Love children: Why parents and adults should love all children

Many parents think that they love their children. This is a common belief amongst American parents. Most American parents, however, hate their children, by the Christian standard of love. Most parents throw that word around like it means nothing. However, the word has a meaning. Love is not simply a word, nor is it simply a verb, but instead is a state of being. You can be in love, and be in love the right way, meaning the Christian way!

It says in Matthew 22:35-40 KJV:

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

The Greek root word translated "love" here is αγαπαο (Latin: agapao) and refers to, in the context of parenting, prioritizing children first, and yourself last, to the point of dutiful and selfless submission to children as one would God, expecting absolutely nothing in return. True Love does not come from a place of pride or desire, but instead comes from a place of fearful conviction, where parents are convicted of the fact that they are a depraved and decadent sinner deserving of absolutely nothing in relation to children. This makes the sinner/parent feel worthless, and prompts the sinner/parent to earn their worth by serving their neighbor/child. Love for one's child was seen as loving your neighbor who was poor and vulnerable, with children being classed by Ancient Jewish society as poor and vulnerable.

Parents are to be submissive to their children, just as parent believers are submissive to God. In return, children should simply rest safely and securely in the submission of parents. Parents and children are to submit to each other, in mutual submission. Picture a child running into her mother's arms, surrendering into her arms, without a care 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. Children are to rest securely in the sacrifice of parents, just as parent believers rest securely in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Parents are to be extensions of Christ in the family home, dutifully and selflessly submitting to children as they would God, expecting absolutely nothing in return, with children resting safely and securely in the submission of parents. Parents are to submit to children from beneath, yet from above, revering their children as extensions of God in all things.

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, stemming from entitlement. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and understood in context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including any punishments or controlling demeanor. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their children one last time. Parents who punish their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined as under the Law as the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen in biblical times as holding your child hostage merely for things that they did wrong. 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 their children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child.

Parents are to be submissive to their children, just as parent believers are submissive to God. Children in biblical times were prized for being bold and rebellious, with rebellion in children being seen as cute and endearing. Children demanded for what they wanted and needed from parents and other adults, and instead of fighting the demands, parents simply gave up, and gave in to the demands of their parents. These righteous demands from children brought parents to full and dutiful submission to their children, with children getting most of what they wanted. Parents submitted from beneath, yet from above, just as they would to God, with children reigning over their children with a deity of their own.

Children, in biblical times, wore absolutely no clothing, at all, until they became adults. Women only wore clothing outside of the home, and otherwise went in the nude, in order to serve both their husbands and their children, separately. Mothers served their children by way of providing for them nourishment and sustenance, namely attachment parenting items such as breastfeeding or skin-on-skin comfort. Children went naked in biblical times for a simple reason - so that mothers could scoop them up and snuggle with them to soothe them when they were crying or upset. When mothers were out and about, mothers wrapped up their children next to their bosom in swaddling blankets. By night, mothers slept next to children, in order to guard their children from predators, including sexual predators in the home. Fathers also formed a secure attachment to children, by way of witnessing close skin-on-skin bonding between mother and child, usually in the form of a sexual attachment. Fathers purged these unrequited lusts by masturbating to sexual thoughts about children. Actual child sexual abuse was rare next to non-existent in biblical times, but when it did happen, it was seen as a capital offense, at least symbolically.

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!