Follow Gina Cole of the Skagit Valley Herald who is "tweeting" from the courtroom as the jury deliberates the verdicts for the parents of the thirteen year old Ethiopian adoptee who died from hypothermia and malnutrition in May of 2011. The couple also allegedly abused and neglected their other Ethiopian adopted son, Immanuel, who testified about his experiences in open court during the month of August.
Read more in this previous post which lays out a framework of the history of the case and the ideology that played a part in the mindset of the parents. And a prayer for all of us.
Visit Why Not Train a Child? and Light of Day Stories for more information and compelling thoughts about the proceedings and for a more extensive history of these events.
In only a few days, Kevin and Elizabeth Schatz are scheduled to return to the Butte County Courtroom in California for sentencing, months after they plead guilty for their respective roles in the death of their adopted daughter Lydia and for the injuries sustained by their other children related to their use of the discipline methods taught by Michael Pearl.
The United States Court System bears witness to other deaths and injuries to other children, some of which author Philip Greven notes in his book, Spare the Child: The Religious Roots of Punishment and the Psychological Impact of Physical Abuse. To those who wish to understand how Christians can make such dangerous choices to discipline their children to such an extent and how the practice is especially tied to Protestant traditions in the United States, please read Greven's book.
A few days ago, thanks to the readers on the Stuff Fundies Like Forum, I learned of another child who had been spanked to the point of requiring hospitalization for renal failure.
Last week, it came to my attention that a young girl has been removed from her Mennonite home due to renal failure related to child abuse.
And it appears that the Pearl Method of Child Training was being implemented in that home as well. Now, this child's story will likely never make the news because she did not die.
But my question is, “Do we need to wait until children die before we raise our voices in protest against the Pearl's monstrous philosophy of what I call 'warfare' against our children?”
I corresponded with someone earlier this week who was completely unaware of the death of Lydia Schatz. I also spoke with a friend of mine who followed the Pearl Method of “child training” with her children, and when I told her of the tragedy, it became so stressful and threatening, we declared a moratorium on the topic so that we could remain friends. This is a difficult matter that I believe needs to be revisited.
