Lutheran Peace Fellowship is committed to opposing violence, not just on a global level of drones, wars, and nuclear weapons, but with families in the home. Jesus instructed Christians to welcome children with love. However, we live in world where many families use physical methods to discipline children, often leading to social and psychological issues in the child’s development. The Rev. Dr. Craig Nessan from Wartburg Theological Seminary has written a resolution about the corporal punishment of children that has been submitted to the assemblies of several ELCA synods to memorialize ELCA to develop and adopt a social statement on the corporal punishment of children. Drawing upon a recent statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics, this resolution encourages ELCA members to “adopt discipline methods that do not include the corporal punishment of their children.” Congregations are encouraged to “offer opportunities for dialogue and education on effective discipline of children including Bible studies on the Christian obligation to discipline children in a manner that does not hurt them.” LPF recognizes the power of nonviolence in all forms, especially regarding children, and endorses this resolution.
