Posted on 03/02/2007 8:00:12 AM PST by Sopater
ALBANY, Ore. - The arrest of an Albany pastor on assault charges stemming from the spanking of his son with a paddle has raised the issue of corporal discipline and child abuse.
Pastor David Lee Fink of the Potter's House Christian Fellowship in Albany was charged with assault after police say his 17-year-old son called authorities to report an incident involving his younger brother and his father.
Police say they found "extreme" red marks, welts and bruising on the buttocks, thighs and arm of Fink's 13-year-old son on Monday.
Police took a 16-inch wooden paddle into evidence. The cracked paddle is time-worn and wrapped in duct tape in two places. "Board of correction" is written on the paddle in ballpoint pen.
Fink reportedly struck his son 10 times with the paddle.
Police say the spanking crossed the line into assault. One woman disagreed and said the police have gone too far and that the pastor had done nothing wrong.
Christina Niskanen said "I believe in the Bible and what does the Bible say about spanking? That's how we raised our children. I'm sorry, my children lived through it. I'm sure everybody else's will."
Another woman who did not give her name disagreed with Niskanen, saying, "I'd rather raise my voice than raise my hand. And even though in the Bible it says 'spare the rod, spoil the child,' I still feel spanking your children is not an appropriate measure, there's other means you can take."
The investigation is continuing in Albany.
sometimes you just have to get their attention.
Bible has some other choice pieces of advice that are not what I called enlightened either.
What does it teach a child that their parent needs to use a hard object to beat them? Physical violence of such nature against children are the mark of a weak person.
I agree. But you don't have to bruise or otherwise create visible marks on a child to get its attention.
Children are not animals....
Proverbs 23:13-14Spanking a child's bottom is not physical violence. For me, it takes a great deal more strength to carry through with discipline in the form of a spanking rather than consistenly telling a child to "stop that or else...", which get's no results. Spanking is not necessarily to be done as the sole form of punishment, but the threat of a quick effective consequence is key for getting a child to readily obey a parent. The real temptation is to NOT spank or carry through with a punishment that we really don't want to inflict on our children.
(13) Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
(14) You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol.
Proverbs 13:24
(24) He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.
He's a real tough guy, isn't he now? Let's see how tough he is after a few days in jail. I'd say something needed to be done to catch HIS attention, Being a coward as child-beaters are*, he probably won't do it again.
*They would never raise a hand to a woman or a child if they thought they would get the snot beaten out of them in return.
Children have become so much more well behaved and respectful since spanking went out of favor. /s
legal eh?
always the same lawyer crap.
My dad used to beat my ass black and blue. There's a better way to do it and I admire the heck out of parents who manage to raise their kids without it. But it's not worthy of an arrest and police record.
Gosh what a warm and fuzzy sentiment. And it is because this father loves his kids enough to discipline them that they won't grow up to be animals. Maybe, unless Children, Adult, and Family Services gets involved and yanks his kids away and then they can go into the "system" and end up little hoodlums that we can incarcerate later in life.
To some on this thread, at no point. I pity their children.
agreed.....spanking is spanking until it becomes more....I do agree.
Say What??
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