Corporal punishment is not the sole domain of religion nor of the commands of God and laws of God. Mankind started writing laws even before Moses. Hammurabi and others wrote laws. Later towards Moses’ time the laws started to carry death sentences in some cases. It was already happening before Moses and is ever happening since that nations make laws for which breach of them can carry death sentence, and not really for breach of them alone since the action would carry a death sentence in society even if there were no law being broken. Parents trying to handle a devilishly violent or vicious son might resort to local judges and magistrates even if no law were broken, rather than just keep enduring an impossible situation. These magistrates might take drastic fatal action to deal with it. This is not just a religious issue. It is extremely tragic but part of life. Unfortunately. It always will be part of life. Christ coming and making Himself an atonement did not change this aspect of life. He wants to stop death sentences being inevitable by helping the sinner get sorted out before the worse can happen. It sometimes involves death though.
