He who spares his rod hates his son
September 11, 2013 – Faith Community Twelve Tribes
Bavaria
Von Stefan Mayr
Translated from the German (Cheryl – webmistress)
The police are again sent to the Christian Community of faith “Twelve Tribes” – this time, however, cult members had asked for protection. They use Bible quotes to justify the beatings of their children. The police are dispatched to the community of faith “Twelve Tribes” five days after 40 abused children were rounded up. The police went to the property in Klosterzimmern (district of Donau-Ries) on the night of Tuesday. This time, however, the official members of the sect had to protect themselves from unwanted visitors.
The Parliamentary Group of the Greens accused the state government and the CSU to be responsible for the suffering of the children. Some of the scenes shown on TV show that children are regularly beaten with rods. They justify this with quotations from the Bible. Other speakers call to acknowledge that these statements are lies and false.
The RTL – Magazine “Extra” showed on Monday captured hidden movies, where women beat children in in a basement room with willow canes several times on the bare buttocks. Representatives of “Twelve Tribes” do not see this as ill-treatment but rather as “punishment according to our methods of education.”
“But if you love him, you should chastise him soon”
Cult leader Elbert Eugene Spriggs gave a documented lecture in 2000 among other things. “Our children were brought up with the rod of correction. We do not argue from that,” says the gray-haired, bearded man who has his shoulder length hair tied into a pony tail. He said all of this in English. “And when we are put in jail for it, then we go to jail, because we know that we are doing right and discipline our children in love.”
He quotes several Bible passages such as:
“He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him, chastises him soon.” (Proverbs 13:24) Or: “Foolishness is bound in the heart but the rod shall drive it far.” (Proverbs 22:15)
Since the authorities have known of these conditions for years, Green Party leader Margarete Bause exerts sharp criticism of the state government. “We had already in 2006 put the issue in Parliament on the agenda,” reported Bause. “If the application for compulsory education would have been approved this would have spared much suffering to the children.”
The Greens had “defamed, ridiculed and dismissed” state government. Meanwhile, the CSU stoutly maintains that the child’s welfare is not compromised. Bause: “Here, the CSU and their responsible ministers have been found guilty on child welfare.” “The inaction of the authorities have encouraged members of the sect: “They have never had to worry about government intervention.”
On last Thursday, the authorities took 40 children into care. RTL reporter Wolfram Kuhnigk secretly took hidden pictures of the action (children being beaten). When this was broadcast on Monday evening, the police had to rush again to Klosterzimmern. Sect members had asked for protection, as more than 20 people were driven in eight cars from the sect estate. “They drove up and down and honked,” says police spokesman Louis Zausinger, apparently they wanted to document their shock and outrage.”
The police obtained the identity of the uninvited visitors and spoke to them sending them away. “As if the crime did not happen,” said Zausinger. In Nördlingen also a showcase shop that belonged to the sect was smeared with ketchup. Behind the glass the Twelve Tribes had posted a statement with which they encourage citizens to leave comments in the youth office and family court to be taken into care.
According to the district office of Donau-Ries, the 40 children currently have contact with their parents via letter. The next steps can be telephone contacts says a spokeswoman. This will be decided in each individual case. Those mothers who are breastfeeding are housed in mother-child facilities. The spokeswoman confirmed that the children have no health insurance. However they do not definitely have complete medical care.
