Christian morals
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25. Is it right, in the light of the Scripture, to beat one’s children
in order to correct them? |
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Yes, it is
right, for it is written: “Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not
set your heart on his destruction” (Proverbs |
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Obviously,
one’s children should not be beaten for every disobedience, for sometimes a
scolding is enough to make oneself obeyed. |
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Are
beatings useful? Yes, they are. My personal experience confirms this. For the
blows with a belt my father gave me when I was a teenager because of the stubbornness
of my heart (I refused to obey him) kept me from going round with bad company
and from committing certain sins. Therefore, now I thank God for those blows
with a belt my father gave me when he was compelled to give them to me in
order to make me understand that certain things are sins and thus they must
not be done. If my father had just scolded me, I would have committed those
sins; I really did need to receive those blows with a belt. |
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Furthermore,
I say that a father has the right (as well as the duty) to beat his own
children with a rod (or with a belt), but he has not this right toward the
children of other people. |