Choose Your Expert

A new study done by Duke University finds that spanking a child may have "detrimental effects on behavior and mental development." The research focused on 2,500 children from low-income families and concluded that children spanked at age 1 tended to behave more aggressively at age 2. Agreeing with these findings, Susan Newman, the author of "Little Things Long Remembered: Making Your Children Feel Special Every Day," said that spanking reinforces negative memories and parents should aim to build "prominent, happy memories." Many other experts agree that parents should never "resort to violence." This study's leader, Lisa Berlin, said, "This is definitely the direction in which American culture is going." (And we all know how well-behaved the typical American child is.)

There is at least one expert who disagrees with the findings, though. His exhaustive knowledge of humanity has lead him to the opposite conclusion. He says, "Don't withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with a rod, you will save his soul from Hell." This expert goes on to say, "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother." The expert, whose name is the Great I AM, leaves no doubt where he stands on the spanking issue. He couldn't disagree more with Duke University and all it's child-rearing professionals. The bottom line for God is, "whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him" - no matter what the 'experts' say.

I guess the issue for parents is choosing which expert to believe: the ones who study children or the One who creates children. As for me and my house, we choose the latter.