Signs before Churches saying Spare the Rod...and forcing G-d in a fearful way...

Somone on FB posted a sign in Arkansas that read..."Use the rod on your children and save their life...Ye must be born once of flesh and once of spirit". A few of us chimed in that we have heard more about 'the rod' in the context of discipline and wisdom, not hitting and hurting. That was worked into a teaching manual for parents to spank and otherwise hit their kids to beat the devil out of them, so someone took a sharp turn and hopefully kids were not damaged for life or were not seriously injured or killed...but that was even 'covered in some interpretations of Biblical times...' so we really do need a review of the historical and religious interpretations of one text and another that people were living under and still refer to in various ways and which do inform our modern day laws (The Ten Commandments and so forth...) So here's what I shared We need to help that church define the 'rod' as discipline in terms of teaching them to be safe and protected from abuse and so on...not beat the devil out of them which was part of a book shared for 100 years... they have to come up to the modern laws and findings that we can teach our children well without threatening them with hell...

I just saw a show like The Crucible (movie version...) about the Salem "Witch" Trials...Twenty people, mainly women accused by young girls acting out strangely for their own reasons maybe some of fear and envy, were hanged under the direction of a 'godly' judge figure appointed by the new Governor of England. Finally his wife was accused of being a witch (in this show and I'll have to see  if that's historically accurate) but the point was made that no one was more of a witch than another.

The justifications used to believe the girls over those they accused was their own deranged behavior (that did go on for hours and so forth at times) and 'feelings and visions others had of them in their dreams or without any physical evidence of harm being done to them, or signs of cats, birds and so forth, called 'spectral' evidence. Many refused to confess and some were required to strip naked in court and be inspected by midwives for signs of  devil or 'witches' markings or on body parts.'

That could have been a simple mole or a flea bite on a child. The newly installed Governor freed twenty more accused and the craziness abated for the most part. The requirement to watch those hanged after shaming them was also part of the Puritan Colony terms.

A minister's house and salary were all paid by imposed fees and if people tried to rebel they could be jailed or worse. Miscarriages were one reason one woman felt she may be cursed but learned it may not have been her fault due to impurity or anything she could control from an outcast woman who she later would deny help in that woman's hour of need. While that was in the show, it is a reality that plays out for far too many today, even in the realm of males making rules over whether women have to carry a pregnancy legally even if medically it is unsafe of if she has her own reasons for not wanting to do so, hopefully as early as possible clarifying matters and having the support needed not feel it is her only option.

Children were turning against people they had known to be good and kind, even their own parents and family. In the case of the woman having stillborns, her own husband would not assure her he did not hold her accountable but rather was refusing to comfort her and be close to her. Maybe he had other reasons for not wanting to be physically close to his wife but was using that tragedy to insist on distance and lack of support.

He was one in favor of the witch trials even when it included his own sister-in-law and his younger brother who he was envious of due to inheriting a great deal from their mother while he did not. Again the trials of having family or feuds continue over material goods, houses, property, funds and more are a modern day challenge that does not seem far from what occurred in the past. I have heard professionals and regular people speak of someone burning someone's home down (even with the person they were abusing or who divorced them down...)

See the book Fighting Fire by Caroline Paul (who hailed from CT along with her actor twin Alexandra from neighboring Cornwall CT.) See duluthmodel.org and read more about what is at stake when investing with someone in a relationship, a property and more. If a person is not grounded in a caring, sensible view of 'doing business as friends and human beings' but making life a series of power plays for owning people, property and others with a sense of hostility ('my way or the highway' thinking, 'winner take all' mentality) that can put people on a rollercoaster they didn't know they signed up to get on.

Especially when making longterm commitments involving money, ongoing work or care situations, needs for plans and ways for people to work together, it really takes a team for each person and for those two people or parties to agree to work with others to mediate and consult regularly with others to 'stay the course' not just wait until things are dire.

It can take years to build up a good support system and years to find one's stride and be ready to branch out, again hopefully with more trustworthy, healthy, capable people... so there is a need for 'guidance as though being part of a healthy herd of sheep...and the analogy of a shepherd guiding their herd with a rod is what the rod of discipline was  in regard to.'

It's not fair or easy for kids to grow up with a lot of change and having a challenge to attach to their main caregiver, no longer deemed as a necessity either their biological mom or dad or other family member but pretty much anyone with a few days or more of contact...and really there are many people creating ways to help and support what used to be a nuclear family or two kids and two parents... or thereabouts. It's the modern world and we are finding out how kids are learning about the world and making sense of things, maybe in some ways more easily and others with some more challenges, with a more open, flexible set of care options. 

The precursor for societal, faith, legal and family and caregiving issues today in highly pressured times seems to have a large root system. All the more reason to help groups of people be aware of what might become a problem and not allow shame and blame to be the main game people play. Falsely accusing people is not fair to those accused and creates more trouble for many wanting to side with one person or the other, but often the accusers more than the victims in part to not have to identify with that role or feel vulnerable.

 The Salem Witch Trials and similar cases over the years have brought a lot of the conflict of 'faith in G-d' vs human compassion and concern to light...people feeling fearful or taking advantage of holding power over others really lets the dragons out of the cage...well, all manner of monkey business and misery but the stories and systems get passed down and take forever to change.

Steven Greer says we need more of a civil rights movement around the world to reclaim the calm and common good for humanity not feeding off fossil fuels when there are alternatives that secret parts of the govn't have known about for many decades... Okay that's enough for right now to get the ball rolling as we think about this time of our shared history and make the most of the the opportunity to vote for women and children and more men to be safe and respected  from all parts of society for their inherent worth and value. Vote on November 8th, 2022 in the USA as though your life and those of others depends on it...because that is absolutely the case for the majority of people in the USA and all who count on us!