Is Spanking Christian?

There are people in some circles who believe that spanking their children is a Christian act. Some people believe that it is ordained in The Bible and that the only way to raise God fearing, obedient children is to discipline them through spanking. I believe the exact opposite.

If you study The Bible you will find that there are no examples of hitting or spanking a child in either the Old Testament or the New Testament. If God were so adamantly in agreement of spanking, I would imagine He would have very clearly and articulately commanded that His people discipline His children in this way. The only book which anyone could assume (and that is all it is really, is an assumption) is pro spanking is Proverbs in the Old Testament. However, it is probably not a good idea to base the entirety of our child-rearing on poetic passages. The prose in the wisdom books of The Bible are full of symbolism and it becomes extremely easy for us flawed, sinning humans to interpret the passages to suit our own agenda. Furthermore, while the Old Testament is indeed part of The Bible, shouldn't we seek the words and teachings of Christ, being Christians? Doesn't the fulfilling of the law by Jesus Christ (meaning, Jesus' teachings free us from some of the Old Testament Laws) take precedence over a symbolic passage relating to a shepherd's rod in Proverbs?

People who spank their children often refer to the passage in Hebrews (12:4-6) as God's approval of spanking. Does discipline mean hitting? Has God ever caused us bodily harm in His teaching us and guiding us? In so many examples of God's grace and Jesus' love and sacrifice, does a God who would try to teach through physical punishment sound consistent with His teachings?

In Jesus' Sermon on The Mount, He was asked what were the two most important laws to live by. His reply was to love your Lord God with all your heart and to treat others as you would yourself be treated. How then, can anyone say that they would like to be hit by their parents?

In fact, Jesus showed a special affection for children throughout the New Testament. He used them as an example and told us that we should come to Him as little children. Do you believe little children seek out people they are afraid of, or who they know will hit them when they stray from the path of righteousness?

In 1Corinthians, how to love someone is clearly defined. People like to use this passage to describe romantic love, but it in fact describes God's love and how to most emulate it. If we are to love our children as God loves us, we are to treat them in the manner fitting of people who call themselves followers of Christ. We are to be patient, kind, not keep records of wrongs, slow to anger. This is what God teaches us over and over again through Jesus Christ and yet proponents of spanking conveniently fail to cite those passages whilst defending their argument. ? The Bible is very specific about how we should deal with sin when we see it in others: We are taught that in correcting those who disobey to do so gently (Gal. 6:1). Parents are specifically cautioned against causing their children to lose heart (Eph. 6:4). Having the people you love most in the world deliberately hurt you simply does not reflect the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Yes, The Bible does instruct us to discipline our children, but this does not mean to hit them, to shame them, or to teach them to fear us. The root word of discipline is "disciple" which means to teach, or as a noun means someone who is being taught, or is learning. What is it we want to teach our children? Most Christian parents say they want their children to love God and to know God's love, to be kind, gentle, giving, generous, and patient. Is striking someone smaller than you who depends on you for everything acting as the living example of Christ's love and grace that God calls us to display? Quite simply, no it is not.

Jesus called us to be living examples of His grace and love. We are called to be living examples of patience, good judgment, of higher thinking. He said to us, to whom much is given, much is required. People who hit their children are acting of their own self righteous belief that they know more about how to lead their children than God does. They are putting their humility aside in order to strike fear into their child under the false and misguided belief that it is the will of God.

Hitting your children no matter what you call it, is not something Jesus has commanded you to do. This is supported so many more times throughout The Bible than spanking is (if it even is at all). Jesus commands us to treat others as we ourselves would be treated. Would you welcome your partner smacking you if you acted out? No, that would be wrong. Hitting your child is just as wrong, and just as much of a sin. God says anything that is good, loving, pure comes from Him and anything less is not of Him. How would your children describe being hit? Is it a loving act?

No, it is an act of violence. Before you discipline your children by hitting them, I would advise some self discipline and self control. These are the traits God delights in.

Groups that are anti-spanking:

American Academy of Pediatrics
American Humane Association
International Child Art Foundation
National Association of Social Workers
National Foster Parent Association
Parents Anonymous
Society for Adolescent Medicine
United Methodist Church
American Orthopsychiatric Association
Association for Childhood Education International
California Medical Association
Early Childhood Association of Florida
Family Service of Milwaukee