I grew up in an evangelical family. We had a wooden spoon for punishment. It was used a grand total of twice. My parents made sure never to use it in anger, and never hard enough to actually cause pain.

And after twice, my parents sat me down and told me that there was no useful purpose in violence as punishment for wrongdoing, it wasn’t something Jesus had ever told people to do, there were better ways to discipline than corporal punishment to lead a child in the correct way to go, and they’d never do it again.

I was disappointed at the time because a few thwacks with a spoon was simpler than having actual consequences directly tied to my behavior.

But growing up, I knew other kids who got hit with a stick, spoon or belt in anger by their parents and relatives regularly. Most of them didn’t have religious parents, but some of them did.