Pro-social deification, pro-social child worship: Why biblical society was child worshipping society

Many parents think biblical times were harsh on children. This is a myth about Scripture and its context. Quite a many parents hand down stories about child labor and corporal punishment against children, spreading falsehoods that children were seen as property and "whipped into shape" as such. The fact of the matter is that Ancient Jewish culture, including Early Christian culture, was a child worshipping culture, with children revered as in place of God on earth.

Jesus Christ wrote in Matthew 25:45-46 KJV:

Then shall he answer them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.

"Least of these" was not limited to what is listed before this verse. The list of downtrodden groups was not an exclusive list that Christ gave. What this means is that God appears in the presence of society's most vulnerable, meaning society's most vulnerable members are an extension of God in Jewish society. Children were seen by Ancient Jewish society as in place of God for how vulnerable they were. Christ was simply listing the common mistakes in people's giving habits - who society ignored the most. Christ's Jewish culture did not overlook the children by a longshot, and so Christ left that group of people implied. Christ preached to His Audience, and His Audience was already pro-child, and already honored their children as extensions of God. This paves the way for pro-social child worship, as children's needs and cries for love were seen as signs of God, not an "annoyance" or a "burden".

The centerpiece of an attached Christian parenting relationship is Christian love, as denoted by the Greek root word αγαπαο (Latin: agapao). This word refers to Christian Agape love, meaning putting children first, and yourself as a parent last, in convicted way leading to dutiful and selfless submission to the every vulnerable need of children, with the child being in place of God, expecting absolutely nothing in return from children or others, with children resting safely and securely in the good works of parents, without a worry in the world. See 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, vulnerable rest in the love and grace of parents. This form of respect for parents does not come from fearful compliance, but instead restful trust in parents, with children feeling safe enough to tell parents anything and everything that is on their mind - including admissions of wrongdoing and non-conforming traits - expecting absolutely no punishment or reprisal in return. Children, in this loving and affirming environment, start to take after their parents, wanting to be like parents, then following the example of parents come young adulthood. Children cannot be expected to take after parents right away, as all children struggle with behavior that society sees as inappropriate, and children will continue to have this childish behavior as a phase of development, meaning most childish behavior in children, including defiance and talking back, are there as a developmental stage, and children will eventually grow out of those stages and then follow the example of parents more closely, giving back to parents for their time and patience.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or abuse, namely child abuse in this context. Child abuse, under biblical law, at minimum, is defined as the slightest of personal offense perceived by the child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by the child, coming from entitlement. In this commandment, the Apostle Paul is lifting up the Law against punishment and controlling demeanor towards children, rebuking Greek Christian parents for bringing their pagan custom of spanking children into the church. Christian parents of Greek origin were misusing the book of Proverbs as a means to justify their punishment habits even in the 1st Century, when this passage was written. Paul was warning parents in the Colossian church that Proverbs is simply wisdom literature - a list of wise sayings - and not a parenting manual. The rod verses - all seven of them - do not refer to raising children at all, and instead refer to an ancient, archaic legal practice within Judaism where the father of the ADULT child, who was convicted of a capital offense, was subpoenaed to issue 40 minus 1 lashes with the rod of correction. Most fathers then weren't cooperative witnesses towards their own children, and so the criminal court had to issue a court order mandating that the young man be whipped for his actions, as a last resort before putting him to death. This form of harsh punishment was only practiced rarely in the Old Testament, and never in the Early Church. MINOR children could not stand trial due to legal incompetence, and thus a child under the age of majority could not be charged with a crime, and thus could not be punished for anything.

Children were clearly deified in biblical times, meaning parents saw them as deities to obey and yield to, with children's stated needs having the same authority of God's Law in the family home. Children were idealized like little gods and goddesses, and referred to as such in passing. "My little god" (for boys) or "my little goddess" (for girls) was seen as a term of endearment for children. 

This deification lead to parents devoting themselves to their children, seeing their children as in place of God, revering and fearing their children and their commands as they would a direct command from God Himself. Reverent fear, in the Bible, is denoted by the Greek root word ψοβός (Latin: phobos), and definitely was how Hebrew and Christian parents felt about their children in biblical times. It was a certain devotion that lead to parents being completely beholden to the expressed needs of children, meaning every want that could be given. 

Children in biblical times got most of what they wanted, and all of what they needed. Children had much influence over the decisions of adults, including where to live. If a child had an immature fear about a dwelling unit, the whole family moved, and didn't argue with or invalidate the fear of the child. Any expressed want from a child points to what they need, and most wants from a child are attainable, to the degree that your bank account allows. Usually, children want the little things in life, such as candy in the checkout line, in which case you just buy it for them and don't argue - it comes from you, in their eyes. "Don't argue" points to the pro-social deification of children, and thus pro-social child worship.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke children to anger 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 torment, suffering God's Wrath forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!