I used to wholeheartedly believe that spanking was correct... until we started our family and I spent my pregnancy asking God how He wanted us to discipline (because I didn't want to arrogantly believe I was correct in my beliefs, I wanted to actually ask). He told me that He is a perfect Father and He doesn't hit us. He told me that no place else in society is hitting okay. None of us would agree that a cop giving us a ticket for speeding and then also hitting us is okay. No one would agree that it is okay for a husband to hit a wife. Yet we have decided that hitting the most impressionable, damageable humans on the planet is okay. I understand that there are those 6 verses, but I have learned with the Bible that if I am reading something that sounds like it contradicts the rest of the Bible, then the problem is my understanding of it, not the Bible. I will not determine my entire disciplinary code on 6 short verses. Sure spanking "works". The fact that it works has nothing to do with it (torture works in controlling people, too). My children are loving, respectful, and very in love with God. When they disobey they understand that it is GOD that they have sinned against, not their parents. It is a blessing that when they periodically lose their patience with each other and want to hit, I can tell them I have never hit them and therefore they can control themselves as well.

And to the "successful, well adjusted" man who verbally ripped apart his sister. In just a couple of sentences you showed enormous amounts of hatred and bitterness toward your sister and your mother. Don't kid yourself, get that cleared up with God.

This topic is touchy, because people tend to get defensive as none of us want to be doing the wrong thing, especially with our children. The point is let us find the Truth.