Righteous child worship: Why Ancient Jewish society was a child worshipping society

Many people support the idea of punishing a child. The religious "right" to punish a child is a common attitude in American parents. Most American parents think that Ancient Jewish society, including the Early Church, was a child enslaving society. The fact of the matter is that children were not enslaved in biblical times, but were rather venerated in the form of righteous child worship. Ancient Jewish society, including the Early Church, was a child worshipping society.

It says in Matthew 25:45-46

Then shall he answer to them, saying, Verily, I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.

The verses mentioned before this passage simply enumerated the oppressed and downtrodden groups that were ignored by Christ's Jewish society, meaning it was an incomplete list. The "least of these" meant anyone smaller and more vulnerable than you, with the ultimate "least of these" being children. Children were seen as divine figures, issuing orders and edicts for parents follow. Children were revered by parents, with the commands of the child striking reverent terror into parents. 

Children ruled from above yet from beneath. This form of righteous child worship was part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission. 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 child 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 form of surrender to parents allows for the child surrendering to parents to expect things in return for surrendering to the loving arms of parents. Parents submitted in a way that they could not expect anything 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, 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 secular writings. Indeed, Greco-Roman fathers used the scourge of cords to punish their children, but NOT the Christians among them - the Early Christians were criticized by the Greeks and Romans around them for being "too soft" on their children.

Children, in biblical times, were considered the salt and light of the world, sitting high atop a mounted hill, casting high judgment upon adult-kind, discerning between the sheep and the goats, bringing out the best and the worst of adults, just by being themselves. Children were seen in biblical times as representatives of God, holding divine authority over their parents, resting only once all of their needs were met. 

Children were treated differently in biblical times. For the first 6 years of a child's life, 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. Whenever children cried, mothers cooed before responding to the cry, then meeting and validating the vulnerable needs of a child. When out and about in public, children were wrapped up next to the bosom of mothers in swaddling blankets. Mothers then breastfed their children, perhaps to sleep, whenever they were milk-hungry, until the child pushed away the nipple. Come nightfall, children co-slept next to their mothers in skin-on-skin format. Co-sleeping lasted until the onset of puberty, which is when a child usually wanted their own place to sleep.

Righteous child worship refers to how Christian mothers in the Early Church viewed their children. Children were viewed in biblical times with the deepest of unconditional love. They were regarded as "wet and messy", but in lovable way. Children's messes and mischief were a reason for adults to laugh. A common statement about children then was "he/she is like God to me", and parents meant it, showing reverent respect towards their children. Fathers viewed daughters in particular as sex goddesses, but in a forbidden way, since the only outlet for the father concerning parent attraction was the masturbation basket. Fathers, just like mothers, put their children on a pedestal, with righteous masturbation re-channeling the parent attraction to a male nurturing instinct. Mothers nurtured up close, yet fathers nurture from afar.

Children held divine authority over parents, meaning parents had to obey the lawfully binding orders of children. The only lawful reasons for righteous disobedience of children's orders was if the orders were either unworkable and/or unlawful. If parents said "no" otherwise, they could be taken before the council and possibly excommunicated if the parents didn't repent. When parents took their children to court, the council always sided with the child, as the Law saw children as sacrosanct. 

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 forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!