Redefining child abuse: Why the Bible calls for tougher laws against child abuse

Many parents think that the ancients in the Bible had no concept of childhood, let alone child abuse. Most parents today support the modern-day child abuse definitions under state and federal law. However, God's Law is above the law of the land, and the Bible itself has its own definition of child abuse - whatever the child victim perceives as abuse. God's Law is the basis for most all of our legal codes, with Judeo-Christian values being the foundation of this country, and thus the child abuse definitions should be expanded, not narrowed.

The Greek root word denoting parental entitlement in the Bible 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. A parent is deserving of absolutely nothing from children just for existing. Even any parent anger directed towards children is parental entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. Whenever this sense of entitlement was perceived by a child as offensive or damaging, it was deemed child abuse then. 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. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just as hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are also inevitable in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of a half-apology, whenever you hurt your child's feelings with a limit 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 losing my temper with you", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool with your 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 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 of children. However, this commandment was received as prohibiting offense as perceived by a child. 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 understanding of childhood trauma. Whenever a child grew up to be atheist, shame fell onto the parents, 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" is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers to any sexual relations outside of a Christian marriage between one adult man and one adult woman, including any sexual relations with a child. Marriage then had to be between equals in terms of age, namely if the bride was the same age as the groom, or else up to 4 years older. Most child sexual abuse then happened in the case of father-daughter incest. Most fathers then masturbated righteously to the fantasy of his daughter, at least some of the time. However, all pornography was prohibited then even on the possession of the person, including that which depicted children. Child sexual abuse was rare in the Bible, meaning it was almost non-existent apart from a handful of cases that shocked Jewish society then.

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, the parents were subpoenaed to appear before a council of 3 church elders. If the parents at all got defensive in court, instead of answering to the court, they were excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God. 

The Bible is an anti-spanking document. All 88 books of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - were written by anti-spanking Jews, with most Jews throughout history not endorsing anything punitive with a child. Each of the biblical writers also wrote parenting manuals, with these parenting manuals advocating attachment parenting. Even King Solomon wrote an attachment parenting manual, with the rod in Proverbs referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes of a wayward adult son, as a sentence for a crime. It just so happens that the parenting manuals in the biblical context were not translated into English until the 1960s. 

The Bible is America's book. We as a country are founded on Judeo-Christian values. We as a society use the Bible in order to know how to live and treat each other with respect. Even our legal codes are largely based off of the Bible. However, the legal codes on child abuse are based on dated biblical teaching. It is about time we repeal the "reasonable chastisement" defense and expand the legal definition of child abuse to include basically any abuse perceived by a child victim, in order to reflect more modern biblical teachings.

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 torrents, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Parental entitlement: Why parental entitlement is sin in the Bible

Many parents support having a backbone, and the parental rights lobby insists on a backbone are if you are "really a parent". The idea behind a backbone is to find something you hate about your child, and form an anger packet based off of that observation. However, the fact of the matter is that having a backbone, from a biblical perspective, is entitlement, namely parental entitlement. 

Entitlement, including parental entitlement, is prohibited in the Ten Commandments. See the Tenth Commandment in Exodus 20:17 KJV:

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, or his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.

The Hebrew word translated "covet" in this passage is lachmod and is defined as, officially speaking, want, to the point of imposition. However, in the context of parenting, any parent anger directed towards children was deemed entitlement, as most parent anger directed towards a child comes from deservances, with parents being deserving of absolutely nothing from children. This list is not an exhaustive list of things a parent wants but can't have. This commandment was intended as denoting the entitled intent behind a violation of the Ten Commandments.

The Greek root word cross-referencing the Tenth Commandment in the New Testament is πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés) and refers to, when in the context of parental entitlement, 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 from children just for existing. Even any parent anger directed towards a child is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. Whenever this sense of entitlement in parents 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 of damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. The key to not abusing your child is to avoid offense in children. However, hurt feelings are inevitable in children, just as they are in relations between adults. Thus, in order to avoid offense in a child, you need to be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt their feelings. Many times, parents hurt their children's feelings by way of their parent anger at their children. 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 losing my temper with you", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a child is parental entitlement, and was understood as entitlement in the Early Church. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here was 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 of children. However, this commandment was received as prohibiting all forms of offense as perceived by a child. 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.

Parental entitlement consists of an entitlement packet, in the form of angry backbone directed at a child. Common advice on forming a backbone is to find something you hate in your child, and focus on it. However, this is bad parenting advice. Anger is a natural human emotion, meaning that you don't need a backbone in order to assert yourself. I don't have such an entitled backbone, and I simply find my anger easier to control. 

Attachment parenting can be understood, partially speaking, as parenting without a backbone. In attachment parenting, you never get angry at a child. What is there to be mad at? They are little, and new to the world. I see children as harmless. Why get angry at someone so small and vulnerable? I love all children, and love them all just as if they were my own.

The parent 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!

Original sin: How to instruct children in the doctrine of original sin without punitive measures

The doctrine of original sin is arguably the most misused of all Christian teachings. However, the teaching of original sin is the backbone of Christianity. Without original sin, there would be no need for a Savior. However, many parents think that they have to call a child a sinner. But, we ALL are sinners, not just children.

We all as mankind have turned our backs on God. Mankind is the enemy of God, and is deserving of absolutely nothing from his Heavenly Father. We all are sinners in the hands of an angry God, as human beings. Original sin is a valid concept, but one that pertains to all human beings, not just children.

How to teach your child about original sin 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 stanza of this commandment states that children should not be caused pain or upset in order to know that they are born in sin. 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. Children are usually punished ultimately because parents see them as sinners. However, not only is punishment banned under God's Law, but so is any offense as perceived by a child. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just like hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are inevitable in children when dealing with them. One thing that hurts children's feelings is being punished or shamed as a sinner, including being called a sinner. Whenever you hurt your child's feelings, you need to be willing to give a meaningful apology to your child, lest it officially be an offense. If you ever call your child a sinner out of anger or haste, or else punish them for sin, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you", and then commit never to your cool as a parent ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a child is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. This 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 of children. However, this stanza of this commandment was ultimately received as prohibiting offense as perceived by a child. 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.

You don't have to use punitive measures in order to teach a child about original sin. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and is more aptly translated as "instruction" in more modern versions of the Bible. Paul here was referring to religious instruction, of a specific type. Starting at age 6, fathers left out a Bible for children to discover and explore. Whenever children were caught in the act of studying the Bible, they were lavishly praised and encouraged to keep on studying. Fathers then said something along the lines of "you can ask me anything about that book". From there, religious instruction came in the form of question and answer, with children being curious about Scripture, and with fathers giving pointers on the context. At some point, the topic of original sin is bound to come up. In most cases, children ask parents "Why did Jesus have to die?". The answer you should give is "We are all sinners, and so we need a Savior to save us from sin".

Sin shaming is the core understanding of most child abuse in this country. Most parent want their children to know that they were born in sin. The idea is not to say "you are a sinner". Instead, children should hear from their parents "we are all sinners as human beings", and only in the most reassuring of ways. 

Human nature is not something to idealize. We as humans are glorified apes, meaning God saved mankind from a peacekeeping nature. The human genome is inherently flawed. One flaw of the human genome is the capacity of parents to lose their cool with their children. Most American parents learned to be angry at their children from their parents. Most Jewish parents never get angry with their children, with Christianity being an offshoot of that Hebraic example. Maybe the human genome made sense in the context of peacekeeping, but we were saved from that fallen nature by God. 

The depraved and entitled parents who punish or shame their children for their sins 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 thy parents: Understanding the Fifth Commandment in context

Many parents feel entitled to respect and honor. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents cite the Fifth Commandment as a means of demanding respect from children, oftentimes with punishment or threat of punishment. However, honoring parents does not entail punishing children for "dishonoring parents". Honoring parents means taking care of your 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. 

The Hebrew word translated "honour" is kabad and refers here to being a caregiver to someone else, in this case an aging parent. The idea to honoring parents is simply to take care of your aging parents. However, that only works if they took good care of you when you were a child. If your parents were abusive to you, you don't have to take care of them at all, and owe nothing to them. This commandment seems commonsense, but in the Old Testament, there was an epidemic of elder neglect as well as elder abuse. 

A common motive for punitive measures in parenting is a parent that feels deserving of respect and honor from their child. Most American parents punish their children for "disrespect", and many parents in this country punish their children almost exclusively when their children are "disrespectful". However, the Bible prohibits all forms of punitive parenting. See Colossians 3:21 KJV:

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

The Greek rood 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, including for "disrespect". However, it is not enough to simply stop spanking your children, or even stop punishing your children for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just as hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are also inevitable in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of a half-apology, whenever you hurt your child's feelings with a limit 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 whenever you hurt your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you", and then commit to never losing 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. However, this commandment ultimately was received then as prohibiting all offense as perceived by a child. 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 Fifth Commandment simply means to take care of your parents as they age. However, sometimes, they don't deserve you caring for them, namely if they were abusive to you. If your parents were at all abusive to you, meaning as you perceive, you have every right to shun them. You only need to forgive your parents if they give a meaningful apology for how they treated you whenever you were still a child. Even then, you can always go back on your forgiveness if they turned out to be giving a fake apology. 

I myself was abused within the law by my parents. I chose to forgive them, but only because they apologized meaningfully. I do forgive my parents, but I don't forget how my parents treated me. I will always remember how I was treated as a child in this country, including by my parents. I was so hurt by my parents' actions as a child that I wanted to move out of this country. I am a conservative Christian, but not the most patriotic of Christian conservatives. It is okay to remember how your parents abused you when you were a child. I hold my mother to it whenever the topic comes up. 

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!

Child discipline: How to discipline your child without punitive measures

Many parents want their children to have discipline. This is a common goal for parents to have for their child. However, most American parents equate discipline with punishment. Most American parents punish their children and believe that punitive measures constitute proper discipline. However, there are better ways to teach discipline to children.

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, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your child. However, it is not enough to stop spanking children, or even stop punishing them altogether. You need to avoid offense in children. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in children. Just like hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are also inevitable in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of a half-apology, 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 losing my temper with you", and then commit never to losing your cool ever again, as losing your cool with your child alone is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. This stanza of this commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christians in the parish at Ephesus for bringing 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 of children. However, this stanza of this commandment ultimately was received then as prohibiting all forms of offense perceived by a child. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned in the Early Church, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

The second stanza of this commandment states what types of discipline are acceptable, with the first stanza ruling out anything punitive with a child. The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers to a specific form of nurturing, namely of the teaching type. Christian parents in the Early Church looked for preferred behaviors in children, such as self-discipline and self-control, and then praised and encouraged children for more of the same. Christian parents in the Early Church imparted a Christian example to their children, but backed it up by praise and encouragement, not punishment or shaming. Children naturally start to show self-discipline at around age 6, and when children showed self-discipline, they were praised and encouraged for more of the same. 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. Starting at age 6, fathers left out a Bible for children to discover and explore. Whenever children then were caught in the act of studying the Bible, they were given lavish praise and encouragement to keep up the religious study. Fathers then said something along the lines of "you can ask me anything about that book". From there, religious instruction came in the form of question and answer, with children being curious about Scripture, and with fathers giving pointers on the context. This stanza of this commandment denotes the Hebraic tradition of positive reinforcement. Jewish parents throughout history caught children being good and praised them, with this Hebraic tradition predating Christ by thousands of years. 

Sometimes, a parent needs to set a limit. But, children accepting limits is a whole other story. Whenever a child cannot accept a set limit, you need to apologize to them for having to set said limit. In most cases, all that is necessary is a half-apology to reassure children of your good intent. However, parent anger directed towards children was seen as clear entitlement then, in which case parents were required to give a formal apology for hurting their child's feelings. 

Anger at children was not the main motivator for parenting in the Early Church. Instead, parents were motivated not by anger, but instead by worry or concern. Anger directed towards children then was seen as akin to a viper lashing out at its prey. Maybe the child got some warning, but that's about it. 

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!

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

Many parents believe that the ancients in the Bible had no concept of childhood, let alone child abuse. Most parents today believe in 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 consists of a parent who is sorely disappointed for not getting the well-behaved child that they feel that they deserve. Parents are deserving of absolutely nothing from children just for existing. Even any parent anger directed towards a child is parental entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. When this sense of entitlement in parents 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. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just as hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are also inevitable in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in a child, you need to be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of a half-apology, in the case of hurting 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 losing my temper with you", and then commit never to losing 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 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. However, this commandment was ultimately received then as prohibiting all offense perceived by a child coming from parents. 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 understanding of childhood trauma. Whenever a child grew up to be atheist, shame fell on the parents, not the child. An atheist then was seen 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" is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers to any sexual relations outside of a Christian marriage between one adult man and one adult woman, with this marriage being equitable in nature. A groom was only allowed a bride his age, or else up to 4 years older. Sexual relations with children was prohibited then. Most men in the Early Church masturbated to thoughts of his daughter. The only sexual outlets a man was allowed in the Early Church was sex with his wife, or else righteous masturbation without pornography. Pornography was banned then when on a person's possession, including when it depicted children. Child sexual abuse in the Bible was rare, meaning next to non-existent. 

Child abuse in the Early Church was prosecuted by way of internal church investigation. Usually, this investigation started with a child confiding into a clergyperson about their home life. From there, the parents were subpoenaed to testify before the council. If the parents at all defended themselves instead of answering directly to the court, they were excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God for their entitlement. 

The Bible is an anti-spanking document. All 88 books of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - were written by anti-spanking Jews, with Jews nowhere in history supporting punitive measures in parenting. Each 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 the book of Proverbs consisting instead of the 40 minus 1 lashes in the case of adult children, as a sentence for a crime. It just so happens that these parenting manuals were not translated into English until the 1960s.

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. Our legal codes largely come from biblical teachings. However, the laws on child abuse are based off of dated biblical teaching. It is about time we abolish the "reasonable chastisement" defense, and amend the child abuse definitions in light of the biblical teaching not to even offend a child.

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 torrents, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Righteous apology: Why to always apologize to apologize to your child for hurt feelings

Many parents oppose apologizing to their children. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents need an attitude adjustment on this issue. Parents need to apologize to their child for hurting their feelings. Refusal to apologize to your child for hurt feelings can be seen as 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, stemming from entitlement. It is not enough to stop spanking or punishing your child. You need to avoid offense in children. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just as hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are also inevitable in children when dealing with them. The key to avoiding offense in children is to be willing to meaningfully apologize for hurting your child's feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of a half-apology, for hurting their feelings with a limit 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 losing my temper with you", and then commit never to losing your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool with your child alone is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. However, even refusing to apologize to your child is a form of entitlement, and was understood as such 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 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. However, any personal offense perceived by a child was seen as child abuse then. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

Righteous apology, as an acronym, refers to a parent's duty to apologize to their child whenever you hurt their feelings. When you refuse to apologize for hurting your child's feelings, that counts as an offense. Any time you offend a child, including with the enumerated offenses, it is a form of entitlement. When accused of a moral crime, you need to answer to the court of your accusator. Offense in and of itself is a violation of the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, in which case you should answer to the court of the offended party by being the first to apologize.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger though 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!