PUNISHING CHILDREN

PUNISHING CHILDREN

“He that spares the rod hates his son;

 but he who loves him chastens him at times” (Prov. 13:24)

      This is a timely subject during the present prevailing opinions that strongly object to the chastisement and punishment of children. Note that it is qualified with the phrase “at times.”The use of the word punishment does not exclusively mean hitting, also there are many other forms.  Like any punishment it can be good and beneficial or at times, especially when parent is angry where it can be abuse. No one can challenge God’s love for man for God is love and the source of love, and in the above  quotation God says: “He who spares the rod hates his son but he who loves him chastens him at times.”  We know that God’s love for man greatly exceeds man’s love for his fellow man, or for his own son. God chastises man with the rod not to harm him but to correct his error and so return him to the right path. St. Paul says: “Whom the Lord loves He chastens and He scourges every son whom he receives.  (Heb. 12:16) 

     How does God chastise?  By using the rod of illness or misfortune, of accident, of hunger and thirst, the failure of crops, drought, floods, death of relatives and friends, or allowing evil spirits to have authority over men. All these rods used by God are outpourings of His love meant for correction and salvation of men. Younger children especially need persuasion and there are times with some children where verbal persuasion is ineffective and  physical punishment may become necessary.

     When chastising their children, parents show that they really love them, being stern but not angry, and their rod is an necessary instrument to correct them. Children are sometimes not sensitive in response to verbal rebuke or chastisement, but all children can feel the sting of the rod. The child’s body is sensitive even though his conscience may not be, thus punishment of the body is at times necessary for correction of the soul. If punishment of the body awakens the spirit with a good response, the chastisement has been proven to be effective.

     A child may remain uncorrected by verbal admonition at certain times.   That is the time when physical punishment can be productive and necessary, because a worst event would be if the child remains uncorrected. Punishment of the body will usually effect the decisions of the spirit in the child. Spanking is but one tool and some children respond better when given writings in the amount of one or more hundred. Such as,  “I will not hit my brother again.”  Quantity and length of writing could be based on the seriousness of the offense.

HATRED OF GOD IS DEATH!

“All that hate me love death” Prov. 8:36

     The Lord utters these words through His Prophet in the book of Proverbs, “whoever hates the wisdom of God also hates God. Instead of loving God he loves death for everything outside of God is death. The Sun and moon, the stars, the clouds, the rivers, the seas, the mountains and the valleys are lifeless, animals and plants, are dead plants that have received life from God. If a person does not love God, not only does he not love Him but also everything that comes from Him. All created things  that exist come from God, so he who does not love the wisdom of God and God himself loves nothing else, for without God love is not possible and everything would cease to exist.

     Without loving God our Creator and Teacher our lives are empty having absolutely nothing, and all that is on earth that we enjoy and love, we do so because God gave us the capacity love Him and all that He made. For loving God includes loving all that He is and has created and glorifying Him for His great wisdom and kindness, and His blessings which he gave to us such as our intellect,  compassion and love. Happy and overflowing with love and joy are those who know God and His many gifts. But wretched are those who receive His many gifts but reject Him as unworthy of their love and even deeming Him to be non-existent. These men by not accepting the one who gave them existence, live outside of Him, are already dead being separated from the life of all.

     “All who hate me love death.” God did not make man for death but for life which is His free choice, for if he who hates the wisdom of God which is one of man’s greatest possessions, He also hates God. Death is separation from God not annihilation as some think for our souls never die. Separation from God forever is the most frightful wretchedness, for God is the source of all goodness and compassion which He continuously bestows upon all mankind. When God formed man He breathed into Him His Holy Spirit and the man, body, soul and spirit, became filled with divine life. The sprit which God breathed energizes the human being and fills Him with live, goodness and happiness.  But the evil and miserable one seeks to captivate his soul by breathing into men his foul and stinking evil spirit. Then He entices men to live in sinful transgressions, and the spirit leaves us, awaiting  their possible return through repentance and confession.

POWER OF WEAKNESS OVER STRENGTH

POWER OF WEAKNESS OVER STRENGTH 

     In this fallen world the strong rule over the weak who are compelled to submit to their authority because of their lack of power. The sword is a powerful weapon used by the strong but it became feeble and weak when used to oppose Jesus Christ and His Holy Church. One reason for this is that although truth may appear to be weak it can never be defeated, for after being maligned and defeated it will always remain being truth. Lies always die but truth is forever.For example, the truth is that the crucified Jesus Christ is almighty God. Death cannot grasp Him, rather He puts death to death. The contradictory lie which distorts this truth is that bad men crucified the Lord thus putting Him to death and He remains dead as Jews believe. The truth is that by death He destroyed death’s authority and power but He arose from the dead on the third day and will never die again. Christ’s apparent weakness is followed by the truth of His godly all-powerfulness.

     Also the enemies of Christ achieve results directly opposite those which they would expect. When they tried to silence the Apostles in order to prevent the growth of Christianity, their efforts  caused Christianity to widen and deepen like a fast flowing river with its roar being heard everywhere, for “their sound went out to the whole universe.”  They tried to dry up Christianity and encountered a flood of believers and martyrs throughout the world.  

     When Christians were seized and held as weak and maligned prisoners, many were mercilessly slaughtered by fire and sword, by torture and hanging. But as each martyr was put to to death for the sake of Christ, they really went to the heavenly kingdom to receive their reward, and each death of martyrs resulted in the countless increase of new Christians, who rushed to be baptized, and became martyrs, thus greatly increasing the size of the Church.  When they attacked the churches in order to do away with Christianity, the Church grew stronger and spread further into many countries..