The Bad Kind of Christian Spanking

Unlike the spanking that was discussed the other day, this type is intended to punish your children.

That’s Joey Salvati with his son (who looks absolutely thrilled to be there). Joey has a website called Spare-Rods.com. He basically gives away paddles (you pay for shipping) so you can spank your children.

These paddles are simply my way of doing something to help families where nothing else has worked. Not just counseling and not just saying it is alright to spank your kids. These paddles are a tool that when used with love and with limits can bring parents and children to an effective understanding of how they (both parents and children) are expected to behave.

He decided to do this after showering with God four times.

Wait, it gets better. There is an appointment slip for the child to fill out!

Why the child would need to write down his own name, I don’t know.

Salvati also provides suggested punishment guidelines. Somehow, pushing your little sister in front of a car warrants only two more swats than when you lie about it.

But wait! There’s more.

You have to calibrate the paddle, says Salvati.

Before applying paddle to a child you should determine the force of your swing.

There is only one way to measure effectively – swat yourself on the rump and adjust your swing appropriately.

Salvati also says parents should wait one minute between swats. Which I imagine would make for some very awkward 58-second spans.

Best of all, after spanking your child, Give your child a hug and tell them that you love them!.

Now, at first, you might think he’s some random kook. But a TV station in Pittsburgh did a story on him yesterday. The video is also on that page.

The best line from the video came from Salvati explaining what the child would learn from the father:

“He’s not gonna beat you. He’s gonna smack you.”

The reporter from that story expressed his disapproval on his blog, properly placing the blame not on Salvati but on anyone who actually buys and uses the paddle.

(Thanks to Lee for the link!)

[tags]atheist, atheism, Joey Salvati, Spare-Rods.com, God, Pittsburgh[/tags]

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Jen

I say let’s bankrupt the guy by all paying for shipping on paddles. Then we can use them as the sticks on which to put posters for protests for the seperation of church and state.
Mriana

I was reading that and thinking, “That is just sick!” Of course, I never paddled my sons. I truly do not believe in violence and some how that seems a little violent. It makes me a bit queezy. 🙁
sceptical

Are you sure this site is not a hoax? It’s merely promoting child abuse, and a particularly sadistic kind of it.

“Have the child tell you the reason they are being punished”, “Parent should wait one minute between each swat” – it sounds like something out of an S&M porn movie!
Come on, it’s a hoax!
Jacob Wintersmith

It is absolutely barbaric that our laws do not protect children from what would, in any other circumstances, be considered assault. Once upon a time, the police thought it was perfectly acceptable for men to beat their wives.

The spanking your kids “out of love” excuse is truly disgusting. Similar rationalizations are heard in the sorts of domestic violence which ARE illegal. Bizarrely, a lot of people seem to buy this rationalization, even though they would immediately call the police if their neighbor told them he beat his wife “out of love”.
FriendlyAtheist

Come on, it’s a hoax!

I had the same thought, but the news report made it seem otherwise. The guy is serious about this, which is the scary thing.
Ash

this guy was featured on an english t.v. programme…not only does he seem to be for real, but he ain’t the only one….

I say let’s bankrupt the guy by all paying for shipping on paddles.

sadly this wouldn’t work, as i recall from said programme, he gets enough cash + wood donations to just keep on truckin’…you’d just encourage the idiot into thinking he provides a valued service…
Steelman

The man came up with the idea for a golden opportunity involving a big stick…while in the shower, you say?
Fundamentalism is indeed indistinguishable from satire.
Karen

This idea (the guidelines, the appointment and the “loving hug” after the beat-down) is a direct ripoff of Dr. James Dobson’s “Dare to Discipline” book, a 1970s bestseller that launched his career as a Christian family “expert.” He even used to sell a swatting device – though it wasn’t a big frakking wooden paddle! – that parents could buy from his organization to spank their kids.

Dobson eventually got legal advice that he could get in a helluva lotta trouble if some parent used his device to beat the crap of their kids, and he discontinued selling it. I’m surprised this guy hasn’t gotten that same advice, actually. He’s probably too unsophisticated to have gotten legal counsel on his “business” yet.
Maria

Are you sure this site is not a hoax? It’s merely promoting child abuse, and a particularly sadistic kind of it.

“Have the child tell you the reason they are being punished”, “Parent should wait one minute between each swat” – it sounds like something out of an S&M porn movie!
Come on, it’s a hoax

I thought this too. Can this really be real???
Mriana

This idea (the guidelines, the appointment and the “loving hug” after the beat-down) is a direct ripoff of Dr. James Dobson’s “Dare to Discipline” book, a 1970s bestseller that launched his career as a Christian family “expert.”

Oh geeze! I’m so glad my mother raised my via Dr. Spock. I always knew Dobson was a horror.
Logos

Dr.James Dobson even beats his dog with a belt see here
http://nospank.net/dugan.htm
Darryl

It is absolutely barbaric that our laws do not protect children from what would, in any other circumstances, be considered assault. Once upon a time, the police thought it was perfectly acceptable for men to beat their wives.

Put this kind of thing in context: these people get their ideas for this kind of punishment from the same book that instructs them to stone to death an adolescent son that Mom and Dad can no longer control. When you are taking your parenting cues from a Book of Barbarisms, this is what you get. I suppose that we ought to be thankful that our Christo-wackos aren’t stoning their kids.
Julie Marie

I remember reading a book on childrearing back when I was pregnant with our son. Tripp was the author, I think…anyways, his recommendation was to spank your kids until they were happy about it. (if a child was sullen after a spanking, they’d get another one until they were “sweeter.” ) what kid was ever NOT sullen about a spanking? I couldn’t believe I was reading it, or believe the kindly, mild mannered Christian woman who recommended the book had ever read it. It was totally creepy and got love and discipline and punishment all mixed up into some unhealthy toxic brew.
Logos

and yet he is very popular
Public School Spanking 1O1!

If I can ask the following questions to Mr. Salvati, it would be the following:
1. Why did you start your operation to make this product?
2. Before making your product, did you consult an expert on child development to see if the form of discipline you endorse has merit?
3. Please find scientific articles or psychological journal enteries to show that the discipline you endorse is supported by science?
4. Does spanking I.E. legalized assault and battery have theological merit?
5. You said not to hit in anger, can you please clarify? How would you feel if your child used this as an alibi?
“But Dad, I didn’t hit Mom out of anger. I waited 15 minutes until I did it. You do it and you say and act like it’s okay.”
Does anyone get what I’m saying. corporal punishment has no scientific merit. I wonder why Mr. Salvati doesn’t get it?
Emilia Liz

Believe it or not, not everybody who opposes anti-spanking legislation is a religious fanatic. For example, journalist Cathy Young, a self-described Jewish agnostic, wrote an article called “Spanking Down” in which she expresses her scepticism towards the anti-spanking movement. (In another unrelated article, she also debunks the notion – sometimes cited by anti-spanking activists – that wife beating was only condemned recently; in reality the United States penalized domestic violence even in colonial times.) Similarly, Diane Baumrind, a researcher who stated that spanking in the context of a loving relationship doesn’t harm children, is an atheist. As is a good friend of mine who once supported anti-spanking laws but has now changed his mind – sometimes having kids will do that to you!

From a religious viewpoint, one of the best viewpoints on spanking was expressed by John Rosemond, a practising Christian. He says the Bible neither prohibits nor mandates spanking.
Rako

“These paddles are simply my way of doing something to help families where nothing else has worked. Not just counseling and not just saying it is alright to spank your kids.”

Joey is taking it a step further than a counselor saying “hitting is alright.” Joey is ordering you with his self-invented system to beat your child. That is why he stamps his boards “Love Joey.”

It is no more you who are raising the poor little kid, but the psychotic, demonic voices in Joey’s head that are raising the thousands of families he claims he sold his board to.

It is not even “God”- he goes further than the demonic voices and invented his own beating system.

Jacob Wintersmith, YOU ARE RIGHT!
It is absolutely barbaric that our laws do not protect children from what would, in any other circumstances, be considered assault.
Glenn1260

There is nothing wrong wth a good spankng. Its efffective when used in a loving way.
Anna

Ugh, I feel like taking a shower after reading that. Violence against children is not okay.
Glenn1260

just the thought of seeing the paddle keeps my kids n line thankyou Joe Salvetti