Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Far-Right Christians and Obedience

Here's a sample of what I was talking about with Levitian Christians and their obsession with blind and unquestioning obedience -- this is from an advice column in which a mother wonders whether or not she should beat her child for because her child obeyed her, but obeyed her without complete submission:

My suggestion to these parents is that they become more diligent to recognize passive rebellion. I can remember my own experience with our young children. When I suspected that the child was giving half-hearted obedience, I instinctively went after it as if it were overt rebellion. You must cause the child to let go of all expressions of defiance. Demand that the little one surrender her very body language and every gesture to authority. Go after the attitude. In the “light switch” situation, I would say, “Leave the light switch alone.” If there is a moment’s hesitation, any sign of delayed compliance, rise immediately and give her hand (the offending hand) two or three licks with a small switch. Don’t delay even fifteen seconds. No more discussion or rebuke. No removal to a more secluded location. No “bend over on the couch.” Before she can move away from the area of the switch, administer the rod of truth. After such an episode, to confirm that she has yielded completely, give her several other commands not related to the immediate situation. Put her through a brief “drill” to certify your authority and her submission. For example, you might tell her to move the chair to a new location, “Put the socks in the laundry, “ “Sit down—Stand up,” etc.

http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/index.php?id=25&backPID=24&tt_news=218

(It's from No Greater Joy Ministries Online.)
(Via Infinite Stitch: http://stitch.blogs.com/the_infinite_stitch/)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I need to go puke. Oh, wait... I can't, I wasn't instructed to. Well, I guess I'm in for another ass-whipping.

Diane said...

I am a non-violent person, but I don't know that I would be able to control myself if I were face-to-face with one of these monsters. I realize they are the products of very sick homes (good lord, I do this kind of thing for a living), but everyone has a line.

I will never forget when a friend of mine reported her co-worker's dismay upon discovering about her toddler: "She has a will!"

Anonymous said...

My mother told me a story about my grandmother (her mother) who was the daughter of a Baptist missionary in Texas during the late 1800's. My grandmother was beaten for not whistling while she performed a chore. As kids we were incredulous as to why an adult would do such a thing. Our grandmother was doing the chore, but not with sufficient "joy" and appreciation to Jesus. There were other such stories of trying to instill deference and discipline. Of course, my grandmother grew up, started smoking and married an Episcopalian musician (gasp!). She continued on in her Baptist faith, however. I'd rather go to hell than be a Baptist.

Anonymous said...

Are these "No Greater Joy" parents mentally defective? Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! I would not have survived childhood if my parents did not allow me to be somewhat defiant.

zelda1 said...

I can't think of a worse situation in child development than taking away a child's freedom of expression. Teaching a child is so different than controlling, and if there is one thing sociologists and psychologists have learned in their many years of research, people who are controlled eventually shut down or go off. with children, I bet on the going off. Swithching a baby's hand! My god that's child abuse no matter who you are.

Anonymous said...

"No Greater Joy"? That has to be the most ironically named group I've ever heard of.