Is it alright to hit your children in the name of God?

Question

The following press release was published today.

A Christian school is seeking parents' permission for staff to strap students despite corporal punishment in schools being illegal. The school acknowledges the Education Act forbids corporal punishment, but quotes the Bible saying "We ought to serve God rather than men". Parents are given an "authorization" form which says they are aware corporal punishment at school is banned, but will permit school staff to administer it.

The policy says the strap must be given on the palm after consultation with another staff member, and in the presence of that staff member. Afterwards the child is to be spoken to or prayed with, or both.

Is this just another example of how religion is violent and hell bent on brain-washing children? What damaging effect does this have on the child’s mind? The kid may be a bright good child, but in the view of some religious fanatic teacher, the child is bad in the eyes of an unproven non-existent God?

Answer 1

This is exactly another example of how brainwashingly violent religion is. This kind of permission will eventually grow into something like, it's ok to kill atheists in the name of God. What kind of impression does this leave the child if the supposedly most powerful figure in the universe wants to punish him or her. It's unacceptable in the eyes of true Christians, who want to convey that God is all loving, and also makes Christians everywhere more of a joke in the eyes of everyone else. This is one of the reasons why many children that are brought up under a religious background choose to forsake their religion later on, when they realize how hypocritical some religious adherents can be.

Answer 2

i can tell you never went to Catholic school. from what i have been told nuns are deadly with a ruler.

The form is an authorization. It is legal in most states and has been for generations that a private Christian (or any religion) school has the right with a written and signed consent from the parents to enforce corporal punishment.

I must say that this punishment is not in the name of God. Man decided how to punish his child. I personally don't believe in someone spanking or swatting even my child's hand - even witnessed. I did go to a school that had the same policy. My brother was beaten with a hairbursh till his skin ripped and bled. We were beyond upset. That was our last year at that school. The teacher was a insane. That was her only year of teaching.

It is an old fashioned way of dealing with undisiplined kids. Some parents bring children to such schools for that very reason. has nothing to do with God. My opinion is that the human race is basically savage and loves to be animal- like given the opportunity.

it takes time and constant effort to raise a chlild without being physical. Limits and boundaries must be enforced in the home first and from a very young age. Reasonable punishment for misbehavior. If they don't listen to come here (for example) you go get them, take them by the hand and lead them to where they should be, if a tantrum happens, that is punished with a time out - immediately. More action and less words. Further steps follow if the child continues. Kids flourish with structure and follow through. Very basic, I tell young parents, kinda like training a dog. HA! I have learned to be more civilized and I hope more adults do the same.

BUT, i must say again, God has nothing to do with what people do. I don't care what they say. Not necessary and not true. The Lord would never hurt a child.

Answer 3

People have to realize that there is a between abuse and chastisement. There is nothing wrong with spanking your child. It is appropriate punishment in some cases, even at school. I've gotten paddlings at school and spankings at home. I am a well rounded person who has NEVER tried drugs or been in jail. It seems that your problem is that it is a Christian school that is asking this. Maybe you need to do a little soul searching...How can you say that God is nonexistent when you have also said that there is no proof? I think it's sad that some people have an easier time believing in life on other planets, the Loch Ness monster, or the Bogeyman than in a God that loves them unconditionally.
I don't see a problem with the school's policy. I don't think it's a matter of religion; it's just teaching good moral values and respect for authority. God is not petty...Men are. God is just...Men are unjust. Don't judge God based on religion. Religion is a system controlled by men and is therefore corruptible. Remember religious leaders crucified Jesus Christ.

Answer 4

Ugh.. This is why I don't believe that school and religion should be mixed. Children should be taught Reading Writing and Math in school not what to believe and about heaven. Religion is a personal choice and by sending them to a religious school when they are at an age too young to make such a choice it is brain-washing. This is not to say that I don't believe in spanking, because I do. But it should be done by the parent in a private matter as a punishment for extreme behavior. Most certainly not by some teacher in a "school". I think that worship in itself is belittling to a persons self-confidence. I believe that a person who worships something (especially something so un-proven as "God") is a sheep who NEEDS something to believe. For the most part this is okay, and I understand that there are times in which one needs hope. However it is ruining the child to impose these beliefs. I think it stops them from becoming their own person, but rather they define themself as Christian, Islamic, or Muslim before they even really know how they feel about these matters. I am not saying I don't believe in a god or a greater being, just not the bible and the god they describe. I won't be that naive.

Answer 5

I am not totally against spanking a child but I believe that the rear end was built for just that purpose. It has the extra padding and I don't believe it will kill a child to get a smack on the behind now and then.

With that said, I don't believe that it is ever o.k. to hit a child anywhere except the behind. And I don't believe it is ever o.k. to use a strap or a switch or anything like that.

I am raising 2 grandchildren under the age of 3 and I have never had a problem with their behavior. If I did I would not take them out in public. If a school sent me a note home with the stuff in it that you have said, I would remove them from the school that day.

Answer 6

I am a Christian, and my answer is that ONLY the parents should strap/spank their children on the hand or butt. It doesn't matter if it's a Christian school or not. It is very humiliating for the child to have a teacher/principal do this to them( I know from experience when I was in elementary school). My brother also suffered abusive spanking in ele. school( the principal was so angry she whacked his butt and back until he bruised with a ruler that had a metal side.). The punishment from the parent should also be done at home, NOT at the school. I have heard of schools allowing the parents to come and spank the kids, in front of the principal. Again, horribly humiliating.

Answer 7

Religious teaching are very important, but no person should strap or punish your child in any way. I had "bad" things happen to me as a child, and it had long term effects on me. I have gotten over it but why put any child through the remote possibility of this. And why would God want to inflict pain, it makes no sense. Its simple, un evolved thinking. I think that there enough disease and emotional pain to go around, this "discipline" is not needed. Love and understanding and rules would go a lot further.

Answer 8

Okay well all that stuff about unproven and non-existent God is over the top. God is very real in my life and many lives of others. However I think they are doing too much in that school. Whats wrong with putting the kid in time out and sharing the problem with the parents? So no, I don't think that's a good idea but all the blaspheme about God is unnecessary!

Answer 9

Long ago, it was considered normal to spank and whack children who misbehaved and they accepted it and grew from it. It would therefore make sense that hitting children is okay as long as it has a purpose of making them better people.
Nowadays, not only are the children weaker, but society shuns the notion and the leaders themselves are sometimes really hitting in anger and excusing it for good intentions. The child is very often damaged emotionally for the rest of his life and even on a short term basis doesn't gain. In the present day and age, the act of hitting a child for educational purposes would not be acceptable even according to the most harsh leaders of the old world.

Answer 10

It is alright to punnish a kid without being in the name of god so long as it's not abusive. so many parents will not punnish a kid because it might "effect" the child. well children will push you to see how much they can get away with. if you don't punnish them they will go a little further next time. it effects a child more adversly to not punnish them as they then do not know right from wrong. I don't meen to sound prudish but look at children 50 years ago, for the most part they were respectfull, now they will spit in your face or worse. i have 2 kids i did not have to spank my kids, because they knew that i might. so many kids are so disrespectfull and it's not their falt, it is the parents for not punishing them. you can put a lot of stock in the old saying "spare the rod spoil the child".