Is smacking a biblical right?

Sir,

Should we query the motivation of Christians who object to banning smacking?

A brief Google search establishes many instances of Christian schools and campaigners either demanding to be able to spank children as a religious or even biblical right, or actively encouraging such chastisement with guides on how to proceed and what implements to use (wooden spoons, rulers and even plumbing pipes are commonplace here). In one memorable case in 2002, a group of 40 Christian independent schools in England took the government of the day to the European Court of Human Rights over its decision to ban corporal punishment, arguing that this interfered with their religious freedom.

The school leading the action, based in Liverpool, had a policy at the time to use a wooden ruler to smack young children on the bottom, and a wooden spoon or paddle for older children. This they said was their 'biblical right'. Their legal action failed.

With all the revelations since of child sex abuse and other physical violence in religious schools and institutions, surely it ill becomes Christian campaigners today to speak out against an outright smacking ban. It is abundantly clear that smacking can be just the beginning of the slippery slope towards other and more horrendous physical abuse.

I do wonder therefore if Christian objectors to the ban are failing to disclose their real motives for their objections behind their virtue-signalling on behalf of freedoms of parents.