I am sorry you were hurt by this. Man is fallible...and does unrighteous things. Only He is perfect Love.
This is what the blible says ALL Christians should be like:
Ephesians 5:1-2
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
I am sorry you were hurt by someone who should have represented God as love!
"I am sorry you were hurt by someone who should have represented God as love!
"
Wasn't me. It was a young boy in my neighborhood. I was an adult long before he was born.
Funniest thing of all was that the boy's father, at his trial for child abuse, tried to use Dobson's words in his defense. He said that Dobson told him to use a switch, and to keep hitting the boy if he kept crying.
It's in the book. Dobson does recommend the use of a switch. He does recommend giving a child some more of it if he cries too long. I guess this guy didn't read the whole thing...just the part he wanted to read.
The father got 5 years in prison. I guess the jury didn't buy his defense. The boy...well, he's doing OK now, thanks to some really good foster parents.
No, Dobson did not intend that children be scarred. Yet, there are many cases just like that one out there. People do not read everything. They do not read the cautionary material. They do not necessarily understand what Dobson was writing.
They do read that children are like dogs and must be punished until they behave. They do read that they should use a switch or a paddle to punish their child for "misbehavior." Sometimes, they miss the point and use too big a switch, apply it too strenuously.
That's the risk of writing books like Dobson's. Go look up "Dobson child abuse" (no quotes) on Google and read some of the pages that you'll find.
If you get the idea that I do not like James Dobson, you are correct. I cry when children are abused. I am angry at those who give people permission to do so, even if they did not intend to do so.
Jesus would not have beaten a child with a stick, or even a switch. I can guarantee that to you. If you doubt me, it's time to read Matthew again. In fact, I recommend reading Matthew once a year, whatever your religious beliefs.