Amos, "the devil made you do it."

The old witch took the stand yesterday. "It isn't easy (she) told the court. "But God said to do it." She frequently quoted Bible passages to support her belief that adults should not spare the rod when raising children. "The wrath of God falls on the children of disobedience and it's Hell," she said. "For obedience, it's Heaven. We use the rod to bring the child to obedience." (It should be made clear that she is a born-again christian, a fundamentalist- not a member of an order with nuns in the normal sense).
Most Canadians are relieved that this isn't another case of abuse in institutional systems. Abuse and inadequate instruction in church-sponsored schools here has left a legacy of mentally twisted native children unable to cope and costing millions in welfare and penal institutions. The effects will persist for decades. Court settlements so far granted, if upheld, will bankrupt the sponsoring institutions. Ultimately, of course, it will be the average citizen who will pay.