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young. The practice is mainstream, traditional, grassroots, natural, and
effective.
Corporal discipline is a natural part of parental nurturing, of caring
parents seeking the best for their children. Hence, it is not surprising to find it
promoted by God himself, the creator of all children (Proverbs 13:24; 19:18;
22:15; 29:15, 17).
But God also recognizes that parents can abuse their authority. Jesus
warned, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me,
it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that
he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). He continued by
advising the offender of little children, “if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut
them off, and cast them from thee.”
Many polls have shown that 65 to 75 percent of all parents endorse the
use of physical discipline. Even the progressive ABC News conducted a poll
that concluded that 65 percent of parents approve of physical discipline while
31 percent disapprove. Additional studies reveal that of those who say they
disapprove, two thirds of them confess to hitting their children in anger. Only
about ten percent of parents profess to not believe in physical discipline and
to not have practiced it. So who is in the mainstream? The traditional parents
who believe in and practice corporal discipline are the vast majority and
have the support of tradition and history. We likewise have the support of the
Constitution and the findings of the courts. We also have the blessings of the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the public schools who
still practice it. Most of all, we have the support of God. The anti-spankers
are the small minority who don’t trust their ability to act in a restrained and
productive manner and do not believe you can either. Our children rise up and
call us blessed; I will let their children tell us what they think of their parents.
The Exception Proves the Rule
Our opponents sit in front of their TV sets or computer screens waiting for
months or years until some out of control parent beats his child to death in the
name of corporal punishment. They then call for a ban on all spanking. They
reason that if one parent can misuse the human right to physically train their
children then all parents should
be denied the traditional right.
It is our contention that all
authority is abused at some
time or another by a minority,
but that does not negate the need
for that authority.
Every day several people
overdose on prescription
drugs and die. Many children
die from just aspirin alone. The
label warns against abusing the
drug, but some people are not
motivated by reason, and they
or their children die. Should all
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