Original sin: Why to avoid parental entitlement

The doctrine of original sin is one of the most misunderstood and misused of Christian teachings. However, original sin is the backbone of all of Christianity. Without original sin, there would be no reason for a Christ. Many parents think that the doctrine of original sin means that children are deserving of punishment. The fact of the matter is that parents and other adults should focus on their own sins, and avoid parental entitlement.

It says in Romans 3:9-18 KJV:

What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.

This passage was originally written to Roman Christians in the 1st Century, penned by the Apostle Paul. The Roman Christians were becoming prideful and pompous in their practice and observance of the Christian faith. Paul was convicting the Roman Christians of their original sin by way of righteous epithet, listing all of the ways that the Roman Christians were like the Roman pagans that they differentiated themselves from in their pride. Today, this passage can be understood as a testament as how God feels about humanity. God hates all mankind, so much that He doesn't want us to even exist in His midst. By default, all of mankind is marked for deletion. Only a few - the elect - will be marked for salvation. The rest will suffer the second death, meaning everlasting punishment in the lake of fire and burning sulfur. God hates mankind largely because of the one-sided incursion between adult-kind and child-kind. We as adults are depraved and decadent sinners who are deserving of nothing but DEATH and PUNISHMENT merely for existing in relation to children and the God that protects said children. I am a depraved and decadent sinner who is deserving of absolutely nothing in relation to children, 

Parental entitlement is the sin nature in which all adults, including parents, have to avoid in relation to children. The Greek root word denoting entitlement in the New Testament, including parental entitlement, and cross-references the Tenth Commandment, is πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés) and is defined as, officially speaking, wanting things from children, to the point of imposition. Unofficially, parental entitlement refers to wanting things from children, period. It is good not to want anything in life, including from children. But, since we all want something from children as depraved and decadent adults, it is good to ask politely and approrpriately for what we want from children, accepting when they cannot or will not give us what we want from them. Want is the core of our depraved and decadent sin nature as human beings, and wants from children are the very core of those wants. 

What washes away sin more than anything else? Christian love! The Greek root word denoting Christian love in the Bible (see Matt. 22:35-40) is αγαπαο (Latin: agapao) and refers to, in the context of parenting, prioritizing your child first, and yourself last, to the point of dutiful and selfless submission to children as you would God, expecting absolutely nothing in return. True Love is not based in pride or desire, but instead fearful conviction, where parents are convicted of the fact that they are depraved and decadent sinners deserving of absolutely nothing in relation to children. This creates a feeling of worthlessness, which prompts the parent/sinner to earn their worth by providing for their child. Children then rest safely and securely in the love and submission of parents. 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 children as extensions of God.

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 its original context, as a moral statute that prohibited all forms of punitive parenting, including any punishments or 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 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, thereby treating your child as a quartered slave. Paul was lifting up this legal context to 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, wore absolutely no clothing, at all, until they became adults. Women only wore clothing outside 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 and skin-on-skin comfort. Children went naked for a specific reason in biblical times - so that mothers could scoop up children and snuggle with them, in order to soothe their crying and upset. When out and about, mothers wrapped up their children next to their bosom, in swaddling blankets. By night, mothers co-slept next to children in order to guard them from predators of all kinds, including sexual predators in the home. Fathers formed a secure attachment by way of witnessing skin-on-skin bonding between mother and child, with this attachment usually in the form of a sexual attachment. The father was instructed by the church to follow his sexual thoughts about his children to the end using masturbatory fantasy. This sexual fantasy led to fathers getting along better with their children, usually with fathers being dragged around by children like a human ragdoll.

We, as a species, are a fallen race. Human beings are inherently wicked and evil by way of nature. This shows in how mankind treats the youngest and most vulnerable amongst himself. Children have been mistreated and abused as a form of oppression throughout history. That there is our original sin as a species. Many parents will claim to believe while abusing their children, whereas only a few will make the cut by not abusing their children.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their 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!