Co-sleeping: Why the Bible endorses co-sleeping when understood in context

Many parents think that co-sleeping is the irresponsible choice to make as a parent. Most parents avoid co-sleeping for reasons of "sleep dependence" appointed by inexperienced professionals such as pediatricians. The fear of a parent is that the child will become dependent on sleeping next to parents, and won't ever cease to want to sleep next to parents without parents "severing the umbilical cord". The fact of the matter is that not only is co-sleeping a temporary fixture, but it can prevent child sexual abuse. 

Co-sleeping is an outward expression of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission, where children rest securely in the loving arms of mothers, and with mothers holding children in their arms submissively. 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 submission of parents. Children are to rest securely in the sacrifice of parents, just as parent believers rest securely in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul to lift up the customary law commanding a secure attachment between parent and child in the family home. This secure attachment comes from parent submission, in which case parents submit to children while expecting absolutely nothing in return.

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 prohibiting 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 here was lifting up the Law 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 in his writings.

It is common knowledge that children aged 2-5 often refuse to go to bed on their own. Refusing to go to bed is a common reason for punishment. What most parents don't realize is that children that young aren't ready to sleep on their own. Children up until age 6 have an underlying fear of being devoured by predators when isolated in a dark room alone. Many parents today would say that there are no predators in the home to devour children, but, in fact, there are - sexual predators. Most child sexual abuse is committed by a father or father figure, and is committed when the child is isolated in their room, usually at nighttime. Mothers in biblical times protected their children from the sexual entitlement of their fathers by sleeping next to their children in skin-on-skin format, thus guarding them from harm, and also bringing out any low-level sexual entitlement in her children's father. Fathers then had a parent attraction to their daughters primarily, and daughters were, in most cases, attracted to their father. Mothers kept the two separate, for sake of sexual purity, and kept them separate by sleeping next to her daughter, with the father on the other side of the mother. All fathers still have this parent attraction, but most fathers - especially in punitive homes - repress it, with sexual abuse occurring when it comes out sideways onto the child. Co-sleeping would solve this problem, as it would force fathers to confront their issues with parent attraction, especially if done in skin-on-skin format. 

A common reason for parents to be avoidant of co-sleeping is "sleep dependence". Many pediatricians and other professionals serving children often say that if you co-sleep with your child, you are "setting them up for failure" as they will "then become dependent on parental warmth". Children in biblical times slept next to their mothers in skin-on-skin format, with young children - perhaps up to age 6 (or possibly older) - being allowed to breastfeed while the mother was laying on her back. Children continued to sleep next to their mother come nightfall, with this closeness ending at puberty, when children wanted a place to sleep on their own. 

Co-sleeping took place within the context of birth nudity, where mother and child were naked next to each other, in skin-on-skin format. All co-sleeping was in skin-on-skin format, with both mother and child in the nude, snuggling in bed come nightfall. The whole family slept in the nude next to each other. Children were breastfed, usually for the first 2 years of the child's life, and sometimes up until age 6, or even older in rare cases.

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