harakaat:
That's how you understand Islam. Their understanding of Islam is different.
Islam isn't some sort of playdough figurine that you can mould into whatever you like.
No, my source of Islamic knowledge is the Quran and the Sunnah and the Ijmaa. Since all of that is in Arabic, I googled the hadeeth and gave you a site that expressed an opinion which I know is the mainstream opinion among Muslim scholars. I don't know much about who IslamQA are or what their affiliation is, but their opinion on this is the orthodox opinion. How about you give me a source that says it's not okay to hit your kids if they don't pray?
IslamQA isn't the mainstream position, it's the Saudi/Salafi one. They tend to be harsher than others. (BTW, does anybody else find the things people need fatwas for to be kind of ridiculous?

Cracks me up.)
I actually read your link though (now that I've decided not to sleep, I have more time on my hands

), and in this case, it is the mainstream one.

I don't find it to be wrong. I thought you meant full out beating your kids, like giving them black eyes and stuff. You're seriously against this:
The father’s duty is to bring his children up well and to take care of them, and hitting may be used as a means of discipline when the situation requires that. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to smack children for not praying when they reach the age of ten, but this should be the last resort, when all others have failed, and there should be no harshness in the hitting, and we must not hit the face. The father should not hit his child at the time of extreme anger, or with a sharp instrument that may injure him, or with anything that may break bones, and he should not hit him in a place where a blow may be fatal. Brandishing the stick may be more effective than actually hitting. The point is that when disciplining his child, a father should follow the principle of using the gentlest means then the next gentlest; he should not resort to the harshest and most difficult means if he can achieve his aim with something that is easier and gentler.
If you are, so be it. I am not. Here's another version of the same:
http://seekersguidance.org/ans-blog/2010/08/17/explaining-a-hadith-on-disciplining-children/ (I'm not Sufi, but I'm a fan of these guys.)
Try reading it in Arabic. Its shortcomings are glaring. An Al-Azhar scholar who later apostatized wrote a book critiquing the Quran's language and style -- it's in the process of being translated.
You know I don't know Arabic. I can only recite it.

And haha, sounds like Bart Ehrman. That'll be a fun read.

Tell me when it comes out, won't you?
Also, look up the Holy Qurqan on YouTube. It's basically humorous satire written in the style of the Quran I once wrote a surah about cunnilingus in the style of the Quran. Was quite proud of it
Sorry, I couldn't find it on YouTube. Mind sending me the link?
And what on earth is cunnilingus, haha?
Also, have you read any other religious books cover to cover? The Bhagavad Gita, the Kitab-i-Aqdas (whose Arabic, Gibran Khalil Gibran -- I'm sure you know who he is -- said was the best he'd ever read), even the New Testament? In my opinion the Quran pales in comparison. All it does is create a huge sense of fear and paranoia and capitalize on that.
I've read 3/4 gospels (I don't know if Acts counts as a gospel though; haven't read that or John), and I've read the Bhagavad Gita.

Actually, we analysed the Bhagavad Gita for my World Religions' class. It was two years ago so I'd have to dig up my notes, but yeah.
I haven't read the Kitab-i-Aqdas. I know woefully little about the Bahai faith. :(
I definitely preferred the Qur'an to the NT and Bhagavad Gita, and I tried reading all of them with an open mind. :/
It's not. Prove me wrong.
I thought the whole point of self-evident truths is that they're self-evident. :/ So..um...yeah. I have no idea how to go about proving something that's self-evident...
Yeah, rules like whether to put your hands on your chest or on your bellybutton while praying Try to challenge something like the rules about homosexuality or the place of women in Islam, and see the backlash.
No duh..isn't that what we were talking about? :/