Would Jesus Spank?

The Prince of Peace vs. The Prince of This World

January 29, 2014 By Steph, M.S.Ed 2 Comments

A while back, a Christian pro-spanker said that I was doing the work of the devil after engaging in a discussion about why spanking/hitting children is neither Biblical nor from God. When this person learned about my book, Gentle Firmness: Conveying the True Love of Jesus to Your Children Through His Example, he got even angrier and said I was from the evil one. Others have accused me of twisting God’s Word in order to fit my own beliefs about not inflicting pain on children in order to “discipline” them. They quote the same verses from Proverbs at me about using the rod to “discipline” children. They’re so certain that these verses must be taken literally despite the original Hebrew meanings showing that all of the rod verses that seem to advocate spanking/hitting children were never meant to be taken literally (see my series entitled “Spanking is NOT God’s Will” or my book for more info on how to accurately interpret the “rod” verses), that they quickly become accusatory and insulting. One must ask, “Who is really driving these people?”

It turns out that I am in awesome company when it comes to being accused of being from satan when it comes to teaching and promoting peace, love, mercy, forgiveness, and healing. [Read more…]

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Jesus, the Greatest Superhero

September 19, 2013 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

Samuel Martin looks why Paul The Apostle did not use Proverbs and Parables in his teachings.

Dara Stoltzfus considers becoming more like Jesus, the Greatest Superhero.

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Why Liz BR Does Not Spank

April 25, 2013 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

Liz Boltz Ranfeld explains why she and her husband Don’t Spank Their Kid in a well thought out post. She has 5 main reasons which are fleshed out and explained.

1) Her child’s personality

2) Research

3) Occasional spanking so often turns into frequent spanking.

4) She’s not allowed to hit another adult; why should she be allowed to hit a child?

5) The scriptural support for corporal punishment is disturbing.

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New Site: “20” Reasons Not To Spank

April 18, 2013 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

When Dara Stoltzfus made a blog post entitled, “20 Reasons Not To Spank,” she found that it kept growing. It got so large that she ended up creating a new site entirely for that post. She is now up to 119 reasons… so far. Without further ado, I bring you, “20” Reasons Not To Spank, the website.

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Sylvia’s Thoughts On Spanking

March 23, 2013 By Hermana Linda 1 Comment

Sylvia shares her testimony and Her Thoughts On Spanking in this post.

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Why Rosemary Has Chosen Not To Spank

March 21, 2013 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

Rosemary shares “a collection of thoughts on why – especially the Biblical reasons why –” They’ve Chosen Not To Spank.

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Bringing Out The Best In Our Children

February 23, 2013 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

Sara Mae shares how spanking was affecting her 2 1/2 year old’s self esteem and why she and her husband decided to stop in How Gentleness Makes Our Children Great.

Dara Stoltzfus also has noticed the importance of a child’s self-worth and explains how we can encourage their inner beauty in Princes and Princesses on the Inside.

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December 18, 2012 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

Flowermama looks at the question, “Would Jesus Spank?” As she looks at the Character of God as revealed in Scripture, her answer is, no. Of course, she does touch on the Rod of Proverbs.

Speaking of the Proverbial Rod, Tia Lynn looks at the question, Are The Rod Verses Literal or Figurative? Excellent post, I don’t know how it has taken me so long to find it.

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Delayed Obedience is Disobedience?

November 26, 2012 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

Does the Bible teach that delayed obedience is disobedience? To answer that question, Carissa Robinson examines the Parable of The Two Sons in First Time, With a Happy Heart.

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An Exampling of Parenting by Jesus

October 29, 2012 By Hermana Linda 2 Comments

Dulce de Leche hosts a post by Samuel Martin on the topic of How Jesus Would Parent, in which we look at an example of Jesus using Gentle Parenting.

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What Does the Bible Really Say About Parenting?

June 25, 2012 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

Dulce de Leche looks at what the Bible really says about parenting. Note that this post is part of the 2012 Carnival of Gentle Discipline which you can find at the bottom of the post.

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How Should We Respond To Disobedient Children?

February 20, 2012 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

How should we treat our children when they disobey us? Cultured Mama explores this question as she asks Does God Withdraw His Love from Sinners?

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Commandments for Parents

January 20, 2012 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

Dulce de Leche explains how some parents inadvertently set themselves up as idols in The 10 Commandments for Parents: No Other Gods.

Alison Strobel explains Golden Rule Parenting.

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Jesus: Gentle Parent

September 26, 2011 By Hermana Linda 1 Comment

Little Hearts Gentle Parenting Resources posts about Jesus, The Gentle Parent and how we can learn from Him and His example.

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More About What Gentle Parenting Is

June 1, 2011 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

Greenegem from Dare To Disciple explains what being a Gentle Christian Mamma looks like in It’s Really Quite Simple…

Meanwhile, on the same blog, Lucy explains that when it comes to parenting, One Size Does Not Fit All.

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Understanding The Nature of Children

April 16, 2011 By Hermana Linda 1 Comment

Discipleship Parenting writes about Understanding the Nature of Children in which she looks at what the Bible says about the nature of infants and children and what our response to them should be.

Dulce de Leche also writes about the sin nature of babies in Sons of Adam Daughters of Eve.

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Biblical Perspectives on Spanking

April 7, 2011 By Hermana Linda 1 Comment

Ordained Minister( and Parenting and Relationship expert) Thomas Haller has written an article with Chick Moorman called, Biblical Perspectives on Spanking in which they take a closer look at the typical verses which are considered to command parents to spank.

Samuel Martin’s book, Thy Rod and Thy Staff They Comfort Me, also studies those verses, as well as Jewish attitudes towards children in Biblical times. Brenda King of Positively Feminine has a book review of his book and is also offering a chance to win a free copy of it.

In other news, I have updated yesterday’s post with part III of the series.

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Analyzing the Schatz Tragedy

April 6, 2011 By Hermana Linda 1 Comment

Cindy, from Under Much Grace, analyzes what causes people like Kevin and Elizabeth Schatz to harm their children in a new series:
Why Good People Make Dangerous Choices (Pondering Pearl and Lydia Schatz)

An Introduction

Part I: Virtue In Place of Unquestioned Obedience.

Part II: How Dehumanization (and Declaring War Against Family Members) Causes Moral Disengagement

Part III: Defining Aggression as Normal, Acceptable, and Desired Behavior

An Addendum Note About Lydia Schatz and the Correction She Suffered for a Mispronounced Word: Liberian Adoption and Reactive Attachment Disorder

Part IV: The Milgram Experiment and the Pressure to Commit Evil for the Common Good

Part V: Pondering the Atrocities of the Jewish Holocaust and its Relationship to the Study of Obedience

Bad Apples or Bad Barrels? The Short and Long Versions of Zimbardo on the Lucifer Effect

Part VI: The Calm Before the Storm Following the Schatzes’ “Guilty” Pleas

Part VII: The Breaking the “Diabolical Will” of Infants in the IFB – Even at Hephzibah House

Part VIII: There But For Grace

Part IX: Using the Milgram Study to Understand How Pearl Becomes Appealing

Part X: The Schatz Family is Not Unique

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Adversary or Advocate?

April 2, 2011 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

This article by Sally Clarkson asks us to consider whether we want our children see us as Adversaries or Advocates.

Along similar lines, Dulce de Leche writes about different ways of seeing God in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.

Edited to add: Sally Clarkson has more to say on this topic in Mentoring Monday: Advocate or Adversary: Your view of God Determines your Parenting Philosophy.

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What John Piper Says About Spanking

March 30, 2011 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

Rachel had an in depth look at what John Piper says about Spanking but she has since closed her blog to the public. Please check out my John Piper tag.

Also, check out what Barefoot Betsy says here.

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Claire’s Testimony

March 16, 2011 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

Claire has been doing some more Myth Busting at Dare to Disciple in Myth Busting 4: My Story. Here are the myths she busts in this installment:

‘Punish’ and ‘discipline’ are synonyms. (note: Sally Clarkson mentioned this in a recent post)
All Christians spank.
Spanking is the best way to make a point to a young child.
Spanking works.
God mandates – or at least strongly recommends – corporal punishment.
Children are lesser citizens than adults.
People have to feel bad to act better.

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A Study of “Spanking” Scriptures

March 14, 2011 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

Discipleship Parenting has started a series of Biblical evidence against spanking in, Rightly Dividing the Word: A Study of “Spanking” Scriptures.

She has also posted 2 addendums to her Letters to Dobson:
Addendum to “Grace”
Handling Disputes Biblically

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Thankfull for Gentle Discipline

March 3, 2011 By Hermana Linda 2 Comments

Carissa Robinson has a lovely blog post about how Thankfull she is that they are using gentle discipline, complete with an example of how it works. She also links to Sally Clarkson’s blog post about First Time Obedience. Sally Clarkson writes as the mother of adult children and reflects back on how her children were raised and how dangerous it is to try to use a formula for child raising, especially one which involves training.

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The Christian History of Spanking Part 1

February 28, 2011 By Steph, M.S.Ed 16 Comments

This page was part of the rough draft of the soon-to-be-released book, “Gentle Firmness,” by Stephanie Cox. You may read a few chapters from the book here.

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Suffer The Little Children

February 12, 2011 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

The website, Suffer The Little Children, belongs to Joan Vasquez, the writer of the Rod Study. She has many interesting articles as well as an interview of the author of Biblical Parenting, Crystal Lutton. This website is an invaluable resource and I recommend that you read it thoroughly.

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Spanking is NOT God’s Will Part 8

February 7, 2011 By Steph, M.S.Ed 5 Comments

More information on the Book, Gentle Firmness, by Stephanie Cox

( part 1 ) ( part 2 ) ( part 3 )

What is grace? This is the question running through my head as I wrestle with a bit of discouragement as children continue to be harmed by well-meaning people who want so badly to obey God in their parenting. As I continue to hear the same comments from pro-spankers who seem almost desperate to defend themselves for fear of being wrong. As I hear on the morning news that two teenagers were shot and killed by their own mother because they were being “mouthy.” As a book that advocates spanking infants may be being used by people that I know. What is grace? Who deserves grace? Is the Bible Truth or something that can be used however we want in order to support our own beliefs? What does it mean to be Spirit led and to take up our crosses and follow Jesus? Why do some Christians proclaim, “God hates fags?” Why is there so much division in the Body of Christ when God commands us to be “like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” Philippians 2:2?

Another thing that keeps popping up in my mind and during my Bible study is the following verse:

“So he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty” Zechariah 4:6.

This verse is in context with an angel showing Zechariah a vision seemingly related to the coming of a future Messiah to rescue the people. Yesterday in church, the pastor discussed the uneventful way that Jesus quietly came on the scene amidst the crowds that were waiting by the Jordan River in order to be baptized by a relative, John The Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17). Everyone thought that the Messiah would come and mightily restore Israel with a mighty sword. But instead, Jesus came as an infant and lived in humble settings. He didn’t even look like a powerful king that everyone expected Him to be. Look how Isaiah the prophet described Jesus: [Read more…]

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Spanking is NOT God’s Will Part 2

January 6, 2011 By Steph, M.S.Ed 8 Comments

(Part 1)

After reading and studying more today in this wonderful book by Samuel Martin and doing my own Bible study, here are some things that God has revealed to me.

First, the book of Proverbs is the oldest book in the Holy Bible. While King Solomon and King Hezekiah wrote most of Proverbs, according to Martin’s book, some of it was also written by authors of ancient Egypt hundreds of years prior to King Solomon and King Hezekiah. In the Hebrew Bible, The Wisdom Literature which are Job, Psalms, and Proverbs are arranged in a different order than they appear in our modern day Bibles. Instead of Job, Psalms, Proverbs; it’s Psalms, Proverbs, Job. These Holy books were inspired by God to be written primarily for young men.

The Hebrew language breaks up each stage of childhood in the Bible into specific names from birth to adulthood. I will not list them here at the moment, but what is key to point out here is the Book of Proverbs was written for young men (Hebrew: Na’ar). Na’ar is the teenage years, 12 years to roughly 19. During this stage of life during biblical times, young men were considered ready to learn the Law, looking to marry, and able to understand abstract concepts. This makes sense as reknown psychologist Jean Piaget recognized that people 12 and up were in the Formal Operational stage of cognitive development. Young children cannot think abstractly. That is why a young child will run to the window if you say it’s raining cats and dogs. The young child truly expects to see cats and dogs falling from the sky. The young takes everything at its literal meaning. [Read more…]

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Spanking and Proverbs – Part 3: Believer’s Behavior

January 5, 2011 By Hermana Linda Leave a Comment

Barefoot Betsy looks at “what the rest of the Bibles says about spanking in the light of what the Bible – in particular, the New Testament – says about how we, as Christians, are to behave” in Spanking and Proverbs- Part 3: Believer’s Behavior.

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The Prince of Peace vs. The Prince of This World

Jesus, the Greatest Superhero

Why Liz BR Does Not Spank

New Site: “20” Reasons Not To Spank

Sylvia’s Thoughts On Spanking

Why Rosemary Has Chosen Not To Spank

Bringing Out The Best In Our Children