JoB
People are asking privately why I got involved in this.
It’s too easy to say that i know first hand the damage that systematic spanking.. which often gets out of hand.. can do to children.
It is more than that. I really think that Christianity is at it’s strongest when Christians are offered a wide range of information and allowed to make their own minds up about what they believe and why they believe it…
It saddens me that anyone would use the Bible to promote child rearing practices that have been proven to be detrimental to the well being of children… and profess that this is the only way to raise Christian children.
I don’t know what Mars Hill Church teaches it’s parishioners about child rearing, but i do know what Tedd Tripp writes in his books and i know that those books are available in the Mars Hill libraries.
For those that point out that Tedd Tripp has more to say than spank your child, i would point out that he has scheduled an entire hour at the end of his program… where a speaker drives home the messages of his program.. to spanking.
What can you possibly have to say about spanking a child that would take an hour to say?
I just think the parents that attend those seminars need to learn what other Christians have to say about raising children.
And i think it’s time we had a public discussion about children and discipline…
To spank or not to spank isn’t the only issue.
I know that it’s easy to say that it is their own business how they raise their children… and to a large extent, i agree. But when how they raise their children produces adults who impact our society negatively… then i think it is imperative that they are at least exposed to better options.
I think a good child is one who knows how to make good decisions. Tedd Tripp thinks a good child is a submissive child.
In the long run.. i would rather have a somewhat unruly and questioning child that makes good decisions for himself and others than a submissive child whose only choices are to submit or rebel.
This is just what i think and what motivates me.