Obedience, Sin, and Punishment
Authoritarian Values Reign Supreme
Authoritarianism is characterized by an emphasis on conformity, enforced by shame, fear, and extreme
punishment. Here are some statistics about the 21 lesson books that made up Good News Club’s last 5-
year literature cycle (Fall 2006 to Spring 2011):
The word “obey” and its derivatives (e.g., disobey, obedience) appear 1113 times, averaging out to
9 times per lesson.
Good News Club defines sin in all-inclusive terms as “anything you think, say or do that breaks God’s
laws.” The word “sin” and its derivatives (e.g., sins, sinned, sinning, sinner, sinful) appear 5002
times, averaging out to 41 times per lesson.
The word “punish” and its derivatives (e.g., punished, punishment) appear 1032 times.
There are more than 250 mentions of or allusions to Hell.
Preoccupation with sin, obedience, and punishment is unhealthy.
“Research psychologists have found that parents who employed
absolute moral imperatives, and who were more punitive,
tended to have children who were more discontent, withdrawn
and mistrustful.”
© Intrinsic Dignity
