Religious Extremism: A Parenting Style
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Child rearing and Christian extremism
In the Christian world, religious fundamentalism is characterised by the insistence upon a
literal, non-interpretive reading of the Bible. Christian fundamentalism is often associated
with the belief that human history will come to an end in the near future in an apocalyptic
battle between forces of good and evil.xxix
Christian fundamentalism emerged in the USA around the time of Charles Darwin, as a
reaction against the growing influence of scientific thought. The World Christian
Fundamentals Association was formed in 1919.xxx
As the boundaries between mainstream faith and fundamentalism are open to debate, it is
impossible to decide how many of the world?s estimated two billion Christiansxxxi can be
categorised as fundamentalists. One sourcexxxii estimated in 1996 that there are 60 million
in the USA, with a growing worldwide following. In the same year, another surveyxxxiii
stated that only nine percent of Americans considered themselves as fundamentalists,
although ? seemingly in contradiction ? 54 per cent insisted upon a word-for-word
literal interpretation of the Bible.
Are there distinguishing features in the way Christian fundamentalists relate to children?
It does appear so, according to a number of studies showing that Biblical literalists
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practice more authoritarian child-rearing methods than mainstream Christian families. A
recent American survey compared hundreds of parents belonging to Christian
denominations espousing literal, versus non-literal interpretations of the Bible.xxxiv The
survey was intended to measure the social impact of Biblical passages that seemingly
encourage parents to corporally punish their children.xxxv The most well-known of these
being Proverbs 13:24, which says, ?He who spares his rod hates his son?. The Book of
Deuteronomy contains a recommendation that rebellious sons should be stoned to
death.xxxvi
The researchers found that members of literalist denominations were significantly more
inclined to hit their children. What?s more, literalist parents had more inappropriate
expectations from their children, and showed less empathy toward their needs.xxxvii
Several surveys conducted sincexxxviii have consistently replicated these findings. In the
USA, the corporal punishment of children is most favoured in the southern and midwestern
states known colloquially as the ?Bible Belt?. Two fundamentalist parenting
manuals in the USA have offered this advice: ?The spanking ? should be painful and it
should last until the child?s will is broken? and ?Even though Mom spanks him, he wins
the battle by defying her once again. The solution to this situation is obvious: outlast him;
win?.xxxix
The corporal punishment of children is anything but synonymous with Christianity, and
some Christian groups are salient for their stance against it. In the USA for example, a
General Conference of the United Methodist Church has passed a resolution calling for
the complete abolition of corporal punishment.xl Citing the teachings of Jesus, the group
?Christians for Non-Violent Parenting? aims to persuade Americans to reject corporal
punishment at home, school and at childcare facilities.xli Some of the most authoritative,
empathic and scientifically sound parenting manuals have been written by Christian
authors.xlii
Fundamentalist groups, on the other hand, are notorious for their accent on obedience.
One Missouri reform school for troubled teenagers purporting to use Biblical methods
has been the subject of many allegations of physical abuse.xliii In a Texan home for girls
run by a Christian group, girls were subjected to whippings, paddlings, hours of kneeling
on hard floors and solitary confinement.xliv A nun from a Canadian religious commune
faced charges of assaulting children in her care, to some of whom she had administered
over 30 blows at a time. In court, she was cool and unrepentant as she recounted how
God had instructed her to paddle the children, and she maintained that her punitive
practices were in accordance with scripture. The judge ruled that her discipline methods
constituted abuse, and police were called in to remove children from the commune for
their safety.xlv Also in Canada, a judge ordered the removal of seven children from
parents belonging to a fundamentalist denomination, as their parents had been assaulting
them with implements such as belts and clothes-hangers. In court, the parents and their
pastor defended their brand of ?discipline? as prescribed by scripture.xlvi Their solution?
Twenty-eight of the mothers belonging to this denomination fled across the border, where
they found a legal haven for their spanking habits.xlvii In Georgia, USA, authorities acted
to protect 60 children who had been severely beaten by parents and church leaders, under
supervision from their church elder. When the church leaders were charged with cruelty
to children, the parents refused court rulings to tone down their abusive practices,
protesting that they were raising kids according to the Bible.xlviii Some of the harshest
detention centres in America for ?reforming? unruly or substance-addicted youths are run
by church groups. They have attracted considerable media attention for their commitment
to corporal punishment ? often severe.xlix
Twenty-two American states still allow corporal punishment in schools, where teachers
favour the use a long-handled wooden paddle to redden their pupils? buttocks. The states
that hold on to this approach to ?discipline? are strongholds of conservative Protestantism.
How successful is this approach to ?discipline?? The 10 states that paddle students most
frequently (in order: Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Missouri) have higher murder rates, and higher
incarceration rates.l
The conservative Christian approach to pedagogy, with its tolerance for corporal
punishment, is by no means limited to the USA. When the caning of school children was
recently abolished in the Australian state of New South Wales, religious schools were
conspicuous for voicing strong objections.li In the state of Victoria corporal punishment
is banned from public and Catholic schools, but remains legal for independent schools. In
2001, a Victorian Christian Community Schools group issued a statement saying ?the
hand or flat instrument on the buttocks is appropriate in some circumstances?.lii
Meanwhile, an Australian man was awarded $2.5 million in damages for the strapping he
received as a boy in a religious school.liii In South Africa, where the corporal punishment
of children is banned from schools, a Christian organization representing 196 schools
lobbied to have this ban lifted, on grounds of ?religious freedom?.
http://nospank.net/grille-ch14.pdf :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
