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.
I got plenty of spankings as a child and not a few "Swats" from teachers (Some of whom had rather elaborate woodworking projects for paddles)up until high school. But I never had welts or bruises because of them. This pastor may have gone a little overboard.
Just my opinion.
After I was grown and married, my Dad and I were fishing one day and I was telling him some of the nonsense I did that he never knew about. He looked at me, shook his head, and said, "Boy, if I had whipped your ass once a day, if I didn't know the reason you would have."
What is your question, and why do you ask?
But once they adults it's o.k. to beat the crap out of them like Jack Bauer/Chuck Norris in you tag line?
Prohibiting child abuse is within the police power of the government. perhaps this case will help you understand the law in this area:
Santosky v. Kramer
Today we hold that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment demands more than the "fair preponderance of the evidence". Before a State may sever completely and irrevocably the rights of parents in [p748] their natural child, due process requires that the State support its allegations by at least clear and convincing evidence.
if convinced that "positive, nurturing parent-child relationships no longer exist," § 384-b.1.(b), the State may initiate "permanent neglect" proceedings to free the child for adoption.
The State must further prove that the child's natural parents failed substantially and continuously or repeatedly to maintain contact with or plan for the future of the child although physically and financially able to do so.
State intervention in domestic relations has always been an unhappy but necessary feature of life in our organized society. For all of our experience in this area, we have found no fully satisfactory solutions to the painful problem of child abuse and neglect. We have found, however, that leaving the States free to experiment with various remedies has produced novel approaches and promising progress.
See However:
Ingraham v. Wright
Today the Court holds that corporal punishment in public schools, no matter how severe, can never be the subject of the protections afforded by the Eighth Amendment. It also holds [p684] that students in the public school systems are not constitutionally entitled to a hearing of any sort before beatings can be inflicted on them.
I doubt I have to explain my point in citing the Ingraham case.
You really want to equate fictional people who kill bad guys on TV with parents disciplining their kids with objects?
But to "Beat the crap out of someone is administering justice. " right?
Your post said that when spanking "goes beyond a certain point" it is no longer protected. I asked you to tell us exactly what that point is.
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.
Don't believe that is what the Bible had in mind. I know for sure God did not want us abusing our children. I swat here and there is fine, but brusing???? Welts????? Not so much!!!!
Holy Moly!!!! Sorry you went through that.
Children are not animals....
I wished, I PRAYED that someone would have come in and stopped my parents when it was welts and bruises .... because after that, comes the burning matches, the wire hangers, the blood dripping down the back, the broom handles, the two by fours etc.
Yes. Once they understand this is a possibility, you almost never have to use it.
As a child my siblings and I were "spanked" every day for one reason or another. The problem was there was no actual "correction." Over 90% of the time we had no idea what we did wrong.
Spanking for discipline is good if it is appropriate, is not done in anger, is done lovingly and if it teaches proper behavior.
I currently have two children...11 and 7...and have never hit them in anger. Somehow, they have grown up well adjusted.
Been there, my friend. My parents beat the crap out of me with the usual "This hurts me more than it hurts you," "I'm only doing this because I love you," and "There are many kids who wished their parents spanked them," CRAP!!!
If beating your kid with a whip, switch, belt, willow branch, paddle, rod, stick, or hand is so effective, then one would think that parents would only have to beat their kids once or twice to turn them into well-behaved children. My parents beat me from my earliest memories up until the day I left home for good at aged 17. Obviously the beatings didn't work.
In contrast, I have never laid a hand on either of my children. They are now teenagers, college bound, honor students, star athletes, and have never done anything to provoke the kind of anger that would cause me to spank them.
I did not reconcile with my parents and they are now dead. They never met their grand kids as I was not going expose my children to their abusive nature. Though to be honest, dad passed before my oldest child was old enough to understand.
I have not ever regretted my decision to cut ties with my parents. I met my wife and her parents have been so good to me that I have never looked back.
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