[Bifta]

Originally Posted by Pierre

"spare the rod, spoil the child"

†œSpare the rod and spoil the childââ‚ƚ¬Ã‚ÂÂÂ�, though much quoted, is in fact a misinterpretation of Biblical teaching. While the †œrodâà ƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ã‚ÂÂÂ� is mentioned many times in the Bible, it is only in the Book of Proverbs that this word is used in connection with parenting. The book of Proverbs is attributed to Solomon, an extremely cruel man whose harsh methods of discipline led his own son, Rehoboam, to become a tyrannical and oppressive dictator who only narrowly escaped being stoned to death for his cruelty. In the Bible there is no support for harsh discipline outside of Solomonââ‚à ‚¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s Proverbs. By contrast, the writings in the Gospels, the most important books in the Bible for Christians, contain the teachings of Jesus Christ, who urged mercy, forgiveness, humility, and non-violence. Jesus saw children as being close to God, and urged love, never punishment.