Family Forum / Parenting / Spanking / December 2004

    There are numerous parallels between the justifications advanced
in defense of slavery in the 19th century, and the justifications advanced
in defense of spanking.

    Both proslavers and prospankers have claimed that God is on their
side and that the Bible sanctions what they do.  Prospankers like to cite
Proverbs 13:24.  Proslavers liked to cite Leviticus 25:44-46.

    Both proslavers and prospankers have used propertarian arguments
to defend what they do.  "They are MY slaves!  I paid good money for them
and I am not going to let some &#%$ abolitionists tell me what to do with
MY property!" / "They are MY kids!  I brought them into this world and I
am not going to let some &#%$ psychobabbling liberals tell me I can't hit
them!"

    Both proslavers and prospankers have argued that Africans/children
are in some way "different" from the rest of humanity and that this
justifies treating them in ways which would be unacceptable if done to
anyone else.

    Both proslavers and prospankers argue from authority, pointing to
famous people who either owned slaves or spanked.  Rev. John Saffin
defended slavery by noting that the biblical Abraham owned slaves:  
"...our Imitation of him in this Moral Action is as warrantable as that
of [adopting] his Faith... God set different Orders and Degrees of Men in
the World... some to be High and Honorable, some to be Low and
Despicable.  Servants of sundry sorts and degrees, bound to obey; yea,
some to be born Slave, and so to remain during their lives."

    Both proslavers and prospankers have argued that slavery/spanking
is for the victims' own good.  Proslavers invoked the concept of
"Ennoblement of the Heathen," arguing that the life of a slave in American
was better that than freedom their native Africa, since as a slave, the
African would be exposed to "Christian influences."


Chris

REFERENCE

Tise, L.E.  1988.  _Proslavery: A History of the Defense of Slavery in
America_. Univ. of Georgia Press: Athens GA.