A caretaking adult hitting a child is innately demeaning, contrary to what Pope Francis and the bible preach.
As the world now knows, the pope, in praising good fatherhood in an address in St. Peter’s Square Wednesday, said:
“I once heard at a wedding a father say, ‘I sometimes have to hit my children a little but never in the face, so as to not demean them.’ How nice, I thought, he has a sense of dignity. When he punishes, he does it right and moves on.”
The pope called that “beautiful.”
The dignified Christian father praised by the pope may hit his children, but, “how nice,” never in the face.
Perhaps this praiseworthy father religiously follows the biblical injunctions on corporal punishment (and isn’t it nice there are so many different biblically-approved, “dignified” ways to beat your children, and not one that suggests hitting in the face?).
Take a gander at a representative sampling of the biblically-ordained treatment of “little ones”:
“The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil; so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.” — Proverbs 20:30
“Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. ”—Proverbs 19:18
“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” — Proverbs 22:15
“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.” — Proverbs 23:13–14
“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” — Proverbs 13:24
The pope should know better, since his native country of Argentina is one of some 44 nations enlightened enough to outlaw physical punishment of minors, including in their homes. (Naturally, the United States is not on this list.) Fortunately, the world is outgrowing the bible. Pope Francis’ remarks have created worldwide censure — even from the pope’s appointed commission on protection of minors. Now that’s truly “nice.”
