Devon Dick | Reinterpret ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’

On Monday, Diahann Gordon Harrison, the children’s advocate, in her remarks at the UNICEF-sponsored lecture, ‘Corporal Punishment or Positive Discipline: What to Do?’, stated that a group of eminent Caribbean biblical scholars had issued a statement affirming positive discipline.

It is abundantly clear that the rod (Proverbs 13: 24: ‘‘ He that spareth his rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes’) should be interpreted in light of Psalm 23 and Jesus’ blessing of babies.

The Jamaican proverb ‘ Sorry fi mawga dawg, mawga dawg tun roun’ bite yuh’ does not mean we should never care for a stray, hungry-looking dog. Its proper understanding is that the same person that is helped in a time of distress becomes ungrateful and spiteful towards the benefactor. Proverbs are succinct, wise statements by ordinary folks on how to live life. Just as how Jamaican proverbs have to be interpreted, so, too, Biblical proverbs.

The dominant interpretation of Proverbs 13: 24 is that the rod is a club to inflict physical pain. Just as how you beat gold to make it good, so, too, should boys be beaten. Supporters of corporal punishment who use this text as a justification for corporal punishment, run the risk of beating boys only because the King James Version states ‘son’. Adding ‘daughter’ is an interpretation. In fact, every translation of the Bible is an interpretation.

A shepherd’s rod was an instrument for comfort, ‘ thy rod and thy staff they comfort me’ (Psalms 23). The Hebrew word translated as ‘rod’ can be translated also as ‘staff’. Both are for good and never to inflict discomfort. The rod ought to defend the sheep; not abuse the sheep.

The Bible condemns violence and those persons who perpetuate violence (Gen 49: 5-7; Amos 3: 10). Children who are made in the image of God should be protected from violence. Unless the child is behaving in a violent manner; that is, in an unprovoked, premeditative, aggressive, excessive manner, and is causing harm to others, then force can be applied to restrain the child. In addition, self-defence is allowed. However, no parent has the right to be violent towards a child as a means of instruction.

INSTRUMENT OF INSTRUCTION

The word ‘discipline’ has the idea of disciple in it. So the rod ought to be an instrument of instruction and correction. The rod ought to be a symbol of authority to be used to enable parents to be a coach and communicate wholesome values. The parent ought to mentor the child and reason with the child so that the child will know right from wrong; help the child not to get into trouble, and to facilitate spiritual formation so that the child will become a mature Christian and a useful citizen.

A reinterpretation of the rod is not new to Jamaica. In 1972, former Prime Minister Michael Manley used the rod of correction with the slogan ‘ the word is love’ in the political campaign, thereby connecting rod and love. We need to reinterpret the proverbial rod as an instrument of love. Jesus got very angry with disciples when they turned away children who sought a blessing. Can we imagine how angry Jesus would be to see parents inflict pain physically on little ones?

Professor Joan Durrant, child clinical psychologist from Canada, in the excellent UNICEF lecture, quoting from multiple relevant studies, showed convincingly that corporal punishment does irreparable damage while positive discipline reaps great rewards. Additionally, Jeremy Paxman, in The English: A Portrait of a People (1998), describes the awful consequences of corporal punishment on British men.

Let the rod be an instrument of positive discipline.

Devon Dick, PhD, is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church and author of the recently published ‘Enduring Advocacy for a Better Jamaica’, in addition to ‘The Cross and the Machete and Rebellion to Riot: The Jamaican Church in Nation Building’. Send feedback to comments@gleanerjm.com.