When spanking goes wrong...

While I love the news, and tend to follow all big stories, crimes against children are hard to watch/read. One such case happened in the Atlanta area. Two parents are charged with beating their 8-year old to death. The parents blame his death on roughhousing and deny the allegations. However, they admit to beating him often with a wooden stick and locking him a closet and to pray to a picture of Jesus as they watched on closed circuit TV. The mother says beatings were done in increments of ten. This practice is taught and strongly encouraged at the Remant Fellowship church of which they are members. (Get the whole story here.)

Several parts of this story trouble me:

1. Increments of ten
2. Praying to Jesus in a locked closet
3. Wooden sticks
4. An infant child also died in their home.

What reasoning does this so called "church" use to encourage this type of parenting? What parent thinks these things are normal and healthy for a child?

I will admit it...I am a spanker. Growing up, I always said I would "never" strike my child. By the time I became a parent, those feelings had changed. I see too many children that seem to not understand consequences or have any respect for authority. But, the beatings I received - while normal at the time - are not something I would do now. In fact, I don't call them beatings because I associate that term with belts, clothes hangers, cursing and rubbing welts with alcohol. I don't want or need my children to fear me in that way. But I do need them to know there are consequences to every action. So for that purpose, we will do a few pats on the bottom and take away priviledges. It works for us and I don't believe parents should have that right taken away.

However, couples like this worry me. I worry they will fuel the fire for those who think all corporal punishment is abuse. I worry some crazy liberal or anti-religion freak will use this as an example of what's wrong with Christianity. And I worry they may all be right.