To Slap Or Not To Slap?

[Slappo]

[quote name='Semper Catholic' timestamp='1283897136' post='2169339']
Priest does that to one of my kids he'll be getting some of his own medicine from me.
[/quote]


[quote name='Selah' timestamp='1283899417' post='2169352']
beaver dam right!
[/quote]

Yeah...

And then you'll go to confession to the same priest right after hitting him?

[Slappo]

It is the priest's duty to educate the faithful and uphold the teachings of the Church.

People fell dead lying to St. Peter. For desecration of the Eucharist this guy got off light.

May his penance be heavy, and may God grant him many years to practice additional penance and mortification.

[MIKolbe]

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1283899740' post='2169354']
This reminds me of what I am telling my daughter's teachers tonight when I attend Jr High open house. I'm going to tell them that if they see her looking at, talking to our walking within a 5 ft radius of any boy, to slap her, and send her to the office.
[/quote]
:writes down notes:

[Jaime]

I can't believe I'm the only waffler here


I guess I can

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='Semper Catholic' timestamp='1283897136' post='2169339']
Priest does that to one of my kids he'll be getting some of his own medicine from me.
[/quote]
One of my kids ever does that to the Eucharist, they'd be begging for a fate as easy as being slapped and dragged about.

It's great that the priest did that. It's time to quit taking this bullspit sitting down.

[MIKolbe]

[quote name='jaime (the artist formerly known as hot stuff)' timestamp='1283901681' post='2169366']
I can't believe I'm the only waffler here


I guess I can
[/quote]


you're such a hippie...

srsly.. you're like 1/2 french aren't you?

no offense to the french...

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='Semper Catholic' timestamp='1283897136' post='2169339']
Priest does that to one of my kids he'll be getting some of his own medicine from me.
[/quote]

[quote name='Brother Adam' timestamp='1283898092' post='2169344']
If my child [i]intentionally[/i] blasphemes and desecrates our Eucharistic Lord I would thank the priest for his intercession if he slapped him and dragged from the church.
[/quote]

I can't speak from experience, since I have never been a parent, but I think I would have trouble with any adult, even a priest, slapping my child. However, it would depend a lot on how old the child was, and obviously, these are particularly grave circumstances. Still, if the "offender" is a minor, absent other information, I think it is ultimately the parents' role to discipline their children. Although I would be mortified and extremely angry if my child desecrated the Eucharist, and I would expect (and want) the Priest to take action to stop the behavior, I'd still prefer it was handled short of slapping a child, and after the fact, something handled by the parents, priest, and child working together to prevent a repetition of that behavior. In a case of desecrating the Eucharist, and depending on the age of the child, I would be almost as angry at the parents for abrogating their responsibilities as I would be at the child.

As I posted before, I have a basic problem with an adult, such as a priest, who is a role model for his congregation, and for the larger community, using physical force, particularly against a minor. Even if it was the right response for that specific child, in that specific circumstance, because the priest is a role model, like it or not, he has to be especially careful because his behavior could easily be misinterpreted. For example, others, who might not know anything of the specific situation, might come away with the idea that slapping someone else's child is an appropriate response to a much less serious offense. And, for me personally, I would expect a priest to be mature enough to have learned ways to express his anger about the gravity of the offense, without resorting to slapping someone, of any age, unless, of course, the priest was in physical danger. Also, if a priest slapped a minor in public, I think it would be realistic for me to worry what the priest might do in private with my own child.

But, obviously there are legitimate exceptions, and I am speaking theoretically. Maybe it's because I have no children of my own that I am especially careful. My first response is always that, absent other information, and depending on the circumstances, since I am not the child's parent, the behavior of a minor is untimately the responsibility of the parents. For example, when I used to volunteer at the zoo as a docent/guide, if I saw a child misbehaving, unless the child was in imminent physical danger, if the parents were nearby, I would prefer to speak to the parents before speaking to the child

Edited September 7, 2010 by IgnatiusofLoyola

[HisChildForever]

[quote name='jaime (the artist formerly known as hot stuff)' timestamp='1283901681' post='2169366']
I can't believe I'm the only waffler here


I guess I can
[/quote]

How come you voted for that option? Just curious lol.

[IrishSalesian]

I think also we should take culture into account. This did after all take place in Spain, Valencia no less.

[Micah]

Slap him right in the faceee. St. Peter probably would have cut his ear off if he had the chance. 0_o (but seriously I hope this young person starts to understand the seriousness of the situation)

[Tridenteen]

JMJ
To illustrate why I feel the kid need the croutons beat out of him, please watch and see how it makes you feel

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHgCPzum3Z8[/media]

[Semper Catholic]

I guess it's just me, but physically punishing a child is something only a parent should be allowed to do. I hardly doubt this kid was acting with complete malice, and even so he's just a kid.

Say what you want but that's not the Priests place to be striking anyone, let alone a minor.

Again that's the parents job not a "relative" strangers. I know I'd probably get my hide tanned by parents if I did that, but I also know they'd be incensed if someone else laid a hand on their child regardless of the situation.

[HisChildForever]

[quote name='Semper Catholic' timestamp='1283904896' post='2169400']
I guess it's just me, but physically punishing a child is something only a parent should be allowed to do. I hardly doubt this kid was acting with complete malice, and even so he's just a kid.

Say what you want but that's not the Priests place to be striking anyone, let alone a minor.

Again that's the parents job not a "relative" strangers. I know I'd probably get my hide tanned by parents if I did that, but I also know they'd be incensed if someone else laid a hand on their child regardless of the situation.
[/quote]

You make good points. I have to mention, though, that we do not know how old the "young man" is. He could be 16, or 18, or in his early 20's.

[MIKolbe]

[quote name='Tridenteen' timestamp='1283904192' post='2169396']
JMJ
To illustrate why I feel the kid need the croutons beat out of him.....
[/quote]
I think there is a wide chasm between a slap, which could be argued as righteous anger; and advocating the croutons beat out of him.

The bridge of this chasm is not zealousness, but maturity.

Get some.

[Selah]

[quote]I guess it's just me, but physically punishing a child is something only a parent should be allowed to do. I hardly doubt this kid was acting with complete malice, and even so he's just a kid. [/quote]

My point exactly. I have no problem saying that if a priest, if a pastor, if anyone put their hands on my kids, God help them.