[prisonchaplain]

I've never seen any research, nor have I even seen anecdotal evidence that spanking is superior to OTHERS forms of discipline. And given the down side, I still stand by my statement. The fact that the Bible calls for physical violence, only says to me that the Biblical people were uncivilized and naive to human psychology. And no, 100% wrong is not too strong. No human being has the moral right to intentionally inflict physical pain on another. PERIOD. That we try to justify it with ancient religious texts just says we can't think for ourselves on the subject.[/b]

You equate ALL spanking with physical abuse, violation, etc. Absurd. It is also a very strange (and, imho, dangerous) reading of Scripture to say, "Well, I don't like what the Scripture says here, so it must be something God allowed for barbarians." Again, I grant that the underlying call of "spare the rod spoil the child" is for parental discipline. It does not have to take the form of spanking. However, to declare all parents who spank barbarians (do I read child abusers?) is too much.

Since when do criminal who break the law get SPANKED.

You've never been to Singapore? You don't recall the American teenager who nearly got caned for keying a bunch of cars?

It is actually AGAINST THE LAW to physical abuse even prisoners? So why should it be ok to do it to our own kids?!!!!!!!!!![/b][/b]

Of course, you are right. "They're here as punishment, not for punishment." My quick answer, is it is never okay to physically abuse children. On the other hand, spanking is not abuse. In fact, some school districts still have corporal punishment.

Since when did getting hit foster trust?

Bounderies foster security and trust. Spanking is one tool that parents use to enforce bounderies. You may not like it, and so, should not use it. But, in a nation in which most children suffer from willful neglect, I pray that your notion that all physical discipline, is, by definition, abuse, does not become widespread law.

All it fosters is resentment. I got hit as a kid, and all it did was make me resent the person who did it. I said to myself, "how dare you violate my right to my own body. What gives you the right to inflict your physical self on me?" When you can answer that question maybe I can agree with something you are saying. Again, do unto others.... The fact that some people say "Well, my dad hit me, and it didn't do me any harm" begs the question. Children are human beings with the right to their physical and emotional space and privacy. Spanking and hitting VIOLATES that. Ask yourself this, as an adult, would you let anyone hit or spank you? What makes you think that kids like it or can handle it any better. Spanking only satisfies the "needs" of an out-of-control, angry parent. It does the kid NO good, PERIOD, end of story, and nothing you have said yet convinces me otherwise.[/b][/b]

Maybe you experienced abusive physical discipline, and so project your experiences on every act of spanking. However, the reason so many say, "I was spanked and it didn't hurt me," is because most kids that receive thoughtful spankings are well aware that they probably deserved more, and over the years, have become thankful for parents that bothered to discipline.

[Sorry, but THAT part of the Bible is the kind of thing Brigham Young was probably talking about when he said that the Bible has the Word of God, the Word of Man and the Word of the Devil. The physical punishment and condoning of slavery are definitely the Word of the Devil, IMHO.[/b]

The Bible is the Word of God, period. Yes, there are stories of men who failed, men who deceived, and of Satan's work. But no anointed reading of Scriptures would declare Solomon's proverb for parents to "spare the rod spoil the child" as Satan's words.

The simple fact that you conceed that it should only be used "rarely" implies that you recognize that there IS something wrong with hitting. If you can get things across without hitting, why use it at all? And if you can't, maybe you need to rethink your parenting skills. As you've seen from this thread, there are many here who find that they do just fine without it. That should tell you something.[/b]

Math lesson time. Sometimes "less is more." Nothing is always nothing.

My advice to rarely spank means that spanking is a strong measure that should be reserved for overt rebellion, and even then, not as a first resort. Spanking is not wrong, but, imho, is more effective as a near-last resort--kinda like wars between nations.