This is a very sticky issue for me. I've raised my kids, but I'm in a position to be a grandmother within the next few years, and I wouldn't want my mistakes repeated on my grandkids. I spanked so often when it wasn't necessary, just because I was taught that it was the only "Christian" way to discipline your child.
I've addressed some of this in the abuse recovery forum, but I wanted to bring the issue up here too, to get a POV from parents/potential parents who were NOT abused. But to shed some light from the angle of someone who was: If I hear *one more* person say, "Well, my parents did this and that with me, so I'm going to do that with my kids..."
Just because your parents did it, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. That kind of reasoning scares me.
I've heard even ministers misquote Proverbs 13:24 as saying, "Spare the rod, spoil the child." For the record, here's what it says:
NIV: He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.
KJV: He that spareth the rod hateth his son, but he who loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
I just want to SCREAM when somebody rattles off, "Well, the Bible says spare the rod, spoil the child."
Are they still telling parents that? I mean I could go into tremendous detail about what "the rod" really is, but I don't want to be preachy if it isn't necessary. Do most Christian parents nowadays know better?
I've addressed some of this in the abuse recovery forum, but I wanted to bring the issue up here too, to get a POV from parents/potential parents who were NOT abused. But to shed some light from the angle of someone who was: If I hear *one more* person say, "Well, my parents did this and that with me, so I'm going to do that with my kids..."
Just because your parents did it, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. That kind of reasoning scares me.
I've heard even ministers misquote Proverbs 13:24 as saying, "Spare the rod, spoil the child." For the record, here's what it says:
NIV: He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.
KJV: He that spareth the rod hateth his son, but he who loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
I just want to SCREAM when somebody rattles off, "Well, the Bible says spare the rod, spoil the child."
Are they still telling parents that? I mean I could go into tremendous detail about what "the rod" really is, but I don't want to be preachy if it isn't necessary. Do most Christian parents nowadays know better?