"Naughty or nice": Why no child is "naughty"

'Tis Christmastime. A common belief amongst American parents is that Santa Claus has a list, "and he's checking it twice, to find out who is naughty or nice". Many parents label children "naughty" or "nice". It is unfortunate fact in our history that we gave women similar labels in the past, and now, we have women tending to their children the same way, as well as men.

Designating children as "naughty", and treating them as such, is a moral offense against a child, at least once the child is offended by it. 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 to damages or offenses, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, coming from entitlement. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including punishments and controlling demeanor towards children. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their children one last time. Parents who punished their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined under the Law as the slightest of damages and offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen in biblical times as holding your child hostage merely for things they did wrong, thereby treating children as quartered slaves. Paul here was lifting up this legal context in order to convict a group of Greek Christian parents who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child.

Children in biblical times were treated very differently than how children are treated today. Children were seen as wrathful in biblical times, but in a way that parents were struck with reverent fear and terror by their child's wrath, with parents submitting to children as they would God, pleasing and appeasing children as they would a deity, keeping children happy as they would want to keep God happy with them. Parents were told by the religious authorities then that if they neglected one iota of the instructions in the parenting manual, they would burn in Hell, with their child reporting to God everything that they neglect. Parents in biblical times were ordered to be nice, not children. Children then were nasty, and that nastiness, ferocity, and boldness is what endeared parents to their children. Fathers especially, but also mothers, encouraged boldness and ferocity in children. Ancient Israel and the Early Church were child worshipping societies, not child sacrificing societies. Parents, when parenting was hard, prayed to their children for mercy and forgiveness, whispering to their babies such prayers, hoping they would report to God. On the surface level of the ancients' child understanding, children were seen, in biblical times, as sacrosanct in terms of righteous judgment. Children in biblical times could do no wrong.

Most behaviors that parents judge as "naughty" are actually developmentally appropriate behaviors given their age and developmental level. When the behavior is developmentally abnormal, one can suspect a developmental and/or other mental health disorder in the child, in which case we cut the child a break even further. "Naughty" children do not exist. However, naughty parents do exist. So, if you are a parent, be nice to your child, and be as sweet and respectful as you can be towards your child, for your child reports to God on how well you do as a parent. God reads the mind of the child, and can tell if they are provoked to anger.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be forever 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!