Pope backs smacking of children 'if dignity maintained'

Pope Francis has backed parents who smack their children, providing the child's "dignity" is maintained.

He made the remarks during his weekly general audience at the Vatican, which was devoted to the role of fathers in the family.

The Pope outlined the traits of a good father, as someone who forgives but is able to "correct with firmness" while not discouraging the child.

Some child welfare campaigners have questioned his comments.

The Pope said: "One time, I heard a father in a meeting with married couples say 'I sometimes have to smack my children a bit, but never in the face so as to not humiliate them.'

"How beautiful," he added. "He knows the sense of dignity. He has to punish them but does it justly and moves on."

BBC News - Pope backs smacking of children 'if dignity maintained'

That's the 1st time I have agreed with anything from a religious leader. :)

Fuck the Pope.....

I've a strong suspicion 'smacking' is an euphemism for something else at the Vatican.

I back smacking Popes.

"How beautiful," he added. "He knows the sense of dignity. He has to punish them but does it justly and moves on." says the pope.

Beautiful?

Physically assaulting a child is beautiful?

The pope needs his head read! Sounds more like a thug than a theologian.

The Pope, as representative of a body guilty of sheltering the rapists and abusers of children, would do well to keep his cake-hole shut on the subject of children.

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Originally Posted by beazalbob69

That's the 1st time I have agreed with anything from a religious leader.

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Me three.

What? That it's OK to beat up on kids?

What does the Pope know about bringing up Children?

Zero, the stupid patrist.

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Originally Posted by Fluke

What does the Pope know about bringing up Children?

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being that he is a catholic, he probably knows a lot about rearing them.

^Not quite the same thing, is it?...

Don't smack - breed a brat.

That old Victorian saying "spare the rod and spoil the child" seems a bit draconian these days, but it's notable that when this was the standard method of dealing with ones offspring, the British ruled two thirds of the human race, and were the most powerful nation on earth.

These days, the idea of smacking a rowdy 4 year old on the back of the hand or buttocks....to at least get their attention when they are throwing rocks at your new Jaguar.....is considered an assault, or abusive....:rolleyes.

It's now worth noting that the British not only don't rule two thirds of the human race any more; they can barely rule themselves......

If one is inclined to measure the success of these things by results, the Victorians would seem to be the clear winners....:)

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Originally Posted by koman

That old Victorian saying "spare the rod and spoil the child" seems a bit draconian these days, but it's notable that when this was the standard method of dealing with ones offspring, the British ruled two thirds of the human race, and were the most powerful nation on earth.

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Splendid point! But what if it was the regular outbreaks of diphtheria and typhoid that caused British rule and not thrashing the kids? Better bring back those, workhouses and child labour just to be sure. :rolleyes:

I seem to remember that catholic schools in the west have nuns smacking students on the knuckles with a wooden ruler or cane. Though I may disagree with this approach, I do agree with minor smacks, not to the head, when a child refuses to head numerous requests to stop doing something. Unfortunately, in the US, this now runs the risk of having a visit from Child Protective Services.

I remember as a child I would get smacked on a regular bases by my Dad for misbehaving. It did get my attention and I ulimately learned how to avoid these smacks. My grandmother would even make me pick a limb off one of her fruit trees and the she would switch me with it if I misbehaved.

Whether this is right or wrong should be left to the parents and not the government or religious figure.

The only reason why adults hit children ..............is because they cannot hit back .
If you hit children when they do something wrong, you are teaching them use violence towards things they dont like

^ Spot on.

Green sent.

Many different schools of thought on disciplining children. Usually one adopts the method their parents used unless they are completely against it. No real right or wrong way and it is a topic that has been debated for decades.

True enough, especially by Semitic religions, who use the OT Biblical edict of "spare the rod and spoil the child" as permission to whack a kid with a stick or something along those lines in order to inculcate some sense of social responsibility into the wretch.

The rod referred to meant measure or ruler or guideline, not a whip or cane or stick.

Rod and staff referred to also in the OT are early surveyor's instruments, a regularly measured and marked sighting rod and accompanying marker staff.

The interpretation of that aforementioned Biblical statement is more along the lines of the need to apply and teach self disciplined regulation, with guidelines or else spoil the child by lack of discipline.

Not beat it into submission and show him that physical power and brute force rules, and that in some unclear way, it's OK to beat up on someone,...often quite arbitrarily.

We all know that scripture interpretations vary. Just look at how the Koran in used by the muslims.

So, a papal smacking could be quite the hit...

Some would pay a lot for that...

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Originally Posted by Fluke

The only reason why adults hit children ..............is because they cannot hit back .

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Says who, you?

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Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Many different schools of thought on disciplining children. Usually one adopts the method their parents used unless they are completely against it. No real right or wrong way and it is a topic that has been debated for decades.

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I was raised in the belief that smacking for naughty children to be the norm. At school it was the cane.
With my 3 children I smacked but it didn't seem to have any effect. They still carried on committing the same offences they'd been smacked for. It was doing me and the missus head in. Then I read an article that about punishing a child by putting them in their room for a set period of time. Shit or bust, we tried it and it works, believe me.
My eldest daughter absolutely hates to be sent to her room and actually asks if we could smack her instead. We've had the 'no smack rule' for about 6 months now and my kids behaviour has been improved beyond belief. Each to their own but it's 'no smacking' for our household now. Fcuk the Pope.

Agreed.

I never needed to smack my kids as they grew up, it was all to do with ego-conflict and my ability or not to communicate clearly with my kids.

Once I deliberately set the course on patient explanation and no punishments but dialogue instead, my kids responded in kind, rapidly.

Emotional blackmail doesn't work either, as it arises from a dysfunctional household.