# Wipe that smug smile of your Fundamentalist face, you child beating FUCK!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 9, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910 "2003-12-09T13:56:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/21 "2003-12-09T18:54:53Z")
Ok, Ok I see where this may lead. Spanking because little Johnny nailed his sister in the head with a wiffle ball bat is one thing. Beating a child for not remembering a bible verse, or goofing off in bible study class is something completely different. Initially when I saw the story air live on TV I was initialy very angry that one of the 22 year old ministers was a smile on his face when the charges were being read… When the 911 call was played I became even more irate because you can clearly hear the mother creaming when she sees her son’s back. Then the pictures of his back are revealed…From the nape of his neck to his waist he has terrible beating marks, they can not even be described as black and blues…they are brown and are all over his back. What these two fundy ministers were thinking is almost beyond my comprehension. Maybe a Christian doper can come along and enlighten us as to what these two ministers may have been thinking? ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/22 "2003-12-09T18:57:19Z")
**eli** I understand that…I re-read my post and knew it was simply my initial gullibility. 🙂 I should have posted that earlier. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/23 "2003-12-09T19:03:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tdn \* > \*\*But there is definitely a high correlation. \*\* Again, I’d ask for a cite. Both you and **gobear** seem to be asserting that there is a relationship between being a fundamentalist and being a violent authoritarian. While you may be correct, I’d be a lot more comfortable if you had something to back it up beyond just the fact that they agree with corporal punishment so that they must agree with violent beatings. I agree wholeheartedly that there are many examples of child abuse by fundamentalists, from the idiot preacher in Milwaukee who killed the kid while supposedly curing him of seizures to the sub-human “Christians” here in Chicago who beat their 12 year old girl to death. However, there are many examples of child abuse period. In my experience, the issue of whether the person who beat the child was religious or not doesn’t really come up. For every case of “I beat the child because he’s screwed up his bible verses”, there are hundreds of “I killed the kid cause it wouldn’t stop crying.” ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/24 "2003-12-09T19:12:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JerH \* > \*\*Um…I agree with pitting sick assholes who think beating children is OK; but as far as I know no major Christian denomination espouses the practice. So, let’s not pit an entire religious movement for the actions of a few members, all right? \*\* He SAID fundies, not Christians. Fundies BELONG in the pit. ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/25 "2003-12-09T19:18:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlosphr \* > \*\*Maybe a Christian doper can come along and enlighten us as to what these two ministers may have been thinking? \*\* I doubt that, unless it has suddenly become normative Christian behavior to beat children for improperly learning Bible verses. I’m afraid that I didn’t get the press release on that one. I suggest if you want to know what these two idiots were thinking, you should ask them, perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/26 "2003-12-09T19:37:38Z")
Here in the United States, the most common religion people ascribe to themselves is Christianity. Therefore, I would argue that most studies done in this country will show that most child abusers were Christian. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/27 "2003-12-09T19:44:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evil Captor \* > \*\*Fundies BELONG in the pit. \*\* Um…no. Fundies who do pit-worthy things belong in the Pit. Like **JerH** said, let’s not over-generalize here, okay? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/28 "2003-12-09T19:48:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlosphr \* > \*\*Maybe a Christian doper can come along and enlighten us as to what these two ministers may have been thinking? \*\* I’m afraid all the Christian Dopers probably left, because they got tired of pointing out that not all Christians beat their kids. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/29 "2003-12-09T19:49:00Z")
**lel** I believe they are on their way to prison, so talking to them is out of the question. My question was slightly rhetorical, I understand there are Christian groups who are very loving and devoted to their beliefs. Christian groups that would never dare to raise a hand to a child. I know this. I would like to know, from those who maybe are in the know, about fundy groups that advocate, or at very least, do not see anything wrong with such behavior as described in the OP? Any Snake Handlers out there? ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/30 "2003-12-09T19:49:49Z")
> [@](#): > > I’d be a lot more comfortable if you had something to back it up beyond just the fact that they agree with corporal punishment so that they must agree with violent beatings. But rarely do abusers admit to beating children. What you and I see as a violent beating, to a fundie might be regarded as holy chastisement. > [@](#): > > For every case of “I beat the child because he’s screwed up his bible verses”, there are hundreds of “I killed the kid cause it wouldn’t stop crying.” No, it goes like, “I don’t know what happened, he just kept crying and I tried to get him to be quiet.” Abusers rarely admit their behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/31 "2003-12-09T19:55:24Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m afraid all the Christian Dopers probably left, because they got tired of pointing out that not all Christians beat their kids. **Saint Zero** - I can see that how my wording is off. I’m trying to do several things at once here in my office and am writing a little punchily…sorry. I do not want those Christians among us to think that I believe they all beat their kids with a happy happy face on at the first chance they get. I certainly do no think this. I am simply wondering how some ministers think that they are doing Gods work by beating a child into submission? ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/32 "2003-12-09T19:58:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Saint Zero \* > \*\*I’m afraid all the Christian Dopers probably left, because they got tired of pointing out that not all Christians beat their kids. \*\* Um, mind pointing out where anyone said that? I can wait Take all day. All righty then. Note that nobody even said that all fundies beat their kids. What was asserted was a high correlation with fundieism with abuse, which is NOT to say “All fundies abuse their kids.” They don’t. Note also that fundie is not synonymous with Christian (Well, fundies think it is, but we’ll ignore them for a sec). Fundies are a subset of the panoply of Christian denominations. Also note that it has been explicitly stated that this behavior is not limited to fundie Christians–fundies of other faiths also have a high correlation to the tendency to abuse kids. It’s about the need to control. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/33 "2003-12-09T20:02:18Z")
Not to minimize this incident, but y’all do realize that this is a rather old story, dating from over a year ago? ---
**Author:** ![eli\_the\_fanatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ccd318/32.png) [@eli\_the\_fanatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eli_the_fanatic)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/34 "2003-12-09T20:08:59Z")
Yeah, now I’ll get pitted by Dio for bad mouthing his kid. All in jest, man. ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/35 "2003-12-09T20:10:12Z")
Well, if you happen to find anyone here who is a member of a Christian group that happens to think that beating kids for improperly learning Bible verses is acceptable, do let me know. I don’t expect that there will be too many members of such groups around here. You’ll probably find more Snake Handlers around here, **Phlosphr**. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/36 "2003-12-09T20:10:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JerH \* > \*\*Um…I agree with pitting sick assholes who think beating children is OK; but as far as I know no major Christian denomination espouses the practice. So, let’s not pit an entire religious movement for the actions of a few members, all right? \*\* He SAID fundies, not Christians. Fundies BELONG in the pit. ---
**Author:** ![NotMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6bbea6/32.png) [@NotMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/37 "2003-12-09T20:30:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Man With The Golden Gun \* > \*\*Not to minimize this incident, but y’all do realize that this is a rather old story, dating from over a year ago? \*\* That’s because the trial is ongoing. [Defendent disputes 100 as number of whacks given, claims parents gave permission for corporal punishment.](http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/7451334.htm) [Prosecution rest with testimony from intensive care physician who treated boy, talk of “Coca Cola Colored Urine”](http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=91657) If I’ve read right, the defense is claiming the boy’s parents beat him. ---
**Author:** ![NotMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6bbea6/32.png) [@NotMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/38 "2003-12-09T20:38:40Z")
Holy Cow, please don’t interpret my post as any sort of defense for those miscreants. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/39 "2003-12-09T20:55:05Z")
This is the same sort of horror and perversion of religion as the Taliban. What these men did does NOT represent Christianity, or any other religion. It’s extremism. ---
**Author:** ![JerH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@JerH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerH)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910/40 "2003-12-09T22:03:38Z")
Sorry - I didn’t mean to imply that all Christians are fundamentalist. But the line between “fundamentalist” and “normal, God-fearing Christian churchgoer” is a fuzzy one. While I’m not fundamentalist myself (raised Catholic, currently unaffiliated), I’ve known a number of folks who were and they ran the gamut from scary 'thumpers who want to set fire to gay liberal Commies to nice, normal guys who would be less likely to hurt another person than they would be to spit on the altar. The first time I read **Phlosphr’s** post, it seemed like he was trying to imply that all fundamentalists supported child-beating, but rereading it I see that he was actually just pitting the ones who think their faith allows them to be sadists - sorry, Phlosphr, for misreading. I just wanted to make sure that we aren’t pitting all fundamentalists for something the majority of them would abhor. Especially since there are so many nasty things that most of them _do_ believe that should be pitted. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wipe-that-smug-smile-of-your-fundamentalist-face-you-child-beating-fuck/217910.md?page=3)