“Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child”: The Bible’s Justification for Corporal Punishment of Children Leads to Murder
“Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child”: The Bible’s Justification for Corporal Punishment of Children Leads to Murder
The Canadian case in which Mohammed Shafia killed three of his daughters and his first wife are being sensationalized in the Islamophobesphere as a clear cut instance proving Islam sanctions “Honor Killing.” There are all sorts of wily and convoluted attempts at stretching Quranic verse and Prophetic tradition to mean something they clearly don’t, as Ilisha makes clear in her most recent article.
The video below clearly demonstrates however that there are some Christians who are willing to use corporal punishment to put their children “back in place,” and they do this based on the Bible (hat tip: Omar Q.):
Needless to say such literalism can have deadly consequences, but should we now blame all of Christianity for these zealots? Should we say that their interpretation is the correct one, the one most in fidelity with scripture?

excellent article. it goes to show how, much like those who claim islamaphobia, such philosophies “create an atmosphere” in which it is acceptable to torture people “for the greater good”.
but the author losses me when s/he says “all sorts of wily and convoluted attempts at stretching Quranic verse and Prophetic tradition to mean something they clearly don’t”. clearly the koran states that the “rightous” are to torture the “sinners”. i wonder if the author has ever read the koran or many hadiths?
“corporal punishment to put their children “back in place,” and they do this based on the Bible”. yes we should abandon all of these ancient texts which are brutal by their very nature.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7387029n
4 November 2011 at 1:47 pm