Santa Claus: Why Santa should not bring coal for Christmas

'Tis Christmastime once more. Santa is said to "have a list", and is "checking it twice", to "find out who is naughty or nice". However, the Bible says that Santa should not have a naughty list, as the only purpose for the naughty list is to scare children into behaving. The fact of the matter is that Santa should not bring coal to "naughty" children for Christmas, as scaring children with Santa is child abuse.

God's Law on child abuse is spelled out in Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. 

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards children. Threatening children with Santa bringing coal for Christmas hurts a child's feelings unnecessarily, and when parents defend their so-called "right" to upset children in this regard, it officially becomes an offense, with this offense constituting child abuse. If you have threatened your child with Santa, you should tell your child "I talked to Santa, and he never would deliver coal to any child. I was wrong" as a formal apology. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan parenting customs, which were punitive in nature. Paul, contrary to popular legend, opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

A true gift comes with no strings attached. A true gift comes from love. Love, in the biblical tense, refers to giving without receiving. The idea is to give children everything that they ask for, while expecting absolutely nothing in return for a gift that make Christmas memorable. Children shouldn't have to be "nice" in order to receive gifts.

There was no gift-bringer for children in the Early Church. Instead, children received gifts directly from parents, with this symbolizing the gifts from the Three Kings who visited Christ. Ultimately, Christmas Day then came on the same day as in modern times, as a solemn observation of Christ's birth. There was no commercialism in the Early Christian Christmas. Just a day off from work to be with family.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke not to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and burning sulfur, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Positive reinforcement: How to discipline your child without punitive measures

Many parents want their children to have discipline. This is a common desire amongst American parents. However, most American parents conflate discipline and punishment. However, the fact of the matter is that discipline in the Bible involves positive reinforcement, meaning catching children being good.

God's Law on child discipline is spelled out in Ephesians 6:4 KJV:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

This first stanza clarifies for the second that discipline should not hurt. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards a child. In order for discipline to not hurt, you need to avoid offense in your child, meaning be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. In most cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent, such as when a child cannot accept set limits. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you definitely need to give a formal apology to your child, and then commit never to losing your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards children was seen then as toxic entitlement. However, whenever you refuse to apologize to a child that you caused to be upset, you are entitled. This first stanza of this commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents in the parish at Ephesus who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

This second stanza was intended to point out acceptable forms of discipline, with the first stanza ruling out anything punitive with a child. The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers here to a specific form of nurturing, namely of the teaching type. Children were left to form their own discipline, and when that discipline showed, they were given lavish praise and encouragement to keep up the good work. Christian parents in the Early Church set a good example for children to follow, but backed it up with praise and encouragement, as opposed to punishment and force. Children also need religious instruction, as religion is a human need for children and adults alike. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and is more aptly translated as "instruction" in more modern versions of the Bible, and refers to light instruction. Starting at age 6, fathers left out a Bible for children to discover and explore. When children were caught in the act of studying the Bible, they were given lavish praise and encouragement from parents, with fathers then stating "you can ask me anything about that book". From there, religious instruction came in the form of question and answer. Children were curious about Scripture, with fathers giving pointers on the context. This stanza was intended to lift up the Judeo-Christian tradition of positive reinforcement, meaning the Hebraic custom of catching children being good. This tradition of positive reinforcement was a Hebraic custom of the biblical context, and outdates punitive parenting by thousands of years.

Sometimes, children need limits. However, them accepting limits is a whole other story. Whenever your child cannot accept limits, it is a good time to apologize to your child. The idea is to, in most case, be willing to give a reassurance of good intent to a child. However, if you lose your cool with your child at all when setting limits, you should give a formal apology, with you then committing to never losing your cool ever again as a parent, as anger at a child alone was seen as toxic entitlement then.

Positive reinforcement was an ancient custom that outdated punitive parenting by thousands of years. Children were given lavish praise and encouragement when caught being good. Most childhood mischief was a reason for righteous laughter in parents. However, when behavior was unsafe or immoral, or else when the petitioned requests of children were unsafe, unworkable, and/or immoral, the parents set a limit, backing the limit up with an apology. However, childhood behaviors such as crying or meltdowns are normal behavior, and require a parent to respond to a child's every cry.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Passing down the faith: How to instruct your child in the Lord without punitive measures

Most parents want their children to have religion. This is a common desire amongst American parents. However, most parents think religious instruction needs to hurt in order to be useful. However, the Bible calls, in context, for religious instruction to never be painful.

God's Law on passing down the faith is spelled out in Ephesians 6:4 KJV:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

This first stanza clarifies for the second that religious instruction should not hurt. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived as a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards children. The idea in parenting is to avoid offense in your child. This means that any time you hurt your child's feelings, you should be willing to give a meaningful apology to your child. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you should definitely apologize to your child, and then commit never to losing your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool as a parent, in and of itself, is entitlement, with this entitlement being seen as unlawful entitlement in the biblical context. However, whenever you refuse to apologize for causing upset in your child, you are entitled. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

Religion is a human need for children and adults alike. There is no need to beat a religious education into a child. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and is better translated as "instruction" in more modern versions of the Bible. Starting at age 6, fathers left out a Bible for children to discover and explore. When children were caught in the act of studying the Bible, fathers lavishly praised and encouraged, with fathers then saying to children "you can ask me anything about that book". From there, religious instruction came in question and answer format. Children were curious to learn about Scripture, with fathers giving pointers on the context.

A common way for modern-day Christian parents to pass down the faith is to break their child's will. A child does not have a will that needs to be broken. Religion is a basic human need. "Breaking their will" is wholly unnecessary, and creates a power struggle over religion that needn't be. All a parent has to do is leave out a Bible, with childhood curiosity taking over from there.

Childhood religious learning shouldn't be rushed or hastened. Grateful postures don't need to be forced onto children. Grateful postures come on their own, and are a sign of a good spiritual temperature in a child. I myself tie my hands behind my back wherever I go, and nobody forced me. I tie my hands behind my back because it is comfortable, and also to remind others that they are in the presence of the elect.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to wrath through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

"Spare the rod, spoil the child": Why the rod verses in Proverbs are repealed passages

Many parents think that the Bible commands that children be spanked, at least some of the time. Most American parents think the Bible says "spare the rod, spoil the child". However, this specific phrase is nowhere found in the Bible. However, 6 verses in the book of Proverbs mention the rod of correction. With that said, these verses are repealed verses.

One commonly cited rod verse is Proverbs 13:24 KJV:

He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

The Greek root word translated "rod" is shebet and refers to a switch, administered to the bare back. The Greek root word translated "son" is ben and refers to a mature adult son. Ultimately, this verse refers to a form of judicial corporal punishment, namely the 40 minus 1 lashes. These punishments were not ever imposed on minor children. The 40 minus 1 lashes was a final warning before a criminal offender had to be put to death. Striking anyone outside of courtroom in the Old Testament was considered battery. Whipping a child at home was seen as domestic battery. The reason for this advice was that otherwise, the father would simply refuse to do what he was deputized to do, and refuse to whip his son. The book of Proverbs does not give commandments, but instead gives manly advice to young men and their parents.

The harsh punishments in the Old Testaments are repealed by Christ's Work on the cross. It was prophesied in the Old Testament that Christ would bring an end to the harsh punishments of the Law. He would do this by breaking the curse of the Law, and keeping ALL of the Law. 

The rod verses in Proverbs do not refer to a biblical spanking. However, the Bible does weigh in on the spanking issue. See Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards a child. It is not enough to stop spanking and punishing your child - you need to avoid offense in your child. The key to avoiding offense in children is be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. In most cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent from parents. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you definitely need to give a formal apology to your child, and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool alone as a parent is entitlement, and was seen as unlawful entitlement even then. This commandment implies that spanking or punishing your child alone is unlawful, as punitive measures provoke children to anger. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandment, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive measures on children, such as spanking and other forms of punishment. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

The ultimate moral crime against a child is getting angry as a parent. Parent anger, when directed towards a child, was never allowed. The only reason parents were allowed to get angry was to protect their children. If a parent got angry with their child at all, they were charged with the moral crime of parental entitlement. Parental entitlement was not seen then as a necessary backbone, but was treated as a serious moral flaw. The ancients could surely get angry, and didn't need a backbone to assert themselves. Parental entitlement, including parent anger directed towards children, was included in the Greek root word πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés). 

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Hebrews 12:5-6: Why this Bible passage is not a pro-spanking passage

Many parents think that the Bible is pro-spanking. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most pro-spanking activists cite Heb. 12:5-6 as proof that God is in favor of spanking. However, this theology sits on shaky ground. Nowhere in the book of Hebrews is parenting advice given. Heb. 12:5-6 has to do with trials and tribulations sent the way of the believer

God's Word on trials and tribulation is spelled out in Hebrews 12:5-6 KJV:

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

When interpreted correctly, this passage brings me comfort. The Greek root word translated "scourgeth" is μαστιγόω (Latin: mastigoó) and can have a figurative meaning to it. The rod was a metaphor in Hebrews for trials and tribulations being sent by the Lord the way of the believer. In the Early Church, instead of saying "I had a long day at work", you said "God whipped me hard today". God punishes His children, like only He can. But, God only punishes His children when it does not harm them, whereas earthly parents only punish their children when it does harm them. This passage was intended by the Apostle Paul as comfort in their persecution from Rome. 

The book of Hebrews does not contain parenting advice for earthly parents. God does not want His Parenting methods to be used by earthly parents. However, God's Law does weigh in on the spanking issue. See Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards a child. It is not enough to stop spanking or punishing children - you should avoid offense in your child. The key to avoiding offense in children is to be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. In most cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent. However, if you ever lose your cool with your child, you need to give a formal apology, and then commit not ever to lose your cool ever again, as losing your cool as a parent, in and of itself, is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement then. This commandment implies that spanking and other forms of punishment are banned under God's Law, as this provokes children to anger. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, and is a Latin phrase roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power of the parent to impose punitive measures, including spanking and other forms of punishment. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian family values. We as a nation use the Bible and its context for guidance as to how to live and treat each other with respect. It just so happens that the parenting context of the Bible has, until recent years, has been hidden, meaning not translated into English from the Hebrew. The Jews have long known how to be gentle parents, with Christians first finding out about the parenting context of the Bible much later. The commandment not to provoke your child to anger is clear once clarified in context - don't even offend your child. If you do upset your child, you should be willing to apologize.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Santa Claus: Why Santa should not threaten to bring coal for Christmas

'Tis Christmastime once more. Many children are awaiting a visit from Santa Claus. However, Santa currently has a "nice" list and a "naughty" list. Most American parents use Santa as a form of behavioral modification. The naughty list has to go, as its only purpose is to scare children. Scaring children at all is child abuse.

God's Law on child abuse is spelled out in Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards children. Threatening children with Santa bringing coal for Christmas hurts a child's feelings, and when parents defend their so-called "right" to upset their child in this way, it becomes child abuse. If you have hurt your child's feelings in this regard, you should apologize to children by telling them "I talked to Santa, and he does not deliver coal for Christmas. I was wrong". This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandment, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan ways of parenting, which were punitive in nature. Paul, contrary to popular legend, opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

A true gift comes with no strings attached. A true gift comes from love. Love is defined in the Bible as giving without receiving. The idea is to give your child everything that they ask for, and expect absolutely nothing in return for giving that gift that makes the child's day. Children shouldn't have to be "nice" in order to receive gifts. 

The Early Christians had no concept of a gift-bringer. Christmas came at the same day, but it was simply an observance of Christ's birthday. Most Christian parents then handed their children gifts in person. The gift giving symbolized the Three Kings bestowing gifts for the Christ Child. The concept of Santa was alien to the Early Christians, as was the commercialism that often plagues modern Christmas.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Back talk: Why to apologize when your child talks back to you

Back talk is a common problem parents face in their children. Most children talk back at some point in their childhood. However, most parents think that talking back to parents is deserving of punishment in a child. However, the fact of the matter is that a child who talks back cannot accept a limit, and thus parents need to apologize, lest they be seen by God as being abusive towards their children.

God's Law on child abuse is spelled out in Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards a child. The idea behind not abusing children is to avoid offense in children. The key to avoiding offending your child is to be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings, lest it be officially an offense. One way children show emotional pain when they are older is by talking back. Back talk happens when children cannot accept a set limit, in which case that is a good time to apologize by way of reassuring the child of your good intent. A good way to reassure a child of your good intent is to say "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you yourself ever lose your cool when setting a limit, you should definitely apologize to your child, and then commit never to losing your cool ever again as a parent, as losing your cool as a parent, in and of itself, is entitlement. Most back talk simply involves a child not being able to accept a limit, and thus they need you to apologize whenever you hurt their feelings in that regard. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandment, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan ways of parenting, which were punitive in nature. Paul, contrary to popular legend, opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

Back talk is not something to take personally in a child. All back talk amounts to in an older child is a child not being able to accept a set limit. This behavior is most common in school age children. Whenever your child talks back, take a deep breath, and know that your child simply needs help accepting a limit. One way to help them is to apologize for upsetting them with that limit that they cannot accept.

The main reason for spanking, now and in Ancient Greece, is "disrespect" in a child. Children in Ancient Greece were usually given a spanking to the bare bottom when children talked back. Paul would have none of it in the church, and so he convicted the Greek Christians of their punitive pagan ways of parenting with his inspired pen.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!