This makes me so sad. Really sad. Smacking should last 10 to 15 minutes? What the...? If it lasts that long, it's a beating.

Gak. "Smacking is meant to drive the foolishness. . .out of a child's personality." That's what kids are supposed to be, hu? foolish?

What really disturbed me was "when children challenge defiantly, you must win conclusively". Win? What the fuck is wrong with these people?

Smacking is justified because children younger than age eight "do not think straight"

Ah yes. A finely-tuned understanding of childhood cognitive development there.

It's a Christian group? So this is what Jesus meant by "turn the other cheek"?

Oh yeah, the row with that group has been going on very publicly for years at home. Idiots.

Funny you should ask, orthogonality! Family Integrity is a husband-and-wife team of concerned citizens. Though the cached page doesn't render, Google offers this interesting lil' tidbit:

Society set up to fight the liberals in their attempt to eradicate Christian values from New Zealand Society

In other words, they're the Harry and Louise of antipodean Dominionism.

I wanna be the Harry and Louise of antipodeam Dominionism! Mom, you promised!

*gets smacked for fifteen minutes, finds Jesus*

"If the child is angry after the smack, you have not smacked hard enough."

Good grief.

When we slammed doors we had to open and close it gently a gazillion times. That made much more of an impression than any physical punishment. The boredom of standing there, opening and closing the freakin' door again and again and again... And god forbid you closed it too hard. The punishment started all over again.

We were physically punished as well and, at times, preferred it over other punishments. A spanking was done and over. Being grounded or books/toys taken away or whatever was considered much worse.

Books taken away!

Aaaaaaaa! I'LL BE GOOD!