GOD’S ACTUAL WAY v. THAT OF THE ELDER BROTHER

This post will take Strict Father rule (or, mostly, misrule) as articulated by George Lakoff in his most recent post at alternet.org — and, I hope, rip it to shreds. Theologically as well as in other ways. And where will I start? Why, where else but in the Bible itself?
“Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4, NIV. And again: “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” Colossians 3:21, NIV. Based on what I know of Lakoff’s Strict Father paradigm, it is hard for me to see how anyone having the misfortune to exist in it would not become embittered. Or does seeing others punished severely mitigate that bitterness? Probably if you’re one of those holding the power you may like ‘riding and whipping [others] as you like’, to paraphrase a Chinese saying.
The bible from which I quote is a study Bible and apropos of the last quotation, there is this note:
“Children must be handled with care.” True. “They need firm (and FAIR) discipline administered in love.” Again, true. Parentheses mine. “Don’t alienate them by nagging, deriding or destroying their self-respect so that they lose heart.” VERY true! Parents (not just fathers) also need to let children know when they have done right. Punishing wrong actions but not reacting at all to right actions, aside from, perhaps, a growled “you only did what you should have” is part of such exasperation and embitterment. Sooner or later, children brought up that way will either go insane in the way that those…