"Benign" deprivation: Why "benign" deprivation is unbiblical

Many parents use it on their children. We are talking "benign" deprivation tactics. Most parents do use "benign" deprivation tactics. However, the fact of the matter is that "benign" deprivation is both unbiblical and immoral. Instead, it is good to meet a child's every need.

"Benign" deprivation is a violation 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 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 surrender to parents came with strings attached on the part of parents, meaning that children issued orders from their place of rest, usually when parents weren't doing their part around the house.

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 Christians 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. Paul did have problems getting along with women, but he surely did love children, and took in orphaned children. Indeed, Greco-Roman fathers used the scourge of cords on their children as punishment, but NOT the Christians among them - the Early Christians were hated largely for being "too soft" on their children.

"Benign" deprivation is depriving children of certain needs, in lieu of what they "really need". This is a common authoritative parenting tactic promoted by authoritative parenting gurus such as John Rosemond. However, that is not how parents in the Early Church saw things. Mothers in biblical times responded to the EVERY cry of their children, cooing at their children as they were picked up and held against the bosom of mothers, in skin-on-skin mammary closeness. The every need of children was met in biblical times, not just some needs. Young children, in most cases under age 3, needed to be breastfed to sleep. Sometimes, children as old as age 6 needed to be breastfed to sleep. Children in biblical times were swaddled next to the bosom of mothers when out and about in public, in constant skin-on-skin mammary closeness. Children were breastfed in public in biblical times, many times to sleep. 

The word "no" was rarely used by Christian parents in the Early Church. When children issued righteous demands, parents were to obey those demands as divine law. The only reason a parent could refuse to follow their child's orders was if the orders were unlawful and/or unworkable. Parents could not issue lawfully binding orders of their own, and if a parent took their child to court, the council took the side of the child every single time. If children felt that the word "no" was unfair, they had legal recourse by way of taking their parents before the council. If the parents were found guilty before the council, they were summarily excommunicated. 

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!