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October 25th, 2011
07:40 PM ET

Tonight on AC360: Ungodly Discipline

Tonight on AC360°, Gary Tuchman investigates the death of a young girl who was found naked in her backyard. Authorities say she suffered beatings, starvation and confinement for days at the hands of her adoptive parents. They are charged in connection with her death, and and investigators are looking into whether their brutal treatment of Hana was inspired by a book that encourages parents to punish their children “Biblically.” Tune in at 8 p.m. ET for the complete “Ungodly Discipline” story.


Filed under: 360° Radar • Gary Tuchman
soundoff (14 Responses)
  1. Donald Foncellino

    Let's not get cought up in the "rod" or you're attacking me becuase I'm Christian. Let's stay on the fact that these people beat, tortured, and killed these children! Their defence attornies will do anything to keep the focus on that! It's the Pearl's books fault, it's the Bibles fault, it's their misconception of their religions fault. No, look how cold hearted the acts against these children were, and you'll see two evil people. that when Hana died Carrie blamed her for her own death. Denail is stronger then truth! the Pearl's are laughing all the way to the bank! They don't care. Sociopathic people only care about themselves, no-one else! It's of no concern to the William's, the other couple, or the Pearl's what they did to these children. they see no wrong, only blame, and denial. I will never rest until I see the williams in jail, or allow the focus of their case be anything else then what they did to Hana.

    October 26, 2011 at 1:32 pm |
  2. jack parry

    Mr. Cooper
    I just watched your "Ungodly Discipline" piece, and I have to tell you I thought it was foolish and unprofessional.. To be sure, the girl’s death was horrific and the parents are monsters for beating their child so severely and repeatedly. However, to assert that the book, "Train up a child" is responsible for the crime is ridiculous. Would you have scrutinized Paul McCartney when Charles Manson murdered the Tates? I have read the book, as well as "Growing kids God's Way" and have implemented it principles. My kids are extremely well behaved, extremely socially functional, and very loving. The book is a great resource. Dysfunctional people have abused its principles, and now you are abusing your power to vitiate moral biblical teachings.
    Dr. jack Parry

    October 25, 2011 at 9:23 pm |
  3. Deborah Holt

    correction: The shepherds did not beat the sheep with the staff!

    October 25, 2011 at 9:20 pm |
  4. Deborah Holt

    As a social worker, I have long worked to teach parents – and now social work students – about the negative impact and ineffectiveness of physical punishment on children. I have quizzed several Bible scholars about the oft cited passage – Spare the rod, spoil the child. They have all agreed that the "rod" referenced was a shepherd's staff which was used to steer sheep away from danger and 'the wrong path.' The shepherd's did not beat the sheep with the staff!!

    October 25, 2011 at 9:17 pm |
    • Sandra Stewart

      Your explanation of the rod is the best explanation and makes the most sense out of all I have heard, and I have been a Christian all my life. Thank you so much for sharing this. I am a student working om my social work degree and if you don't mind, I would like to use this wisdom in future incounters with others.

      October 25, 2011 at 10:22 pm |
    • Joan Burdge

      I was going to mention that the rod was used by shepherds to guide their sheep, not to punish or beat them, but you and others have already done that Let me just add that the rod is mentioned in the 23rd Psalm – "Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me".

      October 25, 2011 at 11:19 pm |
  5. Austin

    Hmm, yet another example of how believing ancient religious nonsense contributes to human misery, even in this secular day and age. If they want to be really accurate in their biblical punishment, they should stone their rebellious children to death, as commanded in the Bible.

    October 25, 2011 at 9:05 pm |
  6. Vivian

    I grew up in the kind of unstable, unpredictable, violent, religious fundamentalist household. My father held the same ignorant belief that the bible was teaching corporal punishment as a means of correcting ones children. When I grew up and talked with other Christians, I learned from someone that the "rod" that is referred to in the bible was the shepherd's staff which was never used to beat sheep but used very frequently by a shepherd to nudge and guide sheep. In extreme cases the shepherd used the crook of the staff to pull a stray sheep back into the fold. No violence was ever used. Thought that was interesting.

    October 25, 2011 at 9:00 pm |
  7. Dr. Asa Don Brown

    Love has no room for such an egregious act!

    Dr. Asa Don Brown

    October 25, 2011 at 8:59 pm |
  8. Keith Tucker

    I thought that punishment in the Bible meant that Jesus got punished for his own actions in order to save mankind from punishment.

    October 25, 2011 at 8:56 pm |
  9. Donna Wood Lexington Tn

    There are just some people in the world who do not need to have children! Unfortunately they seem to be the very ones to get them! Then there are those who want children so bad and would probably be great parents but cant get them for one reason or another! To bad the same cant be said of the people who end up with some of these unfortunate children! What exactly did the people who should not have had these children say or do that got them the children they should not have had in the first place as opposed the people who couldnt get these children who probably would have been good parents? What was the difference?

    October 25, 2011 at 8:49 pm |
  10. Alina Newson

    It makes me so angry just to think about all the suffering of an innocent child, she never knew love or compassion for her this world was only evil... The adoptive parents should not even have a trial, they should got straight to the death row, it should be an exception all child molesters and child killers should not have a trial... Her soul rest in peace next to the creator

    October 25, 2011 at 8:49 pm |
  11. bertica robinson

    Please! The Holy Bible, and , BTW it IS the HOLY Bible to a lot of us, does not tell you to beat your child to death. Yes, it tells you to discipline your children. It also tells you to pray for wisdom... Maybe because you need both to reaise a child>>>>???? Use common sense. And stop blaming the Christians for everything. It's getting old

    October 25, 2011 at 8:46 pm |
    • CLT

      Stop blaming the Christians? They are being held accountable for their actions not blamed for them.

      October 25, 2011 at 11:47 pm |