Stuff Fundies Like recently posted a 2011 video of
Phil Kidd preaching at Central Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. In the
video, Kidd urges parents to physically discipline their children and
defends the beatings he received from his father as a child. (Trigger warning)
Brutality is not synonymous with discipline, and it does real harm to children. I continue to be amazed at the fundamentalist subcultures that condone physical violence as "discipline". From the heartwrenching stories of abuse survivors at Homeschoolers Anonymous, to so-called Christian parenting books such as To Train Up A Child, to news stories of fundamentalists who brutalized or even killed their children, I am without words.
Religion is no excuse for child abuse. If you know or suspect that a child is being physically or sexually abused, contact police or child protective services. The following organizations can offer additional resources for preventing and addressing child abuse
Childhelp
Prevent Child Abuse America
Darkness to Light
Stop It Now!
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
It's just astounding how these people think. I got the "spare the rod, spoil the child" railed at me when I suggested that there are better ways of teaching a child than beating them. Amazing how many people believe that this is a good thing to do.
ReplyDeleteSherry -- Some people insist that beating children instills character, even when evidence suggests that physical abuse does a LOT more harm than good.
ReplyDelete