No further action will be taken against a Dutch preacher accused of inciting illegal behavior and child abuse. Instead, the Dutch Public Prosecutor will move for a conditional dismissal of his case.
Gertjan Goldschmeding was suspected of inciting abuse following a sermon he gave in 2007. In the sermon he advocated spanking children as a parenting technique and said he occasionally hit his own children with a wooden spoon. Spanking children is prohibited by law in the Netherlands.
Mr Goldschmeding defended his views by referring to a passage in the Old Testament: “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes” (Proverbs 13:24).
The police put the preacher's children under the supervision of the Dutch child protection agency and questioned him last month. Based on the results of the investigation the public prosecutor subsequently decided to refrain from further legal action.
There are two conditions to the dismissal of Mr Goldschmeding's case: he cannot make any further remarks about spanking children in public and he is not allowed to distribute any of his old sermons on the topic.
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Gertjan Goldschmeding
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LOUD APPLAUSE for the Dutch Government - keep these child-hating so-called christians from preaching their filthy beliefs to people who can't think for themselves. Gawd-awful people they are and so are the Muslims who preach hatred and violence - death to all religions.
Inciting others to illegal acts - wish the Government of Canada would smarten up and stop letting parents beat their children. Down with Canada. Down with Stephen Harper and his ogres like Belinda Block(head)
Howcome they donot limit the speech and beliefs of the muslims, whose beliefs and speeches have much further reaching and deeper societal issues attached. Or is this just more limiting of christianity and its ideals while bowing out to the muslim minority?
Now that the prosecutor has signalled that parts of the Christian message are not acceptable for public consumption is the government going to set up a committee to advise the Christians in Holland what they are allowed and not allowed to believe and preach?
Shame on the Dutch for giving up their freedom of belief and speech without so much as a whimper!
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