their own bike. Discipline
should teach that every action carries corresponding consequences,
both to themselves and others (Eccl.9:18; Gal.6:7).
Jesus never would have punished the Jezebel character in
Rev.2:21 if she had repented of her sins during the space (time to
consider her ways) that He allowed her. Christian parents must use
godly wisdom and refrain from rash, harmful actions, even as they
remain in charge of their own homes. They must never let their
kids trash the house, yell curse words, beat each other up, deface
the walls, disobey orders to help clean the yard, etc. When kids
REFUSE to obey or listen, there must be firm consequences. But the
butt isnt the seat of faith in Jesus. Our HEART is the seat of faith.
Thats the place where a change is wrought by the grace, not the
fierce wrath of, Almighty God.
Only God Can Sanctify the Human Heart
Christians need to walk in daily sanctification. They need to teach
their children right from wrong through their DAILY godly example.

But human personality and will dont need to be destroyed. God

created individual personalities. To say peoples personality and
human will must be destroyed so others can control them is the
manifesto of cult leaders and Big Brother totalitarian regimes. Most
people think you need a building (or hippie farm) full of weirdlooking strangers to build a cult. But the family home can function
as one too. The hallmark of a cult is CONTROL BY OTHERS IN
AUTHORITY
AND
TOTAL
SUPPRESSION
OF
INDIVIDUAL
PERSONALITY. The dad is going too far if he forbids his Christian
children to be directly taught by God, and if he rules by fear,
imposing his own personality and will on them in all matters, even
trivial things that have nothing to do with sin. What will that child
do once he leaves home and is unable to form sound judgments for
himself, because Daddy isnt there to make all his decisions for him?
Yes, parents ARE to teach their children the fundamentals of the
faith, but only the Holy Spirit can reach deep into their hearts to
impart the deep things of God.
Isaiah 54:13: And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and
great shall be the peace of thy children.
I Cor.2:10: But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for
the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of
God.*****Physical punishment cant reveal the deep things of God
to a Christian child any more than it can force a blind man to see.
I John 2:27: But the anointing which ye have received of him
abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the
same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie,
and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
Humans dont have to beat themselves with a whip to get closer to
Jesus. They need to be transformed BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD so
theyll daily have the grace from within to surrender to the Lordship
of Christ. Thats an act of our will. We make a conscious decision to
walk with God and follow Jesus because he draws us with His love.
Otherwise, wed be like laboratory rats conditioned by fear of pain
for making wrong choices. Actually, our will plays a crucial role in
determining whether we will come to a saving faith in Jesus. God
doesnt force Himself on anyone.
Rom.12:2: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what
is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.****Through
use of our sanctified faculties, we study the Word of God to
determine what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. We
are not robots!

The Heart Cant be Changed by Force

Whosoever WILL may come and drink freely of the Water of Life
(Rev.22:17). You can lead a horse to water but you cant make it
drink, as this far-fetched tale illustrates.
There once was an Old West prospector who wanted to water his
mule. But for some reason the mule wasnt acting very thirsty.
Determined to force the mule toward the water hole and get water
down its gullet, the man struggled with the ornery critter, sweating
and straining and digging in his heels as the mule tried to back
away. Now stubbornness is part of a mule's nature, but the mule
wasnt exercising the godly kind of stubbornness which resists
satans temptations. He was acting stubborn toward his owner who
was urging him to do something good for his own health. Today the
critter was acting even more bizarre than usual because he had
been grazing on loco weed. So he didnt have sense enough to
know when he was thirsty. The owner feared his animal would die
of dehydration if he didnt have a drink of water.
The mule reared back and bucked, nearly knocking the poor man
down. But the man persisted. Finally the mule gave in because
the strain on his bit was making his mouth sore. The man began to
sing and rejoice because it seemed like the mule was meekly
following him to the watering hole, head bowed in submission. But
the mule was rankling with resentment on the inside because he
had been overpowered by a smaller creature.
Finally they reached the edge of the pond. "Youd better get your
belly full now," said the man. "Itll be a long way before we see
fresh water again."
The mule didnt want to give his owner the satisfaction. Stiffly he
raised his head, mouth tightly closed. He brayed in defiance.
"Actin stubborn again, eh?" his owner grumbled. "Well, Im gonna
break you of that right here and now. Im not gonna be beaten by
any dumb mule. Youre gonna drink this water if it kills you!"
With all his might the man tugged at the mule. But still the animal
made a hellacious racket and
refused to bow his head in
submission and drink. The man jumped in the water, still holding
the reins. "About time you had a good bath, too," he said. "Cmon
in."

The mule stood his ground at the bank of the pond. But the man
did manage to force the mules muzzle into the water and hold it
under the surface. "Ah," said the man, "youre drinking now. Ive
won."
No, he didnt winexactly. The stubborn mule drowned because the
water went down the wrong pipe.
******
Medieval Christian crusaders forced conversions to their religion at
the point of a sword. The same principle applies to beating a child
with a paddle until he/she tearfully prays for Gods forgiveness.
Does the child feel heartfelt sorrow for his/her sins (or alleged sins),
or do they fear a second helping of the belt if they dont pray with
the parent?
Rom.10:10: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Beating a child until they surrender to Jesus is just as much
TORTURE as the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition, which used
torture racks and thumbscrews to force people to conform to the
will of Catholic religious leaders.
Some heretics who didnt
conform to Catholic authorities were burnt at the stake. Even if
someone tortures you to break your will, they have no control over
whats happening inside your heart, although they can force you to
confess something to stop the torture. Maybe someday mindreading technology will be developed but at the present time our
thoughts are pretty private unless we speak them out. Only God
knows for sure if an expression of repentance is heartfelt and
genuine. Sometimes Christian parents overreach their authority and
barge into the inner sanctum of the human heart where God speaks
gently to try to reach that child with His love. Only God knows if a
childs heart is truly contrite, or if there is resentment smoldering in
it because of brutal treatment by the parent.
Children who grow up being brutalized (as opposed to fairly, lovingly
disciplined) run the risk of turning away from their parents religion
when they get older because they associate God with a razor strap.
Especially if no one teaches them what God is really like.
Psalms 103:13: Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD
pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

Isa.40:11: He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather

the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall
gently lead those that are with young.
Contrast this tender attitude of Almighty God with the heartless
attitude of Christian parents who go to extremes in child REAR-ing.
. with FORCE and with cruelty have ye ruled them. (From
Ezek.34:4).
Solomons Sad Example
Proverbs 13:24 and 22:15 are the scriptures used by spankers to
support physical pain as being the only means of discipline. In this
book on how to RUIN the ideal Christian family, King Solomon, who
had a thousand wives to build a Christian home with, is touted as
being the best child rearing expert in all of human history. Just
because he allegedly wrote the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs is part
of the Bible. But so is this scripture passage which instructs parents
to have a disobedient child stoned to death: Deut.21:18-21. There
is NOT ONE exhortation in the New Testament epistles to put a
rebellious child to death. Nor does the New Testament give
instructions on whether to spank, or how hard, what to use, how
many licks to administer, etc.
What about King Solomon, the overrated Dr. Spock of his era? He
warned against oppressing the poor (Prov.14:31;17). Solomon
warned against refusing to hear the cries of the poor (Prov.21:13).
Solomon warned the rich that there would be hell to pay if they
oppressed the poor to get richer (Prov.22:16). So what does
Solomon do but beat his own people with whips in order to squeeze
more work (and wealth) out of them (I Kings 12:10-11; 2
Chron.10:14)? Just like todays politicians whose favorite byline is I
feel your pain, Solomon lived in ease and luxury while conscripting
forced labor gangs and inflicting pain on others.
Solomon reminds me of the doctor who warns others smoking will
kill them, but he still smokes ten packs a day himself.
One proverb quoted by spankers is:
Prov. 20:30: The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do
stripes the inward parts of the belly.
In the New Testament we are taught that the blood of Jesus
cleanses away our sins, not a brutal beating. Jesus took a horrible
scourging on our behalf in order to purchase healing for us (I

Pet.2:24). But the teaching that our own physical pain cleanses
away sin and makes us holier people is contrary to our Gospel of
Grace.
I wonder if Solomon, who stated that the rod and reproof give
wisdom (Prov.29:15) was ever struck by his own father. If it
ALWAYS takes a beating to make a child wise, then youd wonder
why Solomon couldnt just have had his wisdom beaten into him.
Why would Solomon even bother to ask God for wisdom if all it took
was a good pummeling with a paddle (2 Chron.1:12)? Thats like
saying the way to the heart is through the backside!
The Holy Spirit gives believers wisdom (I Cor.1:30; 12:8,24). Christ
IS our wisdom, and we dont get it by being beaten. If youre
dealing with a Christian child who loves the Lord, any true wisdom
he or she has in their life will only come from God, not the paddle.
David seems to have been indulgent with at least some of his sons.
David neglected to punish Amnon, who raped his sister Tamar.
David dealt as leniently as possible with another son, rebellious
Absalom. He didnt order Absalom to be killed or even flogged if
captured. People say Davids son Solomon was the wisest childrearing expert in scripture, not just the wisest man who ever lived.
But the proof is in the pudding. Like beauty, WISDOM IS AS
WISDOM DOES! Was Solomon a great dad just because he talked
tough? How did his own son and successor, Rehoboam, turn out?
Rehoboam was an arrogant, spoiled brat who despised his lowly
subjects.
In one day this young upstart unraveled a united
Kingdom of Israel which had taken his grandfather David years of
painstaking effort and delicate diplomacy to achieve. In I Kings 12:
1-24 Rehoboam goes against the sound of advice of the older sages
to treat the people kindly and fairly. Instead of listening to the valid
concerns of his overworked, stressed-out people, he warns them
that hell whip them even harder than his dad did, and this time
hell use scorpions instead of rawhide. Result: Ten of the twelve
tribes of Israel seceded from the Kingdom.
Jesus said that decent fathers dont offer their children scorpions
when they need an egg (Luke 11:12-13). A scorpion is NOT one of
the good gifts a decent father offers his children, contrary to
modern fundamentalist child-REAR-ing theology which exalts
bruises and beatings as being acts of love. Christian parents
commonly tell their tiny children, prior to a spanking: Jesus told
me to do this, so I must obey Him. Always third-party the blame,
even if it makes someone else look like an ogre. No one can

produce one solitary Gospel verse where Jesus commands a single

child to be beaten. Instead of beating kids, Jesus blessed them.
Abuse of authority leads to resentment and estrangement, not
respect and love. Obviously Solomon failed in his responsibility to
teach Rehoboam to respect his fellow human beings as souls formed
in the image of God. Children learn by example, not words alone.
The Book of Proverbs warns against such sins such as slander,
adultery, criminal conspiracies, drunkenness, gluttony and
overindulgence in wine. Proverbs exhorts you to mind your own
business, zip your lip, work hard, and be true to the wife of your
youth. Good, sound advice. But did Solomon follow all of it?
Solomon wrote this piece of advice aimed at men:
Prov.22:14: The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is
abhorred of (hated by) the LORD shall fall therein.* * * *The KJV
word strange can either mean foreign or profane, depending
on the context in which it is found.
Solomons proverbs warn against involvement with the kind of
woman God disapproves of. Polygamous King Solomon taught men
to enjoy life with the wife (singular) of their youth (Prov.5:18). BTW,
why do so many TV preachers bellow about beating holiness into
kids, and damn America to hell for forsaking family values, then
they turn around and trade their wife in for a new model when she
no longer looks like Toothpick Barbie? Why dont bellicose preachers
enforce ALL Proverbs as zealously as they enforce the child-beating
Proverbs? Most of Proverbs chapter 7 gives a graphic warning
against lusting after wicked women. Some very famous preachers
have gotten caught in the red light district with hookers. After
being respected worldwide for his wisdom in the early part of his
reign, what sort of example did King Solomon set for holiness in his
later life?
I Kings 11:1:But king Solomon loved many strange women,
together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites,
Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children
of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto
you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods:
Solomon clave unto these in love.
3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred
concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned
away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with
the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians,
and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully
after the LORD, as did David his father.
7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the
abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for
Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense
and sacrificed unto their gods.
9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was
turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him
twice,
10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should
not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD
commanded.
11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is
done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes,
which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from
thee, and will give it to thy servant.
12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's
sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one
tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's
sake which I have chosen.
Proverbs are included in the canon of Scripture, but they were
written through an imperfect man with an eye for the ladies. In
three places Solomon says theyre HIS proverbs (Prov.1:1; 10:1;
25:1). Much of Gods wisdom can be found in this collection, but a
cold undercurrent of sternness runs throughout the book. One
preacher rightly called it the woodshed of the Bible. Gender
inequality appears in Proverbs chapter 31, where the Virtuous
Woman slaves like a donkey around the clock while her husband sits
in the gates and praises her. Why doesnt Brother Bat enforce this
chapter and make his wife work 20-hour days like the Virtuous
Woman while he chats with his friends? Why only enforce the
Spanking Proverbs? One proverb should be just as binding on
believers as another.
After writing hundreds of proverbs to teach people self-discipline in
their own lives, King Solomon, who had more women than he could
visit in three years, wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes. In this
melancholy book, Solomon laments the vanity and uselessness of all
the ways hed indulged all his own desires. Not only did King

Solomon fail to take his own advice and go on to collect the worlds
biggest harem of worldly women, he had ugly, scary, child-eating
idols specially crafted to cater to their worship needs. Some people
soften Solomons sin by saying he didnt worship those gods
himself, he just built them for other people as an act of diplomacy.
But I Kings 11:5 records that Solomon went after, or worshipped,
Milcom and Ashtoreth, two abominable heathen gods. Two gods
mentioned above, Molech and Chemosh, were particularly horrible
because their worship involved child sacrifice, which meant throwing
little babies alive into fiery ovens. Even if Solomon himself did not
physically throw a child into the blazing belly of Molech, he was an
ENABLER who made it possible for his wives to observe the bloody
rites of their heathen worship.
Can you spell HYPOCRITE? Solomon, who partied with a thousand
wild women and made love in a flower garden while peasants drove
plows (see Song of Solomon), castigates lazy people and
philanderers! I view Song of Solomon through the eyes of someone
who abhors class inequalities and worker exploitation in society.
Admittedly Solomons poetry is lovely, but only rich aristocrats could
afford to spend whole days comtemplating the glories of love in a
sweetly scented paradise. Solomons worn-out workers hardly got
the chance to hit the hay with their tired old ladies at night!
The sheer nerve of that man, finding fault with others while he
himself lived in luxury and built idols that ate children! Solomon
exhorts parents to beat a child betimes (early) in Proverbs 13:24.
That conveys the idea of cracking down hard on the kid the moment
you catch him doing something wrong. How would such parents like
it if they felt like their own Heavenly Father couldnt wait to pounce
on them for slipping up and gave them no opportunity to change
course and do whats right? Solomon says beatings are what keep
kids out of hell (Prov.23:14). This was the very same child REAR-ing
expert who sponsored the destruction of babies in the fiery belly of
Molech! Back then you had to worship a god the RIGHT way, and a
hamster or goldfish wouldnt even fill Molechs tooth. Theres no
reason to think Solomons wives cut corners when it came time to
sacrifice to those bloody gods. Is the enabler to be excused while
those he enables to do the dirty deed get ALL the blame?
What was Gods opinion of the child-eating fire god Molech, and
those who sacrificed children to him?
Leviticus 20:1: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of
the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that
giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death:

the people of the land shall stone him with stones.

3 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from
among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech,
to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
4 And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the
man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not:
5 Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family,
and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit
whoredom with Molech, from among their people.
God viewed the worship of Molech as spiritual whoredom. There is
no difference between physically performing a religious rite and
ENABLING someone else to do it. Solomon risked being stoned to
death, and the hot wrath of God, by sponsoring the worship of
Molech and other heathen gods in the Lords own land. After all the
privileges and blessings Solomon enjoyed, and his VIP treatment by
God, how could he stoop so low? I guess it works this way: Sin
desensitizes the soul before finally killing it altogether. After youve
fallen away from God and youve already run up a big sin bill to pay
on Judgment Day, your conscience is so dead that you say, What
the hell, Ive blown it now and Im gonna go to hell anyhow, so
whats one more sin? Might as well commit some sins worth going
to hell for!
How did Solomon, constructor of baby-eating fire dragons and
undisciplined discipline drill sergeant, ever earn a reputation among
Christians as the Dr. Spock of the Bible, and the wisest child rearing
expert in all human history? Why is this idolatrous polygamist
praised so extensively in Brother Bats book on how to run a proper
Christian home? Unlike his father David who repented numerous
times, THERE IS NO RECORD IN SCRIPTURE THAT SOLOMON EVER
REPENTED OF ANYTHING IN HIS ENTIRE LIFE!
Some point out that Solomon wrote his books of the Bible before he
backslid against God. That may be at least partly true. But why
does Proverbs warn against just about every sin under the sun,
while no mention of idolatry is found among 900+ pearls of
wisdom? Strange how Solomons own life turned out after urging
parents to spank their children to keep them on the straight and
narrow. Solomons name doesnt appear even once in the epistles
(letters to the churches) as an example of a life worth emulating.
The wisest man who ever lived doesnt even appear in the Faith Hall
of Fame (Heb.11). Jesus makes only four mentions of Solomon in
the Gospels (Matt.6:29,12:42;Luke 11:31;12:27). Not to promote
him as a positive role model, but to make two contrasts. All the
splendor of Solomon was nothing compared to the lilies of the field,
and Jesus is far greater than King Solomon.

Throughout the Proverbs Solomon denounces fools and pronounces

doom on people who hate reproof. They deserve a good beating.
But what does he have to say about himself in Ecclesiastes, his sad
book of regrets for a wasted life?
Eccl.4:13: Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish
king, who will no more be admonished.**** After disobeying his
own dad who warned him not to forsake the Lord (I Chron.28:9),
and after all the wild women he lusted after, why didnt Solomon
apply his own medicine and wear himself out with a jump rope?
Solomon strayed so far from the Lord that no one could get through
to him. In Proverbs 3:11 Solomon warned others not to despise the
chastening of the Lord. But what did Solomon do when God sent
Jeroboam (acting as Gods rod) to punish Solomon by taking away
ten of the twelve tribes of Israel? Solomon went ballistic! He
despised the chastening of the Lord enough to try to kill Jeroboam
(I Kings 11:29-40). Even though the Lords prophet Ahijah
specifically cited Solomons worship of other gods as the reason his
dynasty would lose ten tribes. And BTW, God let Davids dynasty
keep ONE tribe when the rest of Israel rebelled. Not to make
Solomon feel better, but for the sake of his father David, who
pleased God and knew how to repent (I Kings 11:12,13,32).
Discipline is like salt. So long as its necessary, its a good thing in
appropriate amounts. But an excess of discipline can made a parent
paranoid and unbalanced. Too much punishment, like too much salt,
can do far more harm to a child than good.
Christian parents are zealous to raise their children to fear God. To
many, being zealous for godliness in the home is synonymous with
being zealous for corporal punishment because of Solomons advice
in Proverbs 13:24 which states that if you spare your rod you hate
your son. So many put two and two together and get six, meaning
they think the more they hit their kid, the more they must love him!
And the results are tragic. Long-term emotional damage can result,
even if the body of the child recovers. Many parents automatically
spank the FIRST time the child disobeys an order, just because they
think Solomon commanded such strictness. Conveniently ignored is
Solomons disobedience of his own Proverbs.
Pauls NEGATIVE View of the Rod
The apostle Pauls own words seem to contradict the teaching that if
you restrain your rod you hate your son:

I Cor.4:21: What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, OR IN
LOVE, AND IN THE SPIRIT OF MEEKNESS?
Paul, who had suffered many unjust beatings, offers the stubborn
Corinthian believers a choice: its either the rod OR love and the
spirit of meekness. They are NOT one and the same!
Some Christian pastors believe in spanking even the tiniest children
who are barely out of the womb. But what does Paul list as the
qualifications for a church leader?
I Tim.3:1: This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a
bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife,
vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, NO STRIKER, not greedy of filthy lucre; but
patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in
subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he
take care of the church of God?)
And:
Titus 1:6: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having
faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not
selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, NO STRIKER, not
given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy,
temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may
be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the
gainsayers.
Twice Paul commands church leaders to be no striker. Christians
are not to make a practice of striking (hitting) others, though
obviously, if a Christian man has to fight to protect his wife from a
rapist, hitting might be necessary. While Paul commands Christian
leaders to maintain order in their own homes, he does not make an
exception in his no strike rule to allow for parental spanking.
When New Testament teachings seem to clash with those of the
Old, guess which ones should you give priority to in your faith and
practice?

There are NO instructions in the New Testament to beat children or

anyone else! Paul instructs parents to raise their children in the
admonition (Gk. nouthesia, MILD rebuke or warning) and nurture
(Gk. paideia, character-building discipline) of the Lord (Eph.6:4).
Paul stops short of advising parents to beat their children.
What necessary discipline entails may or may not involve moderate
corporal punishment in EXTREME cases where the child wont listen
and is getting belligerent, or when the child is being a PHYSICAL
DANGER to himself or others. Even God, father of all Christians,
may allow physical consequences for wrongdoing to strike one of
His disobedient children. But in many cases that believer feels so
awful when he realizes hes grieved the Holy Spirit that hell do a Uturn and make his peace with God. I Cor.11:31 promises that if we
judge ourselves we wont be judged by God, resulting in painful
punishment of some kind in our lives. Its a good thing God is far
more gracious than human beings are!
Ephesians 6:4 teaches family discipline, but it does NOT command
the parent to hit the child! If the child can be trained by taking away
privileges, grounding, or even a stern rebuke which results in true
repentance, spanking is not necessary and could lead to the child
wondering why his dad doesnt use the paddle on himself whenever
he cuts loose with a swear word.
The mercy you give is the mercy you get from God (Matt. 5: 7).
Any scumhead dad who beats his kid black and blue for dozing off in
church should get his own backside blistered whenever he gets a
parking ticket. And he should accept this loving correction from
that same pinhead pastor who makes him do it.
One internationally famous spanking teacher, whos raked in millions
from teaching parents the finer points of how to BUTT-ress a childs
faith in Jesus, apparently has gone through Woodshed Withdrawal
since his own poor kids grew up and left the loving family home, to
save whats left of their rear fenders. So the preacher invents
excuses for beating the fear of God into his poor little weiner dog
who commits the unpardonable sin of resting in his masters chair.
To protect his own territory and assert his authority, the preacher
trains the sausage dog devil with the Rod of Correction to break
his will. But instead of begging for forgiveness like a Milk Bone
Biscuit, the little sausage dog devil fights back. The battle of wills
only ends when the dogs rump can take no more roasting. Its a
good thing the preacher doesnt try that spiritual training on a pet
pit bull. This preacher has written a doctrinal dissertations about the
deep revelations hes learned from his futile struggle to turn
Sparkplug into a proper Christian. More than one author has

made his fortune with a spanking fetish disguised as deeper life

theology.
These preachers have fun earning a living selling what people want
to hear: that Jesus wants them to beat their kids. And its windowdressed with a lot of deeper life mysticism to sanitize someone
elses pain. God knows how many thousands of kids have grown up
burying a deep dislike toward abusive parents who drag Jesus into it
when they feel like taking their frustrations out on little people who
cant defend themselves. Those who make money off this misery
will have to give an account of it to God someday.
I read one piece of advice, written in the 1800s, which was pretty
enlightened for its time. You can either wear your son out in the
woodshed or wear him out at the woodpile. If you thrash the boy
hell be too sore to be much use around the house for several days.
But if he has to chop a big pile of wood, hell make himself useful
and get so tired he wont feel like getting into more trouble.
Extra chores (within reason) might be an appropriate punishment,
especially in the case where the child has broken something after
being ordered to settle down. By scrubbing the woodwork, weeding
the garden or doing other tiring, tedious jobs, the child can pay
back the parent for his loss, learn responsibility for his actions, and
learn to think twice before he repeats his bad behavior. Some
children dread physical work even more than a mild spanking!
Corrie ten Boom, a woman evangelist mightily used of God, said her
papa never spanked her or her siblings. Obviously this man knew
how to get through to his precious children and make a difference in
their lives without hitting them. Thats a testimony to the power of
God in his life, and no, I do NOT think God sent this good Christian
man to hell for failure to beat his kids.
When the parent is displeased by the childrens behavior, there
should definitely be a strong verbal rebuke (not shouting or
screaming) in a firm, but controlled voice. If the child enjoys a
close, loving bond with his or her Christian parent and knows bad
behavior has caused temporary breaking of fellowship with that
beloved parent, that should feel like punishment enough, and lead
to repentance. When other Christians broke off fellowship with an
adulterer in the Corinthian Church, Paul said that was punishment
enough because it brought forth godly sorrow. Godly sorrow (not
physical torture) leads to repentance (I Cor.5:1-2; 2 Cor.2:6-7; 2
Cor.7:10). Paul didnt order the other Christians to physically spank
this man! So why should tiny children be treated worse than
grownups?

While Eph.6:4 commands proper Christian discipline, this verse also

warns fathers not to alienate their children through harsh
treatment. Even here, spanking is not commanded or even
mentioned. Proverbs stands alone in commanding spanking.
Spanking was not even commanded in the five law books of Moses,
though stoning and 39-stripes flogging were commanded for serious
breaches of the Law. If Christians follow Solomons advice to spank
their kids, why dont they give equal time to Numbers 15:35 and
stone church members for picking up sticks on Saturday? Why not
stone church members who consult the host of heaven (the
horoscope) as commanded by Deut.17:2-5)? Why not stone
adulterous church members (Lev.20:10)? Because its against
modern civilized law to hurt grownups! The apostle Paul did get
stoned by a few angry mobs, but nowhere does he command
Christians to stone anybody. The same applies to spanking.
The Law of Moses threatened such terrible penalties for
disobedience that FEAR of breaking it should have made Israel the
godliest people on the face of the earth. Well, it didnt. You cant
scare evil out of the human heart. Paul made that clear.
Rom.8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death.
3 For WHAT THE LAW COULD NOT DO, in that it was weak through
the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,
and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;
but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is
life and peace.
7 BECAUSE THE CARNAL MIND IS ENMITY AGAINST GOD: FOR IT
IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD, NEITHER INDEED CAN BE.

Paul rejected the notion that the Law, with all its penalties for
breaking it, was able to make a man righteous in the sight of God.
But a lot of Christian parents still think that FEAR of punishment will
magically transform children into well-behaved, loving, Christlike
people.

Are spankers better behaved than the spanked? In one survey, half
of all churchgoing men admitted to downloading porn. Before they
wear out their kid for whining during the long, windy sermon, why
dont they take a belt to themselves? Porn is far more disgusting to
God than a two-year-old kicking the back of a pew.
Unmerciful Spanking
Years ago I was in a religious meeting. I walked over to one lady
who gave me a friendly smile. I commented about her little boy
(about 5 at the time) lying on the pew, all curled up asleep.
He went to sleep after I tore him up real good, she said.
Why? I wondered. What did he do?
He tore a page in his coloring book.
Its a widespread belief among Christians that children who get
spanked the most are the best-behaved on the planet. Not
necessarily. Years later, someone told me that it didnt work for this
particular boy because he was always getting into fights with other
kids, a real troublemaker. What did this boy learn? When you are
angryHIT!
I wonder if this particular Christian couple ever sinned, then got the
same measly measure of mercy back from their own Heavenly
Father that they showed to their own children. Why do so many
Christian parents expect a kind of mercy from God theyre unwilling
to show their own children?
WHY DO GROWN CHRISTIANS DEMAND GRACE FROM GOD, AND
LIKE HYPOCRITES, KEEP THEIR KIDS UNDER THE LAW OF THE
PADDLE?
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy
(Matt.5:7).***The flip side of the coin is this: Deny others mercy
and God wont show any to you!
******
http://kingdomage.tripod.com
http://waronbullying.tripod.com