I believe in God but I don't believe in the use of religious text when it calls for the removal of common sense. One must remember to when these texts were written and what might have been common way of life fifteen hundred to two thousand years ago is not necessary today. I can count on one hand the amount of times I was struck (spanked) as a child. I was not beaten for I was loved, shown respect, and provided a disciplined environment. My father never struck his wife, nor my mother ever struck her husband. They provide to each other a loving and respectful environment. To beat a child or a spouse is an act of cowardliness for if one must lower themselves to such an act they themselves should be struck, but not by force, but by reason and shown that what they do is nothing more than a form of bullying, shown that they are weaker in mind and heart then those they strike.