Spanking - Grilling A Sacred Cow (Part 1)

Have you ever seen the image of some sacred cow in an Indian village wandering aimlessly and unrestrained? The hungry villagers know the cow is there. They know that steak tastes good, but they would rather go hungry than rock the Hindu boat. To those of us who profess Christ the image is both offensive and ridiculous . . . . . or is it?? Do sacred cows roam the pages of your Bible, ignored and left alone? Are there doctrines you would rather leave untended? Do you shudder at the thought of wrestling with the hard truths of Scripture? Do you use Wite-out for a highlighter pen?

The prevailing wind of Modern Christianity has been a “consumer driven” approach to teaching and preaching. Potentially divisive subjects are either ignored or pushed to the sidelines in the pursuit of a doomed marriage between Scripture and Social Science. This consumer driven churchgoer is more comfortable hearing about hunger than hell, would rather focus on AIDS than abortion, and would sooner hear the virtues of self-esteem over spanking when it comes to raising his children.

It is this issue of spanking that has become a sacred cow in many modern churches and has become a subject so sensitive that many preachers just will not touch it. The Bible speaks explicitly on the subject so why the radio silence from the pastor in the pulpit to the person in the pew, and why has the discussion been blacklisted when parents compare notes? I believe it's high time that this sacred cow got carved up and grilled and served with a side of open dialogue!

Living in Europe it is seen as a huge taboo and something that secular humanist philosophy invalidates (by continually searching for and never finding any evidence for the innate goodness of man). Over the coming fortnight we are going to look at my six "s's" of the biblical case for spanking. The Stronghold, the Sinner, the Stakes, the Strawman, the Scriptures, and the Savior. Yes, I am a graduate of the Rick Warren school of alliteration and am very proud that I managed to begin each section with an "s".

Continued on Wednesday with part 2 - The Stronghold

Go On To Part 2