March 16, 2006
No Greater Joy Than Murdering a Child
Here in North Carolina, a sick story has been developing about a woman that murdered her adopted 4-year-old son last month and beat two others with lengths of plumbing pipe. Most of us would prefer to think of the murder of Sean Paddock as the depraved act of an isolated psychopath. But Lynn Paddock, now charged with first-degree murder and possibly facing the death penalty, did not come to such acts of brutality without guidance.
No, Lynn Paddock got her ideas on how to discipline her children from the web site and books of an evangelical minister and his wife that advocate something that certainly sounds like child abuse.
From the Raleigh News & Observer:
Paddock -- a Johnston County mother accused of murdering Sean, her 4-year-old adopted son, and beating two other adopted children -- surfed the Internet, said her attorney, Michael Reece. She found literature by an evangelical minister and his wife who recommended using plumbing supply lines to spank misbehaving children.Paddock ordered Michael and Debi Pearl's books and started spanking her adopted children as suggested. After Sean, the youngest of Paddock's six adopted children, died last month, his older sister and brother told investigators about Paddock's spankings.
Sean's 9-year-old brother was beaten so badly he limped, a prosecutor said. Bruises marred Sean's backside, too, doctors found.
Sean died after being wrapped so tightly in blankets he suffocated. That, too, was a form of punishment, Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell said.
The Pearls' advice from their Web site: A swift whack with the plastic tubing would sting but not bruise. Give 10 licks at a time, more if the child resists. Be careful about using it in front of others -- even at church; nosy neighbors might call social workers. Save hands for nurturing, not disciplining. Heed the warning, taken from Proverbs in the Old Testament, that sparing the rod will spoil the child.
The Pearls' website No GreaterJoy.org does indeed condone the "advice" such as that above, which most sane people would consider not only outright child abuse, but an acknowledgement that is could invite investigation if used "in front of others." Of "¼ inch supply line" they state, "It's a real attention-getter."
I am no opponent of corporal punishment. I got spankings as a kid when I deserved them, I earned every one, and avoided a few I deserved. But there is no "fine line" between discipline and beatings worse than we'd allow any al Qaeda POW to suffer.
Michael and Debi Pearl seem to be advocates of outright child abuse, calling on parents to hit children with PVC pipe no less than ten times, and "more if the child resists", as the News & Observer reports.
The Pearls have a Contact page on their web site. I suggest you use it, and politely tell them you do not condone the beating of children with construction products.
Better yet, contact:
Honorable Ronald L. Davis
District Attorney General
Williamson County Courthouse, G-8
P.O. Box 937
Franklin, TN 37065-0937
Phone: (615) 794-7275
Fax: (615) 794-7299
Mr. Davis is up for re-election in the Williamson County Republican Primary Election for the 21st District on May 2, 2006. While Mr. Pearl is running unopposed in the primary, I'm sure that his electorate would like to know why the Pearls have been allowed to sell more than 400,00 copies of a book advocating what sounds like child abuse under his very nose.
Also contact the newsroom at the Nashville Tennessean , at newstips@tennessean.com and ask them why this has been allowed to go on in Williamson County.
"Suffer the little children," no more.
There are an endless number of groups that say they are Christian that do not follow the precepts of Christianity. Violence of any kind is not one of those precepts. But whatever, the excuse that I got my murderous ideas from web sites, movies, books, etc. is a total copout that does not sell here or in Peoria.
Posted by: docdaved at March 17, 2006 05:36 PMI looked at that website some time ago and wasn't impressed however I don't think you should make a "child abuse" call based on the type of switch, but rather the method of application. Children have been beaten to death and horribly injured with "normal" instruments of correction that warmed my bottom growing up, like belts, razor straps, switches cut from bushes, bare hands, etc. As for the 'don't use in front of others' comment, I was "advised" of that the first time I swatted my godaughter on the behind in public for showing out with my bare hand twentyish years ago and have been "advised" about with my 14 month old son (who incidently isn't old enough for spankings yet). Too much Doctor Spock BS. More telling would be the comment you listed that the switch in question should "sting but not bruise" which represents excellent advice for any corporal punishment of children.
Posted by: kamatu at March 19, 2006 12:59 AM"Spare the rod, spoil the child" may be the most misunderstood, misused and misapplied passage in the entire Bible. It is a reference to the pastoral nature of the faith, which Jesus would later adopt as part of his ministry, and related to the idea of "the lord is my shepherd." The rod in question is the shepherd's staff (with the crooked end) with which the shepherd guides the sheep and keeps the flock together. The shepherd doesn't use it to hit the sheep, nor does this proverb advocate or justify beating children - it's about guidance. Whenever I hear someone use this passage to excuse corporal punishment, I know I am in the presence of a religious illiterate of the most primitive sort.
Posted by: Mark Tomeo at March 20, 2006 11:19 AMMy own feelings about the Pearls are mixed, as I’ve written on other boards. No, I don’t agree with all their disciplinary methods (ex. setting a child up to fail by tempting him or her with an object). However, it is clear that the method by which this young boy died (suffocating while being wrapped in a blanket) was NOT advocated by the Pearls anywhere. Blaming the Pearls for his death is like blaming Jesus for the Crusades because the people who carried them out called themselves Christians. Likewise, while I’m no fan of Karl Marx, I don’t think he can be personally blamed for the atrocities committed by Communist regimes.
You may be different from them, but many anti-Pearlites are against ANY form of corporal punishment. And they're using this tragedy to push their own agenda.
Posted by: Emily Liz at March 20, 2006 04:50 PMStop the madness and join the boycott. Click on my blog.
Posted by: Doc at March 21, 2006 01:05 AMI live in Williamson County and am part of a boycott against the Pearls' baby beating books and website.
It's saddening that we live in a world where if you hit another adult with a piece of plumbing supply line it is considered assault; but to hit a child with it is considered "training."
I will be writing a letters today.
Posted by: BridgetJ at March 21, 2006 10:05 AM>>>"Spare the rod, spoil the child" may be the most misunderstood, misused and misapplied passage in the entire Bible....The rod in question is the shepherd's staff (with the crooked end) with which the shepherd guides the sheep and keeps the flock together. The shepherd doesn't use it to hit the sheep, nor does this proverb advocate or justify beating children - it's about guidance. Whenever I hear someone use this passage to excuse corporal punishment, I know I am in the presence of a religious illiterate of the most primitive sort.
I don't believe in child abuse and do not feel the Bible advocates it either (look at the WHOLE picture people), BUT---if you are going to state what the Bible says about something, the least you can be is completely accurate. You might want to open your Bible again Mark. You are clearly the one who is Bible illiterate. The rod is clearly not for guidance only. And yes, shepherds do/did hit their sheep with the rod. They can be some very stubborn, strong willed animals who need a whack on the backside to keep them from stumbling into life or death situations. I am a farmer and have done my homework on animal husbandry methods throughout the centuries. You might want to dig a little deeper and do your own research instead of reading what someone else claims is true.
Prov:10:13: In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the **back of him** that is void of understanding.
Psalm23:13-14 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.
Again, I don't advocate child abuse, but let's get our facts about what the Bible does say straight.
Posted by: momof8 at June 18, 2006 12:14 AM
