Child abuse definitions: Why the Bible calls for tougher laws combatting 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 consists of a parent who is sorely disappointed when they don't get the well-behaved child that feel that they deserve. Parents are deserving of absolutely nothing in relation to children just for existing. 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, in the Early Church, 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 here 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 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 losing my temper with you", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as 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 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 by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting causing offense in children as perceived by a child, at minimum. Paul, contrary ro 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 their own understanding of childhood trauma. Whenever a child grew up to be atheist, shame fell onto the parents of the atheist, not the atheist themselves. An atheist in the Early Church 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" 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 the marriage being equal in terms of chronological age. A groom was only allowed a bride his age or up to 4 years older. Mary was 14 when she married Joseph, but Joseph was 13 at the time. All sexual relations between an adult of a child, or any sexual advances from adults, was banned in the Early Church, including intergenerational marriages. Most child sexual abuse then came in the form of father-child incest, with daughters being the usual targets. Most fathers of young daughters in the Early Church masturbated to sexual thoughts of his daughters. Child sexual abuse then was rare, meaning next to non-existent apart from a few documented cases. Attraction to children then was at the joke level, meaning men in particular were honest about their attractions to children, albeit as a man of few words about it. In this setup, child sexual abuse was hidden only in a way that stood out, with children knowing what was happening to them in a way that they could self-report their abuser. A normal adult was honest about his child fantasies, whereas an abuser adult tried to hide what couldn't be hidden. 

It is a myth that the Early Christians were well-integrated into Rome. The fact of the matter is that the Early Christians lived in urban enclaves, shunning the outside Greco-Roman world. These enclaves had their own court system, and also had their own customs and cuisine. 

Child abuse was prosecuted in the Early Church by way of internal church investigation. This investigation usually started with a child confiding into a clergyperson about their home life. From there, the parents were summoned to appear before a council of 3 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, alongside all who testified 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 most Jews throughout history being anti-spanking. All of the biblical writers also wrote parenting manuals advocating attachment parenting. Even King Solomon wrote an attachment parenting manual, with the rod in Proverbs referring to judicial corporal punishment in the form of the 40 minus 1 lashes. It just do happens that these attachment parenting manuals were only translated into English in the 1960s. Before then, this level of knowledge about parenting was known only 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, are based off of Christian teaching. However, the legal defense of "reasonable chastisement" is based off of dated biblical teaching. It is about time we repeal the "reasonable chastisement" defense, and redefine child abuse under the secular 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 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!

Child discipline: How to discipline your child without punitive measures

Many parents want it from children. Most American parents want their children to have discipline. This is a common goal for parents to have. However, most American parents equate discipline with punishment. However, there are better ways to discipline a child than punishing them. The idea is to catch them being good, as opposed to when they misbehave. 

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 simply stop spanking your child, or even stop punishing them altogether for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. 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 also inevitable in children when dealing with them. This, 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 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 losing my temper with you", and then commit never to losing 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 first stanza of 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. However, this first stanza of this commandment was ultimately received by the parish at Ephesus as prohibiting causing any 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 second stanza of this commandment discusses appropriate disciplinary measures, 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 certain 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. When children showed these good traits, parents gave lavish praise and encouragement for more good behavior of the same. Christian parents in the Early Church imparted a good example for children to emulate, with this good example being backed up by praise and encouragement, not punishment or force. Children also need religious instruction, as 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 to "instruction" in more modern versions of the Bible. Starting at age 6, fathers left out a Bible for children to discover and explore, with the Bible left open to a reassuring passage such as The Beatitudes. When children were caught in the act of studying the Bible, parents praised and encouraged their children to keep on studying the Bible, with fathers then interjecting something along the lines of "you can ask me anything about that book". From there, religious instruction came in the form of children being curious about Scripture, and with fathers being quick to give pointers on the context. This second stanza of this commandment ultimately refers to the Judeo-Christian tradition of positive reinforcement. This Hebraic tradition is the most time-honored way to discipline a child, with this Hebraic tradition predating Christ by thousands of years.

When children in the Early Church made a mess, parents laughed with their mischievous child. When children struck out at their parents, parents then cried with their children. Children were seen in the Early Church as next to God, meaning not "sinful swats".

Sometimes, you as a parent need to set a limit. However, children setting limits is a whole other story. Whenever your child cannot accept a set limit, you as the parent need to apologize for hurting your child's feelings with your limits. Usually, all that is necessary is an informal apology for hurting your child's feelings with limits not set out of anger. However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a a parent while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger. 

Unlike in most ancient cultures, fathers in the Early Church did not sexually correct a child for crying too much. The Bible, as understood in context, is completely opposed to 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 there needing to be equity in this marriage. Fathers did not sexually correct children, but instead praised and encouraged good traits in children. Mothers nurtured up close, whereas fathers nurtured from afar in a teaching way. 

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!

Honor parents: Understanding the Fifth Commandment in context

Many parents feel deserving of honor and respect. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents feel insistent on children "honoring" and "respecting" parents. However, the Fifth Commandment refers to a specific form of honoring parents - caring for them 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 to being a caregiver to someone else, in this context your aging parents. The Fifth Commandment was originally given under the Law because Ancient Israel had an epidemic of elder abuse and neglect. The idea here is to give thanks to your parents for how they cared for you, and give them the same loving kindness that they gave you. However, this only works if your parents were loving and kind towards you as a child. If your parents were abusive to you, you have the right to shun your entitled parents.

Many parents feel entitled to children listening to them and honoring them. A common reason for punishing children is the parents feeling dishonored. In quite a few American homes, children are only punished for clear "dishonor" and "disrespect". However, the Bible prohibits all forms of punitive parenting, including when a child is "dishonoring" parents. See Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children too 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, including for "disrespect" or "dishonor". However, it is not enough to simply stop spanking your child, or even stop punishing them altogether 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 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 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 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 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 was ultimately received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting causing offenses in children as perceived by 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.

It is a myth that the Bible says to obey parents blindly. The Greek root word translated as "obey" in Col. 3:20 and Eph. 6:1 is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and translates literally as "rest under", meaning children form a secure bond with their parents. This comes in the form of mutual askance, meaning children ask things of parents, and parents ask things of children. Usually, children did what was asked of them, but also had the right to ask things of parents. 

I myself forgive my parents for abusing me. But, you do not have to forgive your parents unless they give a meaningful apology, and if they go back on their apology, you can simply go back on your forgiveness. Even if you do choose to forgive your parents, you don't have to forget what they put you through. My parents abused me within the law, meaning that though I have made peace with them, I still hate the law that protected them. The core of my trauma comes from my father spanking me "out of love" in the form of a disciplinary spanking. My father thought it would hurt him more than it hurt me. He was wrong. It hurt me much more than it hurt him. I fought back when my parents punished me, ad debated my whole family on the issue of spanking and punitive parenting. My parents both leaned on parent lobby parenting literature, and so I blame the parent lobby for my trauma as a survivor of law-abiding parents. I do forgive my parents for abusing me, but I never will forget how I was treated as a child by them. 

Children need to learn respect. That is a given. However, the idea is to model respect for parents by way of parents bestowing respect onto children. The more you as a parent respect your child in your attitude towards them, the more they will learn to respect you. In a school setting, children who are bullies have bullies as parents.

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!

 

 

Defiance: Why never to use punitive measures on a defiant child

Many parents have been there. A child being, defiant. This is a common experience amongst American parents. Most American parents think that a defiant child is out to get them. However, the fact of the matter is that children defy their parents because they cannot accept set 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. However, it is not enough to simply stop spanking your child, or even stop punishing them altogether 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. One thing that hurts children's feelings perhaps more than anything is when children cannot accept a set limit. In many cases, children express displeasure for limits by acting defiant towards parents. This defiance comes from lack of emotional self-control in children, meaning what is simply disappointing to parents is catastrophic to children. The key to avoiding offense here is to be willing to give a meaningful apology for hurting your child's feelings with limits that they cannot accept. Usually, 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 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 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 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 measures on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. However, this commandment ultimately was 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 is a byproduct of limited self-control in children. Most adults can handle the word "no", and that is due to mature emotional development. This form of emotional maturity comes on its own, meaning there is no need to force children to grow up. Children grow up pretty much on their own, with children ultimately learning non-entitlement by way of the Christian example of parents. Children absorb the example of parents at their own pace, meaning there is no reason to beat non-entitlement into children.

Non-entitlement in children should be the goal of every parent. However, non-entitlement should not be beat into children. Non-entitlement in children comes from a non-entitled Christian parents. All a parent has to do is model non-entitlement in children, and back up their example with praise and encouragement when they are caught in the act of being good. See Eph. 6:4. 

The staple punishment in the broader Greco-Roman world was spanking to the bare bottom with an open hand. However, the Early Christians, contrary to popular belief, were not well-integrated into Rome. The Early Christians instead lived in urban enclaves, shunning the outside Greco-Roman world, and the world at large.

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

"Benign" deprivation: Why children need to hear the word "yes" more than the word "no"

Many parents subscribe to this false doctrine. Most parents support the concept of "benign" deprivation as a means to discipline a child. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. However, most parents need an attitude adjustment on this issue. Children need your "yes" far more often than your "no".

God's Law against "benign" deprivation 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. The key here is to avoid offense in children. 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 also inevitable in children when dealing with them. One thing that hurts a child's feelings perhaps more than anything is telling a child "no" for most every little thing that they ask for. The idea is to give children most everything that they want, and absolutely everything that they need, with much overlap between the two. However, sometimes a parent needs to set a limit for safety's sake, meaning that safety is the only good reason to set a limit. Avoiding offense in children involves only saying "no" for safety's sake, and when you do have to set a limit, back it up with an apology for hurting your child's feelings with your set limits. Usually, 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 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 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 customs of parenting, which were punitive in nature. 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 idea behind offense avoidance in parenting is to say "yes" to your child far more than saying "no" to a child. The key here is to give your child most everything that they want, and absolutely everything that they need. There is much overlap between benign wants and needs in children, meaning if your child wants something, try to make it work somehow. 

Sometimes, you do have to set a limit a child, which should only be the case when children are clearly acting in a danger to themselves or others. Even then, there are nicer ways to put it than an abrupt "no", such as "that won't work", "that isn't possible", or "that can't happen". 

A common place of contention in parenting is in the store. Usually, the child takes something off the shelf, and usually, the parent demands "put that back", and then a power struggle takes place that need not be. In the Early Church, mothers took their children with them them to market. Usually, the child wanted licorice from the candy stand, and every mother then knew to buy the licorice for the child. She asked for the candy paid for it, then handed back to the child for them to enjoy. Children usually don't ask for much, but when they do, they should pretty much always hear your "yes". In most cases, they are asking for a candy bar at the store. You can afford it. 

Some children do ask their parents for things that are clearly expensive, such as a new bicycle. That is when you as the parent start saving their pennies for that one thing that a child wants. Simply tell your child "I can't give that to you now. Wait until I save up enough money". If the child insists on the item with "right now" statements, reassure them of your good intent by giving an informal apology, assuming you didn't lose your cool in setting limits. If you did lose your cool in setting limits, a formal apology is in order. 

The only reason a parent should decline a petitioned request in full is if the request is something dangerous and thus can hurt them. Even then, you should gently break the news to them, and then apologize for hurting their feelings, lest if be officially an offense. Any anger at children was banned in the Early Church, with the Early Christians likening parent anger at children to a viper lashing out at its prey - maybe the child got some warning, but that's about it. The only acceptable reason to get angry as a parent is in the case of a sexually entitled interloper, or else when their child is being abused otherwise.

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!

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

Most American parents think that the Bible has no concept of child abuse, apart from obeying the law of the land. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents support the present-day child abuse definitions under state and federal law. However, 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 existing. 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 was perceived as offensive or damaging by a child, 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 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 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 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 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 as prohibiting all forms of offenses inl 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 in the Bible had a concept of childhood trauma. Whenever a child grew up to be atheist, shame fell onto the parents for being too harsh with their child. An atheist was seen then as an abused child, not merely 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 or advances outside of the context of a Christian marriage between one adult man and one adult woman, with this marriage being equal in nature. A groom was only allowed a bride his age or up to 4 years older. Any sexual relations or advances towards a child, including any intergenerational marriage, was banned in the Early Church. Also prohibited was any pornography on the possession of an adult. Most child sexual abuse came in the form of father-child incest, with daughters being the usual targets. Fathers usually spent away their parent attractions towards children by way of righteous masturbation, meaning masturbation without pornography for health reasons. Child sexual abuse was rare in the biblical context, meaning next to non-existent. When it did happen, it was a huge moral outrage in the community. Sexual attraction to children was on the surface level in biblical times, meaning the joke level, with the abuse showing by the attempts of the abuser to hide their attractions towards child victims.

It is a myth that the Early Christians were well-integrated into Greco-Roman society. The Early Christians instead lived in enclaves in major cities, policed into ghettos by the Roman authorities, shunning the outside Greco-Roman world, as well as shunning the world at large. The 1st Century Christians had their own music and cuisine, and even their own sectarian courts.

Child abuse in the Early Church was prosecuted by way of internal church investigation. This investigation started with a child confiding into a clergyperson about their home life. From there, the parents were summoned to appear before the council of 3 elders who presided over the internal investigation. If the parents at all got defensive in open court, they were swiftly excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God for their entitlement alone. Also excommunicated were any witnesses testifying on behalf of 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 Judaism as a whole prohibiting any punishment or force in parenting. All of the biblical writers also wrote parenting manuals that advocated attachment parenting. Even King Solomon issued an attachment parenting manual, with the rod in Proverbs referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes 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 knowledge about proper parenting was known only to the Jewish world. Around this time, pro-spanking pastors constructed the Revised context that serves to scare men in particular from exploring the Hebraic context of the Bible, as there is nowhere in the Hebraic condoning the sexual abuse of a child.

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, are rooted in the Bible. However, the legal defense of "reasonable chastisement" is rooted in dated biblical teaching. It is about time that we repeal the "reasonable chastisement" defense, and redefine child abuse under state and federal law as prohibiting anything perceived by the child victim 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 torrents, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Test

This is just a test.