Corporal punishment

AN interview on TV caught my attention as I was going past.

The interviewer was asking a visiting celebratory what his thoughts were about where the Bible talks of sparing the rod and spoiling the child. His response was, (if I remember correctly), is that it was acceptable at that time but not ‘today’.

There is a hue and cry at the moment because of a serious case of child violence by a father seen on social media. Is he out of his mind?

Of course one should discipline our children with love and not in anger. A slap on the palm or buttocks is enough. Adults our age have been disciplined this way. We are still sane. So this was ‘OK’ in the olden days but not today? Why?

‘Today’ it’s the new fangled ideas supported by the United Nations and other new world trained experts etc that discipline would mentally harm the child for life. This is nonsense in my view.

‘Today’ we have uncontrollable children abusing teachers instead. I am glad that the general secretary of the Fijian Teachers Union Mr Paula Manumanunitoga has the same view. He believes some form of discipline is needed.

The Bible in my view is timeless. It is applicable till the end of time for all believers. In Proverbs 13:24 it says, He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

The famous saying, ‘He who spares the rod spoils the child’ is not from the Bible. The laws in Fiji unfortunately follow the UN way — the world’s way.

Today’s western world is a secular world, people do not believe in a God. They live a totally worldly life of work play and other pleasures. Some say they believe in science, what they can feel or touch.

The speaker mentioned above seems not to believe in a God. I know this from the western countries I visited. I wonder what form of discipline they advocate that is producing the behavior of children today.

So sad!

NORMAN YEE

Martintar, Nadi