Why Is A "Non-violent" People So Violent To Its Young?

by steve2 24 Replies latest jw friends

  • steve2
    steve2

    One of the anomalies of the Jehovah's Witness worldview is that it "carries" its non-violence hand-in-hand with some fairly violent practices towards its young ones. So, the Jehovah's Witness father or mother who would reject any involvement in the military or "turn the other cheek" if physically attacked in field service, has no qualms about yanking their noisy child out of the Kingdom Hall and giving that child a good thrashing (i.e., beating on the buttocks, legs, arms and back) and creating an even greater noise.

    I am not a parent, but over the years of observing parents - and others - hitting children both inside and outside the kingdom hall, it slowly occurred to me just what a barbaric practice this was. It seemed the only advice the Watchtower had for harried parents (and their children) was "Discipline the kid" if he disobeys you. Totally ignoring other ways of dealing with restless and noisy children, it became standard practice for the parent to whisk the "offending" child out of an often hot and stuffy kingdom hall, followed by either loud or muffled sounds outside of the child getting hit.

    Yes, some of that parenting style was a product of its time (i.e., when it was more widely accepted that good parenting involved physically striking the child). But the relative ease with which children were subjected to this - and from some accounts still are - strikes me as anomalous in a group that claims to be enlightened by the "truth". Coming from a group that, in most other respects, condemns violence, it is all the more noteworthy. Funny, most of us on this fourm live in seculat societies that, for the large part, have very clear legislation against adults hitting other adults but children, our most vulnerable members of (secular) society are at the mercy of their parents. The parents, in turn, are at the mercy of a religion that robustly defends the parents' right to physically hit their children for "misbehaving" during meetings - meetings that greatly challenge even the "grownups" to sit still and pay attention.

    What are others' views on this practice of hitting children to get them to sit still and pay attention during KH meetings?

  • Preston
    Preston
    What are others' views on this practice of hitting children to get them to sit still and pay attention during KH meetings?

    I think they are merely immitating their God....

    Oooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh

    - Preston

  • peggy
    peggy

    What about the spatula or wooden spoon? I have seen even in the last year, a parent who just showed the "weapon" to their young one to gain control. What chance do you think the child will have in viewing the Kingdom Hall and their parents as a place of safety?

    Slim to NONE!

  • jeanniebeanz
    jeanniebeanz

    They are a blind people blindly following the direction of a dangerous cult which demands absolute obedience from all members, no matter how old or young.

    Jean

  • upside/down
    upside/down

    You mean we're not supposed to put their hand on the burning stove to teach them a lesson? ooooops!

    Actually constant physical corporal punishment is a sign of WEAK parenting skills (while called for on rare occasion). That's usually a parent who does nothing but ignore the child till they can't take it anymore or they're "embarassed" and so try to make a good showing to the other lazy Dub parents that they are "good" parents (not sparing the rod ya know).

    Your average Dub is a HORRIBLE parent. My wife's parent's (3rd gen Dub) are supposedly the epitome of "good" parents and they SUCKED! It's all a fake showy display- no depth to their parenting or love. All their kids are mental cases and ill equipped to deal with the real world. My worldlly parents put them to shame- all with no religion BS.

    2Tim.3:5 sums the Dubs up, "having a form of godly devotion but proving false to it's power, and from these TURN AWAY."

    pretty well sums it up...

    u/d

  • GetBusyLiving
    GetBusyLiving

    Remember having to sing that "he says use the rod" verse from the songbook as a child?? How much did THAT suck!

  • franklin J
    franklin J

    I agree with your post....

    especially the part about corporeal punishment being acceptable many years ago OUTSIDE of any religious persuasion.

    However; I have noted that people on the lower end of economics and lacking any kind of education to know otherwise, continue to strike their children . Jehovahs witnesses ( also mostley uneducated by direction from WTBTS) like to use the scripture " spare the rod and spoil the child" to beat their children and justify the action.

    I do not strike my children for discipline ; nor do any of my contemporaries.

  • kwintestal
    kwintestal

    I was reminded that I got off easy with only a spanking or the belt.

    Young Isrealites where killed for disobediance to their parents.

    Kwin

  • heathen
    heathen

    From what I've seen is they will beat their kid right there in front of the congregation , forget the going outside . It didn't seem to matter how young the child was either , in many cases it was a toddler , I mean who the hell is going to get a toddler to understand they need to be quiet ? It's about pointless to beat them because they won't even understand why .I thank God I didn't have parents like that .I agree with other posters that think they should have a room for children to play and leave it at that .

  • 144001
    144001

    I have observed many a kid being beaten at the hall I attended for being unable to sit still through hours of mindless Watchtower efforts at controlling the minds in the hall. At our hall, they had a room designated for beating kids, not child care. The despicable abuse and exploitation of children, facilitated and condoned by the Watchtower, is indicative of the subhuman and patently evil management of this cult. Parents raising their children in this cult will ultimately pay the price for their decision. Caveat emptor!

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