California Lawmaker Sally Leiber is proposing legislation that would make it illegal for parents to spank their children who are 3 years old and younger. This proposed legislation is generating substantial attention outside of the state of California. The topic was featured on yesterday morning’s Today show on NBC.
Incidentally, the segment of the show which featured the proposed legislation came shortly after a piece on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the infamous case which of course made abortion legal in the US.
Does anyone else see the morbid irony here?
On the one hand there is legislation that legalizes the optional murder of children. This legislation is remembered and celebrated by many. On the other hand, in the name of protecting children, these same folks are proposing more legislation that would make it illegal to spank a child! It is always so disturbing to consider that those parents who choose to murder their children a week after giving birth would have been protected by law and embraced by many in society as progressive, if they had been more proactive and taken their murderous action prior to giving birth. Instead these ‘parents’ are tried as murderers.
It appears that this new legislation is designed with good motives, for I cannot judge her heart. However, to remove the arm of discipline from the parent in effort to protect children is actually harmful and abusive. This is child abuse. To remove discipline in favor of reasoning is hurtful to the development, discipline and training of a child. With the desired end of protection these lawmakers actually accomplish what they are trying to eliminate. The Scriptures are clear that it is the loving father who disciplines, the unloving father does not. We understand that faithful biblical discipline produces the desired end of a fear of God, His word, and a promotion of holiness in life. To neglect discipline is to be unloving and this is harmful to the child. (Heb. 12.5-11).
To an extant, I understand a bit of the thinking in reading their arguments, complete with the libral employment of such words “beating”, “spanking”, and “abuse” as if they were all synonymns. The goal is to prevent abuse. I am totally behind this. It is wrong for anyone, Christians included, to spank their children while being controlled by anger. Outursts of anger and the subsequent “spanking” is not biblical discipline and it is child abuse. We are people who are to be controlled by the Spirit, walking in self-control, and demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5.19-21).
This God-centered discipline is never to be separated from biblical instruction. It is incomplete for the parent to haul off and spank their child and then send them away without the proper biblical pattern of instructive replacement. We are not to just tell our kids what is wrong, but also what is right. And frankly, this instruction must always be done within the context of the gospel. How does disobedience to parents relate to the cross? (Rom. 1.18-32)
We as parents are not just obsessed with our children’s continual submission and obedience to us, but rather are compelled as stewards of God’s gift to us to point out sinfulness, discipline biblically, tie the sin to the cross, and show the right thing to do through biblical instruction. We try as parents to instruct the mind and heart through biblical instruction and discipline, while also trying to teach them the theology of the cross and why we need a Savior. This is a challenge, but is also refreshing to our souls; as it shows the universal depravity of man, the glorious grace of God in Christ, and the power of the Word of God. All of this comes with the divine assurance that it is right.
Let’s not wonder with uninformed minds as to why these laws are proposed and why Roe v. Wade is a reality. We know. For we too have all come from the dungeon of darkness to behold, with renewed minds, what is the glory and light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we cannot accommodate this unbiblical thinking but we can understand it and empathize, and pray, yes we can pray. (1 Tim. 2.2; Titus 3.3)
We can pray that God would be merciful and kind to these children who are in utero, that he would use the government we have to overturn this legalized genocide and promote the love and esteem of human life.
We can pray that parents would discipline their children in the most biblical manner, knowing that it is the most loving manner.
We can pray that Christian parents would demonstrate biblical discipline (spanking with instruction) that the watching world we see the power of God as so working through the Scriptures in the lives of his children for his glory.
We can pray that God would continue to give grace to each of us everyday, that we would give him glory and honor and not ourselves. That the watching world would see humility in us and glory in Jesus. (John 17.21)