The "naughty list": Why this is child abuse

Many parents support Santa's naughty list, meaning they threaten children with a naughty list from Sants Claus. This is a common attempt to motivate a child to "behave". This is a form of child abuse under biblical law.

It says in Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to secure trust in parents. Replace "obey" with "trust" and you come to a roughly better translation. However, this trust is borne out of maternal warmth and sustenance. This refers to secure, warm trust in parents, meaning children don't even need a Santa Claus as an intercessor between parents and children, as the concept of Santa Claus is a resurrection of the Norse god Odin designed to act as a Christ-like intercessor, assuming all parents had a God complex in the course of their work. This sort of trust, in biblical times, came in the form of attachment parenting, with children being wrapped up next to mothers in swaddling clothing, being held close to their mother's bosom, reassured and having their every upset validated.

Making threats, even in vain, is a violation of a child's right not to be disturbed or provoked by their neighbor, meaning their parents. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to provocations to anger in children, namely any and all offenses against children, as denoted by the slightest of offense perceived by the child. This was intended by the Apostle Paul as a prohibition on all punitive parenting, including even threats such as the modern-day "naughty list". The Early Christians did not celebrate Santa Claus, and under the Law that Jesus Christ upheld, punishment was considered kidnapping, and that was the context Paul was writing to, with Paul rebuking Greek Christians who brought their punitive parenting habits, a part of their idolatrous pagan custom, into the church.

The "naughty list" offends children, and provokes them to anger. I don't even celebrate Santa Claus, but sometimes the children insist otherwise, but few children like the Christmas red tape that is the naughty list. Most American parents do celebrate Santa Claus, and many of my Mennonite Anabaptist theology believe in a similar gift-giver "Weichnachtmann", in which case I would say that he shouldn't wield a whip that cracks, and neither should Santa in general. 

Parents are giving extensions of Christ, meaning parents should focus on being grateful for their children, bestowing gifts and toys to their children, lighting up the faces of their children, expecting absolutely nothing in return, just as Christ never asked for any gifts for His Sacrifice on the cross. Gratitude, in giving form, is giving to your neighbor - meaning your child - and expecting absolutely nothing in return for your act of kindness and charity. Punishing children at all this season reeks of ingratitude and hardness of heart in parenting. Christ was a gentle parent, meaning He spared several people of being punished by execution, which included corporal punishment. Parents are to emulate the giving example of Christ, and not punish or control children, instead warning them gently when they go astray, nudging them on the right path.

The naughty list won't stop children from behaving erratically and irrationally, as is the irrational nature of children. Children need to go through these phases themselves, and that's exactly what the vast majority of behaviors are - phases a child is going though, that will end in due time, and if they don't, they have a disability of some kind that needs treatment. Parents need to stop resenting their child, and get down on their knees and thank the Lord for the child He blessed them with. Mary was grateful for her child, as was any decent Israelite mother then. The naughty list does not accommodate the behavioral needs of children, as most children misbehave automatically due to developmental immaturity, and automatic actions are not sins due to the defense of ignorance, which the defense of infancy is in assumed form - a child cannot be prosecuted before hearing out Christ's message from parents, and that is because children can't keep the Law perfectly, so they need their parents to be their savior on earth, just as Christ is the savior of parents and other adult believers.

The depraved and entitled parents will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them burn in the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death, which is Satan's final resting place! Let them descend into the abyss which is Hell and torment, suffering God's Wrath for all eternity! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!