Original sin: How to bring your child up in the doctrine of original sin (without punishment or force)

The Christian doctrine of mutual submission is one of the most misused and misunderstood of Christian teachings. Yet, original sin is the backbone of Christianity. Without original sin, there would be no need for a Christ. Yet, Christ died for our sins, and then Rose on the third day - with many witnesses as to His Rise from the dead.

The doctrine of original sin can best be taught in the context of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission, with children following the good Christian example of parents. 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 upon 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 are to 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 of 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 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 in the parish at Ephesus 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 secular writings. Indeed, Greco-Roman fathers did use the scourge of cords to discipline their children, but NOT the Christians among them - the scourge of cords was shunned by the Early Church.

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 children, with children then following in their footsteps. Children in biblical times were caught being good, instead of caught being bad. Whenever a child was caught emulating the disciplined example of a parent, the child was lavishly praised and encouraged with "I see you" statements. Boys were given manly praise when caught being good, and girls were given snuggled from fathers 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 all parents could do is give advice to children, or else counsel them if they are upset. Otherwise, parents were under the divine authority of their children, with children issuing lawfully binding orders to parents.

Children, like us all, were born in sin. This fact of life is not up for debate. But, it is a myth that a child needs their sinful nature beaten out of them. Children are capable of self-improvement all on their own, albeit guided by the Christian example of parents. All you need to convict your child of their original sin is to convict yourself first, and then impart a good Christian example to children. Then, when you catch your child being good and emulating your Christian example, praise them lavishly. Then, they will want to please you with their own progress in terms of their own self-improvement. 

What ultimately motivates a child to follow in the footsteps of their parents, and hold the values of their parents? Children need a secure attachment to parents during the first 6 years of childhood in order to emulate the disciplined example of parents later. For the first 6 years, children were in constant closeness to mothers, meaning that 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 while picking up the child in skin-on-skin format, then cradling the child close to her bosom in mammary closeness. When out and about, mothers swaddled their children next to their bosom in swaddling blankets. Come nightfall, children co-slept next to mothers in skin-on-skin comfort and sustenance. This lasted until the child reached the onset of puberty, which was, in most cases, when children wanted a place of their own to sleep.

The doctrine of original sin is not at all a reason to punish your child. All that means, in the case that they are a child, is that they are struggling to be good, and need your help as a parent caregiver. Fathers in biblical times were not punitive in nature at all. If you did something good, you knew it, because your father would praise you lavishly. Otherwise, children were allowed to be children. Parents loved their children for their sinful nature, not despite it, finding childhood mischief to be cute. Most childhood play in biblical times was wet and messy.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to wrath 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!