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

The doctrine of original sin is the most misunderstood and misused of all Christian teachings. Yet, original sin is the backbone of Christianity. Without original sin, there would be no need for a Christ. However, most parents believe that children cannot be convicted of the doctrine of original sin without being punished in order to "beat the devil out of them". The fact of the matter is that children can absorb the teaching of original sin on their own accord, based off of a parent's example.

Original sin is the backbone of the Christian faith. I am a depraved and decadent pedophilic adult who is deserving of nothing but DEATH and PUNISHMENT merely for existing in relation to children and the God that protects them. Only a few human beings will inherit the Kingdom of God. The rest will be marked for deletion, and will be subject to eternal torment. See Rom. 3:9-18.

The teaching of original sin is taught using the 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 in the sacrifice of parents, just as parent believers rest securely in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This form of surrender to parents comes with strings attached on the part of parents, meaning children can issue righteous demands from their restful place, particularly when parents aren't doing their part in providing from beneath yet from above.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers to damages or offenses, namely the slightest of personal offense, 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 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 in 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 hated largely because they were seen as "too soft" on their children.

The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers to here, in this context, to modeling Christian discipline to children. The standard of Christian 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 relation to their children, with children following in their footsteps. Children in biblical times were caught being good, instead of being caught being bad. Whenever children emulated the good Christian example of parents, they were lavishly praised and encouraged to "keep headed down the straight path". Boys were given manly praise when caught being good, whereas girls were given snuggles when caught being good, with fathers being the parent that handed out the rewards. Sometimes, children needed direct instruction from parents. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and refers to the advice and counsel of parents, meaning that parents could only give advice to children when needed, or else counsel a child when they were upset. Apart from that, children held divine authority over parents, and issued lawfully binding orders from a place of rest.

Children, like the rest of us, were born in sin. This is not up for debate. However, it is a myth that children need punishment to break them of their sinful nature. Children, like adult sinners, are capable of self-improvement on their own accord. The idea is, first, for YOU as the parent to work on your depraved and entitled sinful nature. Your child then should copy your example. Once you see your child copy your Christian example - such as through showing patience or self-control - you praise them and encourage them to keep down the right path. The child should slowly adhere to your example on their own, and the more that adherence comes out in increments, the more you praise and encourage them.

Child discipline is motivated by something. That something is a secure attachment, primarily to mothers, but secondarily to fathers. 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 swooped in to the rescue, cooing to their child, and then diagnosing the vulnerable need of the child, perhaps holding the child close to her bosom in swaddling blankets. When out and about, young children under age 6 were swaddled next to the bosom of mothers in swaddling blankets. Come nightfall, children co-slept next to mothers in skin-on-skin format. This co-sleeping lasted until the onset of puberty, when children wanted their own place to sleep. When children received this sort of sustaining warmth in childhood, they were ready to learn the facts of life from their father.

Fathers modeled an attitude of accepting the fact that he was a sinner in need of God's help. Fathers also instructed their children in the Christian faith. Fathers opened up the minds of their children for religious instruction by leaving out a Bible for the child to find and explore. When caught with the Bible, they were given praise and encouragement by fathers. Religious education included fathers and children comparing notes on their biblical self-study, with fathers giving children pointers on the context. Children, however, were encouraged merely for taking the right attitude. Children found religion entirely on their own accord, and then they were lavishly praised and encouraged for heading down the right path.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoked their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be forever 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!