Defiance: Why never to use punitive measures in dealing with defiance in children

Many parents have been there. A child acting defiant. Most American parents think that a defiant child is defiant because the child is trying to "undermine parental authority". However. children aren't out to get you. They just are developmentally unable to accept your limits. 

God's Law on dealing with defiance in children 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, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your child when they are defiant. However, it is not enough to stop spanking your child, or else stop punishing your child altogether for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. If you hurt someone else's feelings, you need to apologize. It works the same way when dealing with children. Perhaps what hurts children's feelings more than anything else is a parent setting a limit that the child cannot accept. They aren't out to get you. They simply cannot accept a set limit. Children have limited control over their emotions, and this is the case until age 8. This means that whatever is merely disappointing to an adult is earth-shattering for young children. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to apologize for hurting your children's feelings with your limits, ideally in the face of their defiance. In many cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent. in the form of an informal apology, whenever you hurt your child's feelings with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feeling your anger, such as "I apologize for hurting your feelings with my temper", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards children is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. 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 term roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. But, this commandment was ultimately received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting causing offenses in children as perceived by a child, at minimum. 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. 

Defiance in children is a common and normal behavior in children. Most all children have their moments where they act in a defiant manner. This is not due to children seeking to "undermine parental role". They simply cannot accept set limits, in which case you should apologize straight to your child for hurting their feelings, ideally in the face of their defiance.

Young children have limited control over their emotions. This is the case until they turn 8. What is simply disappointing to adults si earth-shattering to young children. The key here is to apologize to your children whenever you hurt their feelings with your anger. 

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke your 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!

Expanding child abuse definitions: Why the Bible calls for stronger laws against child abuse

Many parents think that the Bible has no concept of child abuse apart from obeying the law of the land. Most American parents support the present-day child abuse definitions under state and federal law. However, God's Law is above the law of the land. The Bible has its own definition of child abuse - whatever the child victim perceives as abuse.

The Greek root word denoting parental entitlement is πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés) and is defined as, officially speaking, wanting things from children, to the point of imposition. Unofficially speaking, parental entitlement ultimately consists of a parent being sorely disappointed when they don't get the well-behaved child that they feel that they deserve. Parents are deserving of absolutely nothing in relation to children just for being parents. Even any parent anger directed towards a child is parental entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. Whenever this sense of entitlement in parents then was perceived by a child as offensive or damaging, it was deemed child abuse. See also 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, stemming from entitlement. Child abuse in the Bible, as a legal concept, consists of entitlement in parents, leading to offense in children. The key to not abusing your child is to avoid offense in children. Whenever you hurt someone else's feelings, you need to apologize. It is no different when dealing with children. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to apologize whenever you hurt your child's feelings. In many cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, whenever you hurt your child's feelings with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for hurting your feelings with my temper" and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards children alone is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. 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 with them 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 of children. But, this commandment was ultimately received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting causing offenses in children as perceived by a child, at minimum. 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 Greek root word translated "they be discouraged" is αθυμέω (Latin: athumeo) and refers here to long-term damages, namely childhood trauma. The ancients had a basic understanding of childhood trauma. If a child grew up to be atheist, shame fell on the parents of the non-believing child, not the child themselves. An atheist in the Early Church was seen as an abused child, not a "lost soul" to be "won over".

The ancients even had an understanding of child sexual abuse. The Greek root word translated "fornication" in the Bible is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers here to any sexual relations outside of the context of a Christian marriage between one adult man and one adult woman, with this marriage having to be equal in terms of chronological age. A groom was only allowed a bride his age or up to 4 years older. Any sexual relations with a child then, including intergenerational marriage, was banned in the Early Church. Mary may have been 14 when Joseph married her, but Joseph was 13 at that time. Any pornography in general was prohibited in the Early Church, including that which depicted children. Most child sexual abuse then came in the form of father-child incest, with daughters being the usual victims. Fathers who had an attraction to their children usually masturbated to thoughts of their children. Attraction to children then existed on the surface, with there being no shame in admitting to being attracted to a child. Child sexual abuse in the biblical context was rare, meaning next to non-existent. When a child was being sexually abused, they knew exactly what was happening, and self-reported their own abuse.

It is a myth that the Early Christians were well-integrated into Rome. Instead, the Early Christians lived in urban enclaves that shunned the broader Greco-Roman world, and the world at large. The Early Christians even had their own court system that was binding into the end of the 1st Century. 

Child abuse in the Bible was prosecuted by way of internal church investigation. In most cases, this investigation started with a child confiding into a clergyperson about their home life. From there, the parents were summoned to appear before a panel of 3 church elders who would preside over the investigation. If the parents were defensive at all, instead of answering to the court directly, they were excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God, as well as any witnesses that came to testify on behalf of the parents. 

The Bible is an anti-spanking document. All 88 books of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - were written by anti-spanking Jews, with anything punitive with a child being banned under Jewish law. All of the biblical writers also wrote parenting manuals that advocated attachment parenting. Even King Solomon wrote an attachment parenting manual for minor children, with the rod in Proverbs referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes administered to an adult child as a sentence for a crime. It just so happens that these attachment parenting manuals were not translated into English until the 1960s. Before then, this level of parenting knowledge was only known to the Jewish world.

The Bible is America's book. America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian values. We as a society glean from the Bible and its context as to how to live and treat each other with respect.  Even our legal codes, under the English common law, come from biblical teaching. However, the criminal defense of "reasonable chastisement" is based off of dated biblical teaching. It is about time that we repeal the "reasonable chastisement" defense, and amend the child abuse definitions under state and federal law to include anything that the child victim perceives as abuse. 

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 abuss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torrents, 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 passages in Proverbs are repealed passages

Many parents spank their children. Their main excuse for spanking children, arguably speaking, is 5 mentions in the Bible that mention the rod of correction. Most American parents believe that these verses in Proverbs condone or even command spanking children. However, the teaching of "biblical spanking" is  a man-made teaching. The rod passages in the book of Proverbs are repealed passages.

A total of 6 verses in Proverbs mention the rod explicitly. One favorite passage cited by pro-spanking parents in the Bible is Proverbs 13:24 KJV:

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

The Hebrew root word translated "son" is ben and refers to a mature adult son. The Hebrew root word translated "rod" is shebet and refers to the rod of correction, namely a switch. This passage ultimately refers to the 40 minus 1 lashes, administered to the bare back of an adult offender, in a courtroom setting, as a sentence for a crime. It was unlawful then to strike another adult Jew outside of the context of a courtroom. Striking a minor child was banned under Jewish law in all settings. The reason for this commandment was that, otherwise, Jewish fathers would shield even their adult sons from blame.

Christ died and Rose on the Third Day in order to repeal the harsh punishments of the Old Testament. Christ banned corporal punishment entirely by enduring corporal punishment unjustly before being placed onto the cross. The Early Christians never used corporal punishment as a means of church discipline. Instead, Christians who committed moral offenses were excommunicated if they defended their sins in open court. 

The teaching of "biblical spanking" is a man-made teaching. The Bible never legitimately condones or commands striking a child as a form of domestic corporal punishment. However, the Bible does weigh in on the spanking issue, and then some. 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, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your children. However, it is not enough to stop spanking your children, or even stop punishing them altogether for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. Whenever you hurt someone else's feelings, you need to apologize. It works the same way when dealing with children. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to apologize to your child for hurting their feelings. In many cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, for hurting your child's feelings with limits not set out of anger,, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limits for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for hurting your feelings with my temper", and then commit to never lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards children is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. 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 term roughly translated as "power to the parent" , namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. But, this commandment was ultimately received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting causing offenses in children as perceived by a child, at minimum. 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.

Pro-spanking parents, in the Early Church, were seen as church infiltrators. These parents cited the same rod verses in Proverbs for pro-spanking excuses that parents cite today. Paul would have none of it in the churches that he oversaw as a deacon, and sent anti-spanking commandments to both the parishes ar Colossae and Ephesus. Contrary to popular legend, the Early Christians were not well-integrated into Greco-Roman society, with Christians then living in urban enclaves that shunned the outside world.

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 bight forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

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

Many parents believe that the Bible condones or even commands the corporal punishment of children. Most Christian parents cite 5 passages in the book of Proverbs and 1 passage in the book of Hebrews as their "proof" of spanking being "biblical". However, the New Testament evidence cited for the teaching of "biblical spanking" sits on shaky ground. The passage in Hebrews 12:5-6 does not refer to earthly parenting, but instead refers to God sending trials and tribulations the way of the believer.

God's Word on enduring hardship is cited in Hebrews 12:5-6 KJV:

And ye have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not 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. 

This passage, when understood correctly, is comforting to me. The Greek root word translated "scourgeth" is μαστιγόω (Latin: mastigoó) and can have a figurative meaning to it. This metaphor is known as rod language. When a Christian man then got home from a long day at work, he instead said "God whipped me hard today". God does not literally come down from the Heavens and whip His children. However, God does punish His children, as only He can, sending trials and tribulations the way of His children that He loves the most. However, God only punishes His children when it does not harm them, whereas earthly parents only punish children when it does, in fact, harm them. The Apostle Paul here was reassuring the Hebrew Christians in their persecution from Rome. 

The teaching of "biblical spanking" is a man-made teaching. The Bible nowhere legitimately supports or commands the use of corporal punishment in parenting, with the rod verses in Proverbs referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes to an adult as a sentence for a crime. God does not want His Parenting methods to be used by earthly parents, lest they get it wrong. However, the Bible does touch on the spanking issue, and then some. 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, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your child. However, it is not enough to simply stop spanking children, or even stop punishing your child altogether for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. Whenever you hurt someone else's feelings, you need to apologize. It works the same when dealing with children. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to apologize to children whenever you hurt their feelings. In many cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent, in the form of an informal apology, whenever you hurt your child's feelings with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for hurting your feelings with my temper", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a child is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. 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 term roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. But, this commandment ultimately was received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting causing offenses in children as perceived by the child, at minimum. 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 staple punishment in the broader Greco-Roman world was a spanking to the bare bottom with an open hand. However, most of the Early Christians shunned punitive parenting as of this world. However, some parishes had a clear problem with punitive parenting infiltrators. Paul would have none of it in the churches that he oversaw,  sending anti-spanking commandments to the parishes at Colossae and Ephesus. 

It is a myth that the Early Christians were well-integrated into Rome. Instead, the Early Christians lived in urban enclaves in major Greco-Roman cities, shunning the outside world. The Early Christians even had their own court system that was binding into the end of the 1st Century. 

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!

Honor parents: Understanding the Fifth Commandment in context

Many parents feel entitled to being honored. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents cite the Fifth Commandment as an excuse for using punitive measures on children. However, the commandment to honor parents refer to, in context, honor of a specific type - caring for parents as they age.

The Fifth Commandment is spelled out in Exodus 20:12 KJV:

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

And is repeated in Ephesians 6:2-3 KJV:

Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 

The Greek root word translated "honour" in Eph. 6:2-3 is τιμαω (Latin: timao) and refers here to being a caregiver to someone else, in this context meaning being a caregiver to an aging parent. The idea is to give your parents the same kind and loving care that they gave you. However, this only works if you had a good upbringing from your parents. If your parents were at all abusive for you, you have the right to shun your abusive parents. The reason for this commandment was that the Ancient Israelites and the Ephesian Christians had an epidemic of elder abuse and neglect. 

Most parents today insist on respect from their children, and punish children for not respecting them. In some American homes, "dishonoring" parents is the sole reason for using punitive measures on children. However, punitive parenting, including child punishment, is prohibited in the Bible, including when parents feel "dishonored". See Colossians 3:21 KJV:

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

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" si ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your children, including when parents feel "dishonored" by their children's words or actions. However, it is not enough to stop spanking your child, or even stop punishing children altogether for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. Whenever you hurt someone else's feelings, you need to apologize. It works the same way with children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to apologize for hurting your child's feelings. In many cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, for hurting your child's feelings with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limits for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your children's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for hurting yoir feelings with my temper", and then commit never to lose your children ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a child alone is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christians who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin term roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. But, this commandment was ultimately received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting causing offenses in children, at minimum. 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.

Many children in America live under tyrannical rule. Most American parents spank their children from time to time, or else sit them in a chair as a form of false imprisonment. This is all rooted in the misinterpretation of the Fifth Commandment. However  the Fifth Commandment simply means to give back to your parents in some way, namely by caring for them as they age. However, if you were abused by your parents as a child, you have the right to shun your parents.

A parent must never demand respect from their children, as this alone is parental entitlement. Instead, the idea is to earn respect from children by giving them the respect that they deserve. This means respecting their feelings by striving to always apologizing for hurting their feelings, especially in the case of parent anger directed towards children. Respect in life is earned, and it is no different with parents in relation to their children.

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!

Redefining child abuse: Why the Bible calls for tougher laws on the books protecting children from abuse

Many parents think that the Bible has no concept of child abuse apart from obeying the law of the land. Most American parents support the present-day definitions of child abuse under state and federal law. However, God's Law is above the law of the land. The Bible has its own definition of child abuse - whatever the child victim perceives as abuse.

The Greek root word denoting parental entitlement is πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés) and is defined as, officially speaking, wanting things from children, to the point of imposition. Unofficially speaking, parental entitlement consists of a parent who is sorely disappointed when they don't get the well-behaved child that they feel that they deserve. Parents are deserving of absolutely nothing in relation to children just for being parents. Even any parent anger directed towards a child is parental entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. Whenever this sense of entitlement in parents then was perceived by the child as offensive or damaging, it was deemed child abuse. See also 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, stemming from entitlement. Child abuse in the Bible, as a legal concept, consists of entitlement in parents, leading to offense in children. The key to not abusing your child is to avoid offense in children. If you hurt someone else's feelings, you need to apologize. It works the same way when dealing with children. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to apologize to children for hurting their feelings. In many cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, whenever you hurt children's feelings with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for hurting your feelings with my temper", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a child alone is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christians who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin term roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. But, this commandment was ultimately received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting causing offenses in children as perceived by the child, at minimum. 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 Greek root word translated "they be discouraged" is αθυμέω (Latin: athumeo) and refers here to long-term damages, namely childhood trauma. The ancients in the Bible had a basic concept of childhood trauma. If a child grew up to be atheist, shame fell onto the parents, meaning not the child. An atheist was seen in the Early Church as an abused child, not a "lost soul" to be "won over". 

The ancients in the Bible even had a concept of child sexual abuse. The Greek root word translated "fornication" in the New Testament is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers here to any sexual relations outside of the context of a Christian marriage between one adult man and one adult woman, with this marriage needing to be equal in nature. A groom was only allowed a bride his age or up to 4 years older than him. All sexual relations with a child, including in the context of an intergenerational marriage, was banned in the Early Church. Most child sexual abuse in the biblical context happened as a form of father-child incest,, with daughters being the usual victims. Most men then masturbated righteously to thoughts of his daughter or son, with pornography of anyone - including a child - being banned in the Early Church at all when intended as pornography. Child sexual abuse in the biblical context, was rare, meaning next to non-existent. Whenever child sexual abuse happened then, it was seen as a huge moral outrage. Attraction to children existed then on the surface, with children who were being sexually abused knowing exactly what is happening to them, and then self-reported the abuse that they suffered. 

It is a myth that the Early Christians were well-integrated into Rome. Instead, the Early Christians lived in urban enclaves in major Greco-Roman cities, shunning the outside world. The Early Christians in the 1st Century were allowed their own culture, and even their own court system. The Christian courts were binding until the end of the 1st Century.

Child abuse was prosecuted in the Early Church by way of internal church investigation. In most cases, this investigation started with a child confiding into a clergyperson about their home life. From there, parents were summoned to appear before a council of 3 elders, who would preside over the investigation. If the parents were defensive at all, instead of answering to the court directly, they were swiftly excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God, alongside all witnesses that testified on behalf of the parents. Parents were prohibited from identifying as "parents" in first-person, lest they be seen as entitled.

The Bible is an anti-spanking document, All 88 books of the Bible were written by anti-spanking Jews, with punitive parenting of any kind being banned under Jewish law. All of the biblical writers also wrote parenting manuals that advocated attachment parenting. Even King Solomon wrote an attachment parenting manual for bringing up minor children, with the rod in Proverbs simply being repealed verses referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes in an adult child as a sentence for a crime. It just so happens that these attachment manuals were not translated into English until the 1960s. Before then, this context was only known to the Jewish world.

The Bible is America's book. America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian values. We as a society glean from the Bible and its context as to how to live and treat each other with respect. Even our legal codes, including under the English common law, are based off of biblical teachings. However, the criminal defense of "reasonable chastisement" is based on a dated understanding of the Bible. It is about time we repeal the "reasonable chastisement" defenses in all 50 states, and amend the child abuse definitions under state and federal law as anything that the child victim perceives as abuse.

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 children in the Lord without punitive measures

Many parents have it as a goal for their children. Most American parents want their children to live by a set of values. However, many parents think that children need to be punished or shamed in order to have "the devil beaten out of them". However, there are better ways to instruct your child in the Christian faith than by punishing them.

God's Law on child discipline, including religious instruction, 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 of this commandment clarifies for the second that children should not be taught religion using fear tactics. 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, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your child, including in order to "break their will". However, it is not enough to stop spanking your child, or even stop punishing your child altogether for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. Whenever you hurt someone else's feelings, you need to apologize. It works the same in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to apologize to them for hurting your child's feelings. In many cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, whenever you hurt your child's feelings with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for hurting your feelings with my temper", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a child alone is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. 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 who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin term roughly translated to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. But, this first stanza ultimately was received by the parish at Ephesus as prohibiting causing offenses in children as perceived by the child, at minimum. 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.

Children don't need to have a religion beaten into them. Religion is a base 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. The Apostle Paul here was discussing religious instruction. Starting at age 6, fathers left out a Bible for children to discover and explore, with the Bible open to a reassuring passage (such as the Beatitudes). Children growing up in the Early Church taught themselves how to read on a Bible. Whenever children were caught in the act of studying the Bible, they were given lavish praise and encouragement to keep on studying the Bible. Fathers then interjected to the child "you can ask me anything about that book". From there, religious instruction came in the form of question and answer format. Children were curious about Scripture, with fathers giving pointers on the context.

Sometimes, very young children refuse to go to church. This is normal and understandable behavior in toddlers and preschoolers. Children that young are not developmentally ready for religion. Children have their own religious development, with children finding their own religion as young as age 6. Until then, children and wives should be left at home to focus on forming a secure bond, with the man of the house praying for his family. Instead of forcing children to attend your church, you should allow them to attend their own church.

Most Christian parents rush the religious development of their children. One example of this is when parents insist on grateful postures. I myself tie my hands behind my back, and nobody forced me to. Grateful postures are simply a sign of spiritual health, with children showing these postures on their own in due time.

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!