Original sin: How to bring up your children in the doctrine of original sin - without punishment or force

The doctrine of original sin is one of the most misunderstood and misused of all Christian teachings. Yet, original sin is the backbone of Christianity. Without original sin, there would be no reason for a Christ. Yet, Christ clearly died and then Rose on the third day. However, original sin is not an excuse for punishing or reprimanding a child. Parents, in order to have a child that is convicted of their original sin, needs to convict themselves of their original sin.

God hates all mankind, and doesn't want mankind to even exist. Mankind was born in original sin, and is deserving of absolutely nothing but DEATH and PUNISHMENT merely for existing in relation to God. God will only take pity on a few human beings. The rest will be cast into the lake of fire and torment prepared for Satan and his accomplices. Mankind has fallen from grace, and deserves punishment for turning his back on God. YOU, the parent, are deserving of absolutely nothing in relation to children, for being the depraved and decadent parent that you are.

Children are best convicted of original sin in the context of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission. See Ephesians 6:1-4 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

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 submit to their children as their enemy, from beneath yet from above, expecting absolutely nothing in return.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) 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, but not limited to, any punishments, reprimands, or other 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.

The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers to here, in this context, modeling Christian discipline to children. The Christian standard of discipline is deserving of absolutely nothing, therefore grateful for absolutely everything, coming from a sinful nature, leading to a chastened up example for children to follow. Christian parents in the Early Church centered their entitlement in view of their children, with their children then following in their footsteps in avoiding entitlement. Children, in biblical times, were caught being good, instead of caught being bad. Whenever a child was caught emulating the disciplined example of parents - such as when children showed self-control or accepted the word "no" - they were lavishly praised and encouraged to "keep going down the straight path". Boys were rewarded with manly praise and encouragement when caught being good, and girls were given physical affection such as hugs and snuggles when caught being good. Sometimes, children needed direct parental instruction. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and refers to the advice and counsel of parents, meaning that parents are only allowed to offer advice to their children, or counsel them when they are troubled, perhaps also pleading to their children when they want their children to do a favor for them. Parents could not issue lawfully binding orders to children, as they were under the divine authority of parents.

Children, like the rest of us fallen human beings, are born in sin. This is not up for debate. But, children are perfectly capable of self-improvement on their own, albeit while guided by the Christian example of their parents. When you take up the attitude that you are a depraved and decadent sinner who is deserving of absolutely nothing and grateful for absolutely everything, your child will automatically pick up on your attitude and copy your attitude. When you catch them copying your non-entitled attitude, be sure to praise them.

How do you motivate a child to heed warning and be convicted of their original sin? A child will accept harsh realities better when they have a secure attachment with their parents. For the first 6 years of a child's life, children were in constant closeness to mothers, meaning wherever the mother went, so did the child. The Early Christians practiced birth nudity, where mother and child were in the nude next to each other, in skin-on-skin closeness and intimacy. When children cried, mothers cooed before cradling the child in the loving arms of the mother, in mammary closeness. Children older than age 6 were turned over to their fathers for religious education. Religious education came in self-study format, where children studied Scripture and then were rewarded for their religious vocation with lavish praise and encouragement. Part of a religious education was children following the Christian example of parents, and that was praised as well.

The key to convicting your child of their original sin is to convict yourself of your own original sin. Pick a form of entitlement that you struggle with, and work on centering your entitlement. A good place to start is a form of entitlement all of us as adults have to some degree - parental entitlement. Once you center your parental entitlement, all the other forms of entitlement you struggle with will be centered as well. It all starts with declaring yourself a depraved and decadent sinner who is deserving of absolutely nothing. Most parent anger towards children comes from a deserving place, and so parents need to take up an undeserving attitude. Children will see your good works on yourself, and seek to copy your good works. So, instead of punishing your child for their sins, why not focus on your own sins as a parent. Children are born in sin, but that's for THEM to work on, not you as a parent.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their 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 day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!