Why I wrote yesterday's post

Herein is the story of a woman I know fairly well. Hers is the troubled case of following Ezzo's feeding schedule for infants, with a resultant failure to thrive with her fourth son, who required hospitalization. She did not have this problem with her previous three children, nor has she had it with her fifth child. The other four were cue fed children.

I saw her a few days ago, and some time prior to that visit we talked on the phone.

She told me the church she and her family now attend has many young families who use Ezzo's material. This is why I am posting. If Ezzo's ideas had gone by the wayside, I would not have taken the time.

Much of what Ezzo currently advises is quite comparable to the advice he gave in 1997. Although lately he has been saying for the first 10 days after birth to not schedule at all, which is new advice, after that 10 day period, his advice on regulating feeding seems to be much the same as it has been for years.

Beyond the feeding schedule, I am concerned about Ezzo's teaching that corporal punishment (what he calls chastisement) is what relieves the burden of guilt from a child.

What takes away sin is nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else but the shed blood of Jesus Christ at Calvary, and His death, burial, and resurrection. To make parents think they need to spank in order to get rid of guilt flies in the face of this glorious truth, and it can be parodied this way:

"What can wash away my sin
Nothing but a proper spanking
What can make me whole again
Nothing but a proper spanking

Oh, precious is the blow
That makes me white as snow . . ."

For the believer the Bible says if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Jesus has already taken the punishment for our sins.

I do believe the following with respect to children -- all corporal punishment given in anger is abusive, and some corporal punishment is physically harmful and therefore abusive, but I am not saying by that that all corporal punishment is abusive. Nor am I saying that corporal punishment is anti-biblical.

It is this one idea that makes parents think in order to help their children spiritually, they *must* spank in order to relieve the guilt of the child that I am taking issue with here.