Spare the rod spoil the child... what do you think?
@shaggin (72204)
United States
December 15, 2007 9:08am CST
My husband and I have different opinions of what this biblical text means. Spare the rod spoil the child to me meants that god loves everyone and children and doesnt want them to be harmed so it is better to spare the rod and spoil the child then to harm them. My husband thinks it means if you spare the rod you spoil the child and he thinks it means like its ok to discpline your children with spanking etc. We do not spank or slap our children but we just both have different opinions. I think my opinion stems from reading the bible and understanding how much the lord loves us and wouldnt want us to harm our children.
2 responses
@miamilady (4910)
• United States
15 Dec 07
You know, I never really gave it much thought. I was told that it meant the same thing that your husband believes. You're interpretation never occured to me, but now that I read your opinion, that makes sense too.
I guess that's why so many people argue about the Bible and Religion. Things that have been written can be interpreted in more than one way.
I would have to know the context of the passage that those words were a part of in order to decide what I think the interpretation should be.
I like the way you are thinking though. I like the alternate interpretation.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (72204)
• United States
10 Mar 23
@miamilady I think from what I had learned after this that in the context of how it was written my first husband was right. I still like my thinking better though. 
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
15 Dec 07
The bible was written almost 2000 years ago by men who never got past grade 2.I wouldn't put too much Faith in it. Psychologists tell us that corporal punishment is outdated. I believe this.
How can you teach a child Love with Violence? The 2 are opposites and children are not stupid. They make the connection.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (72204)
• United States
7 Jan 11
I agree with you barehugs but I see your point to sndcain. I really do think kids behaved much better years ago but I dont know if its just because they were spanked. I was more then just spanked and it wasent always because I was being a brat sometimes. I dont spank my kids. I have a few times slapped my daughters mouth when she said something that really made me angry. I feel bad for even those few times that I did that. Even when I was spanked it didnt teach me a lesson I was still a bad kid. I know plenty of kids who are spanked and are horrible kids and I see plenty of kids who arent spanked and are great kids so the thinking that kids wont be good if they arent spanked isnt corret. They just need discipline but it doesnt need to be in the form of spanking.
