Re: spanking equals unwise parents
Pam Hartley
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accept it as "a different view". It's not me saying peas are better than
carrots and you disagreeing.
Similarly, when a person strongly believes that the Bible is mandating that
she use a rod, strike, hit, spank or whatever her children, she can't just
accept me saying I don't spank my children. If she thinks the Bible leaves
the choice, she can accept my statement, but if she is of the opinion that
it's ordained, she holds the opinion that I harm my children by NOT
spanking.
And then there are the shades of gray -- "spanking is okay if it's a danger
thing" etc.
Of course, in a spanking debate (as in an abortion debate, a religion
debate, etc.) few minds will be changed, but it's those few minds that are
important to anyone who has strongly held beliefs, on either side of the
issue.
I think it's wrong to spank children. I don't think it's ever right, for any
reason. I think there is always a better way. So, IMHO, the woman who wrote
about wisdom in one area or another is right.
Care should be taken with the language, though. You write "unwise parents"
as though that is what the original poster said. Just as a child who does
one stupid thing is not a stupid child, a parent who does one unwise thing
is not an unwise parent. It takes an accumulation, I suppose.
Pam
>From: [email protected]When a person strongly believes that spanking harms children, she can't just
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Digest Number 1212
>Date: Mon, May 7, 2001, 10:30 AM
>
> You used the
> phrase "people may be wise in one area but not
> another" so I'm curious what your perception is of
> those that do spank their kids. I find it interesting
> when people start putting down another group because
> they don't agree with their stand on an issue, instead
> of just letting them have a different view.
accept it as "a different view". It's not me saying peas are better than
carrots and you disagreeing.
Similarly, when a person strongly believes that the Bible is mandating that
she use a rod, strike, hit, spank or whatever her children, she can't just
accept me saying I don't spank my children. If she thinks the Bible leaves
the choice, she can accept my statement, but if she is of the opinion that
it's ordained, she holds the opinion that I harm my children by NOT
spanking.
And then there are the shades of gray -- "spanking is okay if it's a danger
thing" etc.
Of course, in a spanking debate (as in an abortion debate, a religion
debate, etc.) few minds will be changed, but it's those few minds that are
important to anyone who has strongly held beliefs, on either side of the
issue.
I think it's wrong to spank children. I don't think it's ever right, for any
reason. I think there is always a better way. So, IMHO, the woman who wrote
about wisdom in one area or another is right.
Care should be taken with the language, though. You write "unwise parents"
as though that is what the original poster said. Just as a child who does
one stupid thing is not a stupid child, a parent who does one unwise thing
is not an unwise parent. It takes an accumulation, I suppose.
Pam