We're joined this week on the podcast by parenting expert Ted Trip and Dr. Trip.

The topic of physical punishment and raising children is in the news here in Minnesota right

now with the recent issues surrounding Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and the accusations

that he left his four-year-old son with dozens of wounds on his legs, clearly crossing

a line of what is reasonable for physical discipline.

But most people seem to see a difference between discipline and abuse, but situations like

Peterson expose a lot of folks in culture who simply want to do away with spanking altogether.

If there's a chance it can be done wrong, let's not do it at all.

So speak to this biblically, what's the purpose of reasonable physical discipline in raising

children, the rod as the Bible calls it, and maybe share with us your own story as a young

parent and how you came to embrace this practice rather reluctantly?

Well, I think spanking is a very, very unpopular topic.

I often laugh about this.

I've been teaching on this first time I've ever taught a series and talked about spanking

was in 1976.

I've talked about it more times than I can remember.

I'm losing the battle because fewer Christian people are willing to embrace it.

So it's a hard thing for us in our culture, but I know my personal story is I came of

age in the 60s, in the late 60s, I got married in 1968, I had a son in 69.

I had very much imbibed, while I was a Christian, I still very much imbibed the thoughts of

the age, you know, be a free spirit and all that kind of stuff.

So I wasn't going to do anything to curb my young son who was born in 1969.

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