From the Principal’s Desk
Dear Parents,
Recently the State of Delaware passed a law effectively banning spanking in their state. Attorney General Beau Biden , son of the Vice-President, said that this new law will help curb abuse that he says happens to three million children in this country annually. The way they went about banning corporal punishment was by redefining “physical injury.” Now physical injury means “any impairment of physical condition or pain.”1
Did you catch that? Pain. Any act that another does to a child that causes pain is now a physical injury, which is now child abuse. If a person spanks a child, he causes pain to the child. In Delaware, if a person spanks a child under 18 years old, he could go to prison for one year. If the child is under 3 years old, the person could go to prison for two years.
Let me be clear: I am against child abuse. But, a legitimate, biblical spanking is not child abuse. This is a dangerous law that Delaware passed.
First of all, the law is not logical. Because of their definition of physical injury, spanking is now on the same level as “torture, negligent treatment, sexual abuse, exploitation, maltreatment, mistreatment or any means other than accident.”2 Spanking cannot be equated with abuse. This law implies that all spanking causes harm to children.
Second of all, the law is not reasonable. A vast majority of adults testify that they were spanked as children, and they say that the spanking did them good. But now the government steps in and says that they are the grand protectors of children and that they can do a better job of raising children than parents.
Third of all, the law is not biblical. Proverbs 23:13-14 say this: “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” Here the Lord commands disobedient children to be spanked. Solomon, in expressing the wisdom of God, says that a hard spanking will not kill a child; it helps a child. Notice how v. 14 says that spanking delivers the child’s soul from hell. The word hell (sheol) can mean “the grave” or it can mean “the place of eternal separation from God.” I think both aspects are in view. Children are delivered from an early grave because they learn to obey and honor their mother and father. Remember the fifth commandment: “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12). The second aspect refers to the affects of the law on children when consequences are consistently applied. Paul said in Galatians 3:24 that the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith. Spanking teaches a child that he is a sinner (not a good little boy or girl) and that there are consequences for sin. Taking the harsh punishment away teaches children the wrong way of thinking about both of these points.
Banning spanking will lead to more disobedience and disrespect to parents. What does that lead to? Shortened life spans of the disobedient and disrespectful. Banning spanking will also lead to more apostasy because fewer people will see their need of a Savior.
What do we conclude? First, a legitimate, biblical spanking is not abusive; in fact, not spanking is abusive. Second, let us be persuaded in favor of what the Bible teaches and oppose this law. Third, let us practice what the Bible says about child discipline for the glory of the Lord and for the sake of our children.
Sincerely,
Pastor Sutton
Dear Parents,
Recently the State of Delaware passed a law effectively banning spanking in their state. Attorney General Beau Biden , son of the Vice-President, said that this new law will help curb abuse that he says happens to three million children in this country annually. The way they went about banning corporal punishment was by redefining “physical injury.” Now physical injury means “any impairment of physical condition or pain.”1
Did you catch that? Pain. Any act that another does to a child that causes pain is now a physical injury, which is now child abuse. If a person spanks a child, he causes pain to the child. In Delaware, if a person spanks a child under 18 years old, he could go to prison for one year. If the child is under 3 years old, the person could go to prison for two years.
Let me be clear: I am against child abuse. But, a legitimate, biblical spanking is not child abuse. This is a dangerous law that Delaware passed.
First of all, the law is not logical. Because of their definition of physical injury, spanking is now on the same level as “torture, negligent treatment, sexual abuse, exploitation, maltreatment, mistreatment or any means other than accident.”2 Spanking cannot be equated with abuse. This law implies that all spanking causes harm to children.
Second of all, the law is not reasonable. A vast majority of adults testify that they were spanked as children, and they say that the spanking did them good. But now the government steps in and says that they are the grand protectors of children and that they can do a better job of raising children than parents.
Third of all, the law is not biblical. Proverbs 23:13-14 say this: “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” Here the Lord commands disobedient children to be spanked. Solomon, in expressing the wisdom of God, says that a hard spanking will not kill a child; it helps a child. Notice how v. 14 says that spanking delivers the child’s soul from hell. The word hell (sheol) can mean “the grave” or it can mean “the place of eternal separation from God.” I think both aspects are in view. Children are delivered from an early grave because they learn to obey and honor their mother and father. Remember the fifth commandment: “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12). The second aspect refers to the affects of the law on children when consequences are consistently applied. Paul said in Galatians 3:24 that the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith. Spanking teaches a child that he is a sinner (not a good little boy or girl) and that there are consequences for sin. Taking the harsh punishment away teaches children the wrong way of thinking about both of these points.
Banning spanking will lead to more disobedience and disrespect to parents. What does that lead to? Shortened life spans of the disobedient and disrespectful. Banning spanking will also lead to more apostasy because fewer people will see their need of a Savior.
What do we conclude? First, a legitimate, biblical spanking is not abusive; in fact, not spanking is abusive. Second, let us be persuaded in favor of what the Bible teaches and oppose this law. Third, let us practice what the Bible says about child discipline for the glory of the Lord and for the sake of our children.
Sincerely,
Pastor Sutton