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Melanie,
There is one thing I don't tolerate from Christians or anyone else, and that is hitting children.
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So can I "assume" that by this you mean you won't tolerate the word of God that unambiguously declares that hating your children is illustrated in sparing the rod? Or were children different "
back in the day?" You surmise that you will show love for your children by not disciplining them physically to drive rebellion from them? So could God's word be incorrect and you have the correct answer that is supported by the modern experts (Romans 3:4)?
Proverbs 13:24- "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes."
To listen to the voices of modern society, God is so wrong on this because He apparently doesn't understand that this physical spanking will traumatize the child and cause him to become violent. So If "God" Only knew that, He wouldn't have instructed us all throughout the Bible to handle this rebellion of children this way? Am I understanding you correctly? Is this man educating God on the social dangers of parents spanking their kids? What a discomfiting and confused concept today's Christians seem to have about obedience. It is truly sad that the world has so degraded and mankind so corrupted the concept of love, that even professing Christians would believe that what God calls hate in that passage, is actually love. And what God calls love in that passage, was actually demonstrating our seated hate in anger issues and abuse of children. It's the tower of Babel, the building of a tower of confusion all over again. Nevertheless, as a God-fearing Christian I understand His words are not popular, but that also neglect of timely chastisement of children is the "REAL" cruelty, the REAL hatred and the REAL deception of the Devil.
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That is not being a Christian or caring for your family.
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According to whom? Your own reasoning, Dr. I-Know-Best or the peanut gallery?
God's very plain and unadulterated word in Proverbs 13:24 declaring that physically chastening your child is "love" and caring for your family and that neglecting to do this demonstrates a real hatred of the child, is an infallible word. As far as true Christians are concerned, it cannot be wrong. But of course, if you have no good use for God's
unadulterated words, then the point is moot about receiving or obeying it. Lip service notwithstanding.
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Don't try and use the bible to justify abuse of kids. A child should never be struck, period!
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So God is indeed wrong? The child Psychologist's word against the witness of the word of God in your belief system or hermeneutic, means the Psychologist's word rules? That may be for the carnal, but for the "true" Christian, it's no contest. One is unauthoritative, and the other is supremely authoritative. But as I said before, if one doesn't accept God's word as an absolute and binding rule of law, it's all a moot point. We might as well follow the Spiritualists, worship a cow or be obedient to an Ouija Board. What our hermeneutic or system of interpretation is, determines our Master? Is it God's authoritative and inerrant word, or is it that society can re-interpret, re-phrase, re-visit or completely deny what God unambiguously teaches? This is especially a germane question to those who "claim" to take what God says literally.
...except apparently, when it's an inconvenient truth that is against their own will to do so. But my God calls that hypocrisy.
Proverbs 23:12-14- "Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
- Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
- Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell."
Mankind retorts against God, "
No that's abusive and the reason the child won't do what's right." Man's word of don't strike your child versus God's word of, don't withhold this physical correction from your child? God says because if you beat him with the rod, he shall not die and you shall in that process deliver his soul from hell. So there we have a clear choice here of obedience to God's will versus doing and believing what is our own will. Believe God or believe the world's people whom God calls obstinate and desperately wicked and rebellious. Believe the voice inside man's own head, or believe God's infallible and unadulterated word.
Romans 3:4- "God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."
The fact is, a tree is known by its fruits. We are known by our fruits or works, not our profession of faith. Our obedience is not the reason that we are saved, but it is an evidence of a changed will and heart. Without fruit the tree is obviously fruitless, and then what good is it?
"
nosce te ipsum"
Peace,
Tony Warren
"I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. -Psalms 32:5"