Too many outsiders and neighbors were calling the police when they heard the blood curdling screams at the KHs. The WBT$ was FORCED by "Ceaser" to tone down the "dicipline" admonition.
Since The Bible Sponsors Disciplining Your Children Do JWs Say It Is OK Spank A Child?
by minimus 22 Replies latest jw friends
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cofty
The OT world was about the code of honour and shame.
Nothing was more important than the reputation of the family. A child who brought shame on the family was to be beaten into submission and even stoned to death in the case of a serious incident.
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minimus
As was shown, the bible advocates using the rod . Of course, they would literally stone a child to death if they felt it was merited. What is the JW position now, on spanking or slapping a child? Is it a personal matter?
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NAVYTOWN
When I was going to Book Study meetings in the late 80s, the hosting Elder had a boy who was maybe 4 years old. The child was forced to sit perfectly still during the study. If he so much as squirmed the Dad would tAke him to the back room to whip him. Even at that time I felt it was child abuse. Years later, when that child was a late teen, I heard that he had grown a beard and long hair, and refused to be a JW. Since he still lived at home, that prevented the Dad from serving as an Elder, because he had a rebellious son. My thoughts when I heard this: Good for the kid. It serves his Dad right for the harsh discipline he used. I was glad he was barred from being an Elder. What goes around, comes around.
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FeelingFree
These days I'm pretty sure it's up to the individual. There were a few people in our hall who became parents around about the same time as us and I remember having a discussion with one of the grandparents (who was an elder) a few months ago on this subject. I was saying I didn't feel that there was ever a need to use smacking when disciplining. I said I felt that it was wrong and there were plenty of other things you can do to correct your child. If you don't want your child to hit then you wouldn't tell them off by smacking them as it's a total contradicition and would be confusing to the child. He responded by saying all children need a good smack or they will turn out spoilt, it never does them any harm! This elder's son (who has just been made up as an elder himself) used to take his baby daughter out of the hall when she was crying but would put his hand over her mouth so she couldn't scream! I also saw him cuff his young son around the head a number of times :/
Another time I was talking to my friend who has a little one a couple weeks younger than mine about the fact that I had smacked my child whilst angry and felt really bad about it. She said her little one was always naughty and she was sure she didn't smack him often enough! True story.
Using the rod was sadly very much in evidence at our hall!
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Honesty
Some JW's have been observed beating their child within an inch of his/her life for a minor infraction.
Other JW's (especially those with an elder in the immediate family) take a milder approach to discipline.
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will-be-apostate
idk about current policies but I was beaten several times. I don't blame my parents for it, i was a very energy rich kid, was very annoying sometimes. I would have done the same thing, but won't do it to my kids, that's for sure.
The only problem is when parents hit because they are angry, that way beating is a childish way of finding a way to calm down.
I know you people from the west will find my way of thinking not up to date with yours, but I think that discipline involves beating at a very small degree.
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ShirleyW
A couple in the Cong I used to attend trained their two kids at home to sit for a half hour or so being quiet so they wouldn't act up during the meetings, isn't that just fantastic! Well, the Elders must've thought so because it was even pointed out at one of the meetings how they were training their kids. Something tells me they were not the only Dubs doing this.
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breakfast of champions
Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol . - Prov 23:13,14
Okay, so that scripture makes it sound like you should beat your child with a stick or rod.
But what it really means is that a child needs loving discipline: "striking" your child isn't really hitting him; and a "rod" isn't really a rod or stick or weapon --- it's what shepherds used to shepherd sheep.
Anyone else remember this "reasoning"?
All bullshit.
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3rdgen
BoC, Yes, I remember that reasoning coming out (late 70,s I think) AFTER the authorities were arresting JW's for child abuse AT the KH! For those of us who had already left home by this time the NUUU light was TOO LATE.