Spare The Rod, Spoil The Child: Creflo Dollar

Recently many of us read or heard the shocking story of televangelist Creflo Dollar being arrest over a domestic violence allegation by his 15 year old daughter.  According to the story Dollar and his daughter got into an argument over her going to a party.  It seems that Mr. Dollar did not want her going and according to his story the young girl raised her hand at him resulting in him choking, punching, throwing the girl down on the floor, and hitting her with a shoe.  Many in the African American community heard the story and said,

 "What's the big deal?"  

All those years of my mom hitting me were domestic violence?

 I wish I would have call the police on my mom when she raised a hand at me.  I'd be dead.

 Kids nowadays have the pleasure of calling the police up anytime their parents do something they don't like."

Now my parents come from the "old school" where their parents would give them what we call "beatings" in today's society.  I can recall a few stories of my Dad's childhood that included not so pleasant forms of discipline.  Once he went outside without shoes on and stepped on a glass bottle.  The glass got all in his feet and he was bleeding of course.  He said when he came inside his mom started whipping him while he was already in pain and after she finished she sat down and cleaned up his cuts.  The other story is when he did something and thought his mom had forgot about what he did.  He said he went and took a bath and upon emerging from the bathroom a belt came flying into his body.  Stories like this would classify as child abuse in today's society.  This leads to Creflo's incident.


His daughter is 15 years old and although I have never seen her I am pretty sure he is larger and stronger than she is.  If she raised her hand at him is she right for that?  Hell no.  I would never raise my hands at my parents no matter how old I am, but could he not have simply restrained her after this?  Like I said before I highly doubt his daughter was that much of a threat to him, so unless she came at him with a gun or knife I cannot understand why he would go through so much to restrain her.  He could have gripped her up and I believe that would have put the fear of God in her.  Am I opposed to children be disciplined?  No, not at all.  My parents (primarily my Mom) whipped me growing up when I did something wrong and I never took it as being abused.  This could be due to the difference of discipline that I received compared to my older brother.  To say he got things a little worse would be an understatement honestly.  There were times when I would cringe or cry when my Dad got a hold of my brother honestly.  If he had done the same things to me I would have came to school bruised up with broken bones probably.  If he had done the same things to me I probably would have called the police.  Yes, I said I would have probably called the police.  Will I whip or pop my children?  Yes, when I feel it is needed.  Will I slap my children?  I can't say "no" because my Mom has always said "Never say what you won't do," but I pray I will never get that angry.  Between my parents being hit on anything besides my butt I can account for twice.  One for each of them.

 When it comes to fathers disciplining their daughters they did to be very cautious.  Slapping or punching your daughter because she steps out of line sends the view to her that if her boyfriend or husband hits her for doing something he doesn't like she should accept it.  Some people will not agree with that statement I know already, but to each their own.  A man can't tell his daughter not to let another man hit up on her when he is doing it himself and just calling it "discipline."

I am not a fan of Creflo Dollar.  I will be the first person to admit that.  There is something about megachurch preachers that scare me because I question the sincerity of their actions.  I have read that he no longer accepts a salary from his church.  Instead his members make financial donations to him which help sustain his lifestyle that I have read is pretty lavish.  When Eddie Long settled out of court I saw a YouTube video of Mr. Dollar saying despite Mr. Long's actions (I believe he did it which is why he settled out of court) he was still going to heaven.  Yes, if you molest young children it seems that God does not care as long as you are a preacher in Mr. Dollar's eyes.  Maybe this is part of the reason as to why I don't agree with what took place that Friday morning in his house that resulted in the police being called.  There are three sides to this story story:  The 15 year old's, Mr. Dollar's, and the Truth.