The NSPCC is a well respected charity that has been working for the benefit of children for many years, but now we find that it is undermining biblical values in regard to the upbringing of children and has mounted a vigorous campaign against physical punishment.
Draft laws were put before our parliament and assemblies to make smacking a child a criminal offence. They were defeated because it was deemed that our child abuse laws are quite adequate for dealing with any real abuse that takes place. The NSPCC has produced a booklet called 'Encouraging better behaviour. A practical guide to positive parenting'. This sounds promising until you look inside and see that it comes from a thoroughly secular humanistic world view and is very emotive in its dealing with physical punishment, compared to a naively unrealistic approach to other means of behaviour management.
Five reasons are given why children misbehave: attention seeking; revenge; feeling powerless; feeling bad/sad; stage of development. Christians will note that, while these may be reasons, there is one glaring omission - sin. All parents know it well; that time when you've said 'no' and the child looks you knowingly in the eye and then does it! The five reasons may be valid, but they are not the total picture: 'There is no one righteous, not even one' (Romans 3.10).
