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broke the rules, some other kid received the punishment.

So what could spoiled' mean in book written so long ago? Perhaps what it means is child that was not taught the rules; a child is left to do whatever he/she wants to do. And as we all know, not obeying the rules gets you into trouble. It's the simple rule of cause and effect or action/reaction.

The theory of this sparing the rod and spoiling the child, in common sense, would be; there are rules out there and they apply to everyone; everyone must follow them. Those rules are made for a reason, to protect; such as the Ten Commandments.

The Bible is full of parables that anyone can bend them to fit their needs. We have knowledge now, more so than before especially about humans and human nature. Do we really need violence? Do these words of wisdom need to be thought out more, or are they to be taken at face value? When you read the Bible, or for that matter, any holy scripture, you are supposed to think about what is being said, how it is said and put it in terms that fit. It is not meant to be taken literally. Just one short example; when dragons in the sky are mentioned in scripture, do the mean dragons' as actually flying reptiles, or perhaps they used the word because they did not know what a comet was?

The rod may imply rules or laws. You can't bend the rules or disregard them. The spoiled child can then mean the person who disregards the rules or a criminal. This then would give another meaning to this proverb, meaning that if you break the law you are going to face the consequences.

Therefore; spare the rod and spoil the child' would mean teach to your children that there are rules for living; these rules need to be adhered to live a life of peace and contentment.

Learn more about this author, Paulette Redemske.
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