I have just made a post about what the Bible says and how the Bible defines abuse. The Bible is very specific. Here is why the Bible is specific, because there are other forms of punishments that were commonly used, and the dangers behind them.
1. Ear pulling - it only takes 4 pounds of force to tear the ear lobe off, you can also risk permanently damaging the child’s hearing in that ear.
2. Hair pulling - can injure the neck muscles and joints causing a lifetime of problems of neck pain, and can thin out the hair in the area that is pulled.
3. Hitting in the head - can cause brain damage, which is irreversible, and causes a lifetime of problems and disabilities in that person. Also the risk of neck injuries as well.
4. Slapping the face - in some rare cases, eyes have been popped out of sockets, risk of brain damage and neck injuries.
5. Hitting hands - many major blood vessels can be damaged and cause serious problems, along with the fact that there are many tendons and ligaments that can get damaged and heal into scar tissue which causes accelerated wear on the joints causing premature arthritis. This can be more severe if hard objects are used, and also breaking the bones in the hands which cannot be set and cause disabilities in that hand on a permanent basis.
6. Soap in the mouth / Pepper on the tongue - you do not know what kind of chemicals are in different soaps, and if it is done to the right person, those chemicals can be catalysts to unfavorable reactions and cause severe illness and damage to some organs or even death in some rare cases. You do not want to take that risk. Pepper can eat the stomach linings if used in large quantities, and has also caused death in some rare cases.
7. Hitting where there are joints and bones can risk breaking the bones or damaging ligaments or tendons in the joints, thus causing problems.
8. Hitting in abdominal areas or chest or back with a blunt object can cause organ damage, lung damage, or heart to stop. That is too risky. Heavier flexible objects can do the same thing or even a hand. Never hit in these areas.
9. Anything you do that can cause open wounds pose a risk for infection and the infection can kill a person if left unchecked.
10. Spanking on the buttocks - There has never been any cases of on going health problems, disabilities, or deaths from any type of common spanking - even the severe ones. Tail bones can be broken if a heavy object is used on the upper part of the buttocks while a person is bent over. I will make another post dealing specifically with just spankings on the buttocks.
All of the above is abuse. The first nine items is illegal in all 50 states. Federal requires that all states have laws that protects children against doing things that risk their health, or doing things that risk disability or permanent injury, or disfigurement. Spanking laws vary from state to state. Spanking in public is illegal in over 20 states and private spanking is illegal in 1 state. Before 1938, abuse was legal. We should not define abuse by what the laws are but by what the Bible says.
I am now going to talk about the different types of spanking instruments that were used and the consequences of using them.
1. Large sticks, boards, belts, and paddles - they tend to have a lot of impact and cover a larger area of the buttocks, and due to the large area and impact, they will damage the most deeper soft tissues under the skin per swat. After about 20 or 30 swats the butt turns numb and you do not feel any extra swats you get. Frequent spankings like this can toughen the skin and the scarring under the skin will cut off nerve endings, thus making the buttocks fairly numb on a permanent basis - and the spankings will be ineffective later on. The scarring of the deep tissues under the skin will also show through the skin leaving a permanent discoloration of the skin of itself (usually a slight reddened brown appearance). The skin will have a leather texture to it and will be tough. There will be little to no sensitivity, and will be resistant to bruising and welting - will be next to impossible to bruise or welt that area. It is the body’s defense mechanism when it undergoes consistent affliction to build itself up to prevent further damage. This condition is known as “leather butt syndrome”
2. Whips and canes - they cover a small area per swat, but the impact per square inch is much greater, and can likely penetrate the skin - leaving lacerations and permanent scarring. It takes more swats to numb the butt. Even if skin is not broken - due to the smaller area it covers - it displaces the deeper tissues and causes some distortion to the buttocks - later on they look like fat bumps with straight lines underneath and that is permanent. The distortion is permanent as well. It takes a lot more frequent spankings with instruments like these to cause a permanent numbing than it takes with paddles, sticks and boards.
3. Open hand - covers a large area of buttocks, less damaging and painful than the sticks, boards, belts, and paddles. Open hands also have a lot of force and can damage deeper tissues, and if the spankings are frequent, over time there is a measurable decrease in sensitivity, and eventually permanent numbness. It takes multiple times more open hand spankings to do this than it takes for paddles, stick, and board spankings. Hair brushes and smaller paddles can be more damaging than an open hand and will somewhat accelerate the effects.
4. Willow branch or a new growth off a branch - typically produces more sting than an open hand, but only has an effect on the skin. There is not enough impact to damage any deeper tissues and no distortion. It covers a small area of buttocks, and no permanent numbing will occur with frequent spankings. There will be no measurable decrease of sensitivity with frequent spankings - these are the overall the least damaging of all implements and will also produce the sting intended with spankings. There is still a danger of breaking skin if wielded in the right way or a lot of force is used.
Evidence of frequent harsh spankings even many years later can be proven. The whole butt should normally be uniform in color and skin texture. The skin is normally very tender and sensitive. If the skin is tough on one area of the butt and the color is not uniform, that is evidence of frequent harsh spankings - which is considered abuse. Authorities usually do not consider this. If you use a thin instrument and give the back of the legs 1 swat and give the butt 1 swat, the welting and bruising should be the same. If the legs welt and bruise, and the butt does not, that is also evidence of frequent abusive spankings that have occurred at one point in a person’s life.
If you resort to spankings - eventually, the spankings will become totally ineffective, and you will accomplish nothing as far as teaching from this. You will only accomplish resentment in your child by doing this, along with many deep emotional hurts.
The Biblical "rod" has several definitions. The rod of a shepherd was used for guiding the sheep, often the sheep were prodded with it as a form of guidance. Our guidance to our children should be gentle, not harsh.
The rod (king's staff) was used as a symbol of authority. The parents should exercise their authority to lead their children to a godly life. A true king will serve his people. A true parent will use their authority to serve their children and look out for what is best for the children.
The rod (shoot used for grafting) was used to graft branches from the wild olive tree in to the tame olive tree, the gentiles were grafted in through the blood of Jesus. Our children should be grafted into the blood of Jesus. Teach your children the ways of God.
Rodney Calmes
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