May 16, 2012

You are here: Home / News / Fundamentalist Christians use the rod and kill the child in the name of God

Fundamentalist Christians use the rod and kill the child in the name of God

August 16, 2011 By 8 Comments
Debbie and Michael Pearl

The Pearls explain biblical discipline to CNN

Michael and Debi Pearl, who consider themselves devout Christians, have been promoting what they say is biblical discipline of children in their "No Greater Joy" ministries.

"If you spare the rod, you hate your child," claims Michael Pearl, citing the bible.  Spanking must cause pain, they say.  Belts, switches, plumbing supply lines and spatulas are amongst the approved "corrective rods."

Kevin and Elizabeth Schatz of Paradise, California, are in jail for beating their two adoptive daughters, causing injuries so severe that one of the two died.  The 7-year-old child who died, Lydia, was reported to have died of severe conditions usually associated with earthquakes and bombings.  She was "disciplined" for seven consecutive hours, interrupted by short prayer breaks, on the day that she died.  The district attorney believes that the Schatzes were strongly influenced by the Pearls' To Train  Up a Child book that has been gaining popularity worldwide.

CNN's 360 program with Anderson Cooper is investigating the fundamentalist Christian view on discipline and the Pearls' role in abusive punishments.  (Part 1 appears in the video below; click here for a continuation of the investigation.)

Buffer

God Discussion Reporter

Deborah is the owner and administrator of the site, starting it in February 2009. She received her business education at the University of Texas and operates a number of websites and small businesses. She hosts the God Discussion show and handles the site's technical work and editing.

More Posts - Website - Twitter

Auto-Generated Related Posts (Use the Search for Better Results)

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
  • http://www.thejoyfulmystic.blogspot.com Sheri

    I've never really believed in evil spirits. I believe it's our mind and the way we process information that allows us to see either beauty or evil in the world. However, with that said, I'm now beginning to believe that there are evil spirits infiltrating the minds of religious zealots and stories like these simply confirm that. The greatest evil comes from the greatest good that's become corrupt.

    • http://www.goddiscussion.com admin

      I agree, Sheri, that this type of thing is evil. It is hard for me to imagine beating a child for 7 hours like this — it seems like mental illness or, as you say, evilness, to do so.

      The Pearls have come up in some of the God Discussion shows on spiritual abuse and Christian fundamentalism. They are notorious for their sadistic advice.

      It is shameful how religion can be used to promote "therapies" and "advice" that kill and maim, but they can do so because they are operating under the protection of religious privilege while every other so-called expert must be licensed.

      Faith healings are just as horrible, in my opinion. How many kids have died because their parents chose to engage in prayer and ridiculous old testament cloth/oil ceremonies instead of taking them to the hospital?

      People get in more trouble for beating their dogs or horses than these Christian fundies who use their god as an excuse to harm their kids.

      Deborah

  • http://www.thejoyfulmystic.blogspot.com Sheri

    The greatest evil comes from the greatest good that's become corrupt. Jesus taught love and tolerance. Religious extremists have taken His words and used it for their own perversions. Makes me sick!!!

  • http://www.houseofbetazed.com Mriana

    ACK! I've spent all day on this. :( That's OK I'm doing it from an angle as you know, personal rant, psychology, sociology, but oddly enough, not much humanism at all. I have to see my younger son tonight, but when I get back, around 8:30-ish, if it's alright, I'll post my view on it. Personally, I'm worse than sick, my stomach feels as though it could puke.

    Sheri, don't worry- that's the oddest part of what I've been working on all day- the use of Old Testament scripture and twisting liberal Xians' view of "God is love" and "Love is God", plus my favourite verse in the NT concerning children in such a situation. I think you may appreciate it. I hope and that is, if Deborah OKs my posting it still and as usual it's no shorty, like hers is. I think I covered a lot of ground, except the humanist perspective, which, even though I included links to psychological and sociological journals on the topic, makes it difficult for me to decide what category it should be placed. I don't refer to humanism in it. Just Christianity/religion, psychology, and sociology.

    • http://www.goddiscussion.com admin

      I'm certainly okay with it, Mriana! This is something that needs to be discussed in more depth than just a news story.

      Child abuse, wife abuse, spiritual abuse — you name it — appears to be common with fundamentalist religion.

      Deborah

      • http://www.houseofbetazed.com Mriana

        Thanks. Proofing it now and getting ready to post it. :) It is common and 3 out 4 studies appear to confirm it.

  • Pingback: Would you kill an innocent for God? | (Yet Another) geek atheist

  • iza

    I do know that Christian schools are adopting this type of discipline. But sometimes some kids are just too hard headed, like what happened to my kid. He does not obey especially when he knows that he is being pampered so I got him in a military school and there I know he will not disobey.