According to these articles, that’s exactly what he did, instruct and even demand that parents of his “church” and his own family follow his examples and instructions, that and along with former church members who reported the abuse and family members who testified that Caminiti instructed that the beatings shouldn’t take place outside of their homes, lest someone call the police and report child abuse, that IMO is what got him convicted.
Authorities began to investigate the church in November, according to the complaint. Authorities say Philip expressed his belief the Bible dictates the use of a rod to punish children. He stated children only a few months old are "worthy" of the rod and that by 1 1/2 months, a child is old enough to be spanked.
According to church members, Philip would instruct parents on how to use rods to spank children's buttocks. He stated he "likes the immediacy of spanking" and "pain is a good way to teach children." The complaint also states Philip said: "If you spank early and it is done right, then kids will be happy and obedient."
Punishments would often occur during worship services when children would start crying or fail to sit still. Former church member Merry Hahn told authorities, "Phil was very strict about children being quiet during church," the complaint states.
The parent "was told to hold the baby tight and say, 'No' very loudly close to the ear. If the baby did not quiet down, the parent removed the child to a bedroom, which was usually close enough to the living room where you could hear the dowel hitting the baby."
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/118691089.html?source=error
Then there is this:
John Caminiti told investigators in November he uses a rod or dowel on his two youngest children at home or at church and the scriptures make it clear his behavior is allowed.
He said he does not allow his family to communicate with people outside his religious beliefs and has punished his wife and son by shunning, or confining them to their rooms to have no contact with other family members, until they corrected their disobedience.
That to me sounds more like a tyrannical monster and control freak, perhaps even the head of a cult than any sort of man of God.
While I don’t have a problem with a parent occasionally smacking a child on the hand or across the bottom for misbehavior or to teach them things like not to stick their fingers in a light socket or to touch a hot stove, but beating a 1 ½ month old infant with a wooden dowel, a quarter sized round to the point of it being audible from another room, inflicting pain and causing deep bruising just because the infant cries or gets restless, is not discipline, that’s child abuse.
My mother told me of the time when I was an infant, only a month or two old, when she, my father and older brother were attending Mass and I started crying very loudly.
My mother gathered me up in her arms and started hurriedly walking out of the church when the priest stopped in middle of the Homily and shouted to my mother, “Where are you going?” My mother said, “I’m so very sorry Father, I’m taking her outside because she’s fussy and crying.”
Then Father Joseph said, “No, please stay. Do you think our Lord and Savior is offended by the sound of a crying baby?
HE knows and understands that little babies cry and that the little tykes get restless sometimes, after all HE was once a little one Himself. She’s just making her own joyful noise unto the Lord. Jesus said and we should all remember: “Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me: for the kingdom of heaven is for such.” We should rejoice at the sounds of babies as God loves them so.
Besides if need be, I can talk just as loudly as she cries.” My mother sat back down with me and I quieted and Father continued.
That is in my opinion, an example of a man of God.
“And this is why I think he got convicted, because he did exactly what you suggest above. An assumption, sure, like the rest of us posting here, we were privy to neither the evidence in the case nor the jury instructions provided by the judge.”
What was the specific act or acts where he directly conspired with a member to commit a criminal act of abuse above what the law allows? It should be public and in the case discovery.