Righteous ordering: Why children call the shots in Christian parenting

Many parents think that they call the shots in parenting, and have the "right" to issue orders and edicts to children. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents issue orders and edicts to their children. However, the fact of the matter is that children have the unilateral right to issue lawfully binding orders to parents. Children call the shots in Christian homes.

Righteous ordering is part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission, and describes the child's role in parenting. 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 that commands a secure attachment between parents and children in the family home. This secure attachment comes from parent submission, where parents are to submit to children as their enemy, from beneath yet from above, 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. 

Children, in biblical times, held lawful and divine authority over their parents. Children could issue lawfully binding orders towards their children, and parents, in most every case, were obligated to obey the lawfully binding orders of children. Parents could not issue lawfully binding orders of their own, and could not sue their child in court. If a parent took their child to court, the case was promptly dismissed, and the parent excommunicated from the church body if they refused to apologize to children for the false accusation. All accusations against children were deemed false under the Law, even if they were technically legally true. Parents could only refuse to obey orders issued by children if they were unlawful or unworkable. 

Parents, while children were under their care, were servants to their children, meaning mere caregivers. Children made orders from their parents as a parent would make orders from waitstaff at a restaurant. With young children in biblical times, their every cry was a summonses to provide vulnerable needs, and mothers had to obey the every cry of their child. Mothers responded to the every cry of their child with sustaining warmth, giving children skin-on-skin comfort and sustenance while in a state of birth nudity with their child. Birth nudity, in the biblical context, was practiced as mothers and children being in the nude next to each other, in skin-on-skin closeness and intimacy. Co-sleeping was completely skin-on-skin, and lasted until puberty. Children age 6 and up usually issued lawfully binding orders by barking orders at parents, and ordering parents around. Parents were under the divine authority of their children, with children being extensions of God on earth. Usually, siblings in Early Christian homes all righteously demanded the same thing, copying off of each other in demanding needs. 

Children are the salt and light of the world, with children sitting atop a mounted hill, casting high judgment upon all adult-kind, discerning the sheep and the goats amongst all adults, bringing out the best in adults with their childish immaturity. Children are sacrosanct, meaning children can do no wrong, even if accused of wrong, even if they technically legally do no wrong, as children are guiltless. Adults are to live in reverent fear of the righteous judgment of children, for children are a higher authority to adults for being the lowest among the "least of these". Adults are to answer to children, pleading "yea" or "nay" for all damages or offenses that children perceive. 

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!