@Ibejaran... No doubt if a person watches a Christian and how they live out their Christian life, the one watching can be turned away from Christianity, God, etc by that one person who is doing their part in stinking up Christianity. So what do you do? You go to the source and see exactly what it says. As far as spanking kids, this website gives several verses from the bible about that. Don't even bother reading what the person wrote on this page. If you want to know what the bible says just read the verses in the boxes. I hope this helps.
http://bibleresources.org/spanking-children/
I'll be totally honest with you. I'm not a "Christian". I believe in God and I know that somewhere up there, he's watching out for us. He's all-knowing and he has plans for us. However, I don't think any man-written book can tell me how to believe. Actually, let me rephrase that.
I don't believe any man-written book can fully encompass how the world works and how it will work. Just like you wouldn't get medical advice from an outdated medical journal, you probably shouldn't raise your kids the way they did back then. Just like how if we dealt with adulterers the same way as we did back then, everyone in your old workplace would be dead.
That's not to say those old ideals can't be put to use. Some things never change and one of those things is learning from our parents/guardians. It's in our nature to learn from those older and more experienced than us. Being taught discipline from an older, trusted adult is the norm. We see it in nature, we see it in other countries, we see it in our own homes.
People are different now. I'd like to think that many people have a more evolved idea of how the world works. We process information differently now. Back then, people would be rioting for you to stone a man to death for sedition. Nowadays, we hail people who do that because they are speaking out for something.
I'm not saying that the Bible is wrong or that it is right. This is just my two cents on the matter.
Besides, why spank your kid when you can instead embarrass them? If my child ever did something that demanded discipline, I'd make them red in the face until they learned never to cross Mama again. It's a much more satisfying punishment, too, because they'll always remember it.....
Especially when you're the one retelling tales of it when they are in their fifties.
