quotes

quotes
Tuesday April 18, 2006

Dear Alice,
Here are two quotes which I came across in Philip J. Greven Jr.´s book, ”Spare The Child: The Religious Roots of Punishment, and the Psychological Impact of Physical Abuse”, which I found to be quite enlightening, and relevant to your work.

My father was a gentleman and he expected us to be gentlemen…..If we acted disrespectfully, if we did not respect the niceties of etiquette, he took us over his knee and he whopped us with his belt. He had a strong arm and boy did we feel it.
—Preston Sheldon Bush, Jr., elder brother of President George Herbert Walker Bush

Billy was always full of pranks; sometimes he carried it a bit too far, and off came his father’s belt. Mr.Graham never punished in anger or desperation, but when he did see the need for correction, I winced. At such times I had to remind myself of another Proverb: “Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die”( Proverbs 23:13). More than once I wiped the tears from my eyes and turned my head so that the children wouldn’t see, but I always stood behind my husband when he administered discipline. I knew he was doing what was biblically correct. And the children didn’t die
—Mrs. Morrow Graham mother of the Reverend Billy Graham

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AM: The whole book by Philip Greven that I have often quoted is highly enlightened. Thank you for sending us the quotes that may invite our visitors to read this very important book.