Learninggentleness

I love my church, except for their stance on spanking. There is going to be a parenting seminar next month called "Raising the Bar on Raising Your Kids". Ted Tripp (author of Shepherding a Child's Heart) is the speaker.

Session 4 is going to be on "Corrective Discipline - Spanking; Sowing and Reaping." Here is a quote from the brochure about that session: "The Proverbs make a clear case for spanking, especially in dealing with small children. This teaching will provide clear guidelines for physical discipline that is gracious and kind. The second part of this session will explore the sowing and reaping principle."

My church has such wonderful, rich biblical teaching, which is why it's so hard for me to see things like this going on. I do have to say, it's hard for me not to second guess myself re: my newfound beliefs about not spanking and implementing principles of GBD, when my pastor, who I adore and look up to immensely, says that Ted Tripp's book is a classic book on raising children. I get frustrated because I disagree so strongly, but then wonder in the back on my mind if he might be right ("am I missing something" kind of thoughts float through my brain). I think I need to develop a better, clearer understanding of why exactly I believe what I do about GBD. I need to be even firmer in my beliefs.