Original sin: How to impart the doctrine of original sin (without punishment or force)

The doctrine of original sin is one of the most misunderstood and misused of Christian teachings. Yet, original sin is the backbone of Christianity. However, most Christian parents think original sin is something beaten into a child. With that said, the fact of the matter is that original sin is something you hide from a child, until they figure it out for themselves. In the mean time, parents should model the doctrine of original sin by taking up an undeserving attitude themselves.

Original sin is evidenced in the Bible by the Greek root word πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés) and refers, most literally, to entitled existence. The idea is that we as adults need to atone for our entitled existence, and are deserving of absolutely nothing due to our entitled existence. This level of atonement models to children an undeserving attitude.

Original sin is ultimately imparted as part of the Christian example imparted by way of 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 anger: 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. This word refers to a secure attachment between parent and child in the family home. This secure attachment comes from parent submission, where parents are to submit to the good graces of their children, from beneath yet from above.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parogizo) 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 stature 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 parish at Ephesus. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child in his secular writings. Paul may not have gotten along with the women of the church, but he sure loved children, and took in a few orphaned children in his time. Indeed, Greco-Roman fathers used the scourge of cords as a way to punish their children, but NOT the Christians among them - the Early Christians were largely persecuted for being "too soft" on their children.

The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers to here, in this context, modeling and encouraging Christian discipline in 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 children following in their footsteps. Children in biblical times were caught being good, as opposed to being caught being bad. Whenever a child was caught being good, they were given lavish praise and encouragement, with praise commonly given when children figured out how to share, have patience, and show self-control. Boys were given manly praise when caught being good by their fathers, and girls were given snuggles and physical affection when caught being good by their fathers. Sometimes, children needed direct explicit instruction. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and refers to the advice and counsel of parents, meaning parents could only offer advice when needed, or else counsel their children when upset. Otherwise, parents were under the divine authority of their children.

Children are born in sin, and this is not up for debate. However, there is no need to call a child a "sinner" or punish them for sinning. Children have their own religious development, meaning part of a child's natural curiosity is the Christian facts of life. The early beliefs of children are usually non-conforming to any Christian denomination, but then they slowly conform to a denominational belief system by the time that they are preteens - maybe not the one you want, but at least they belong to some denomination. A common religious question for children to ask their parents is why Christ died on the cross, in which case a parent should tell the Truth, but in a sensitive way. All you have to say is "human beings are imperfect by their very nature, and that's what we call original sin". You may need to comfort them if they cry. Some children need the comfort, whereas others simply find it as a means to understand and forgive yourself for struggling.

How does a child become motivated enough to trust a parent's word on the Bible and its context? Children need a secure attachment, primarily with mothers, and secondarily with fathers. During the first 6 years of a child's life, children were in constant closeness to mothers, meaning wherever the child went, so did the mother. The Early Christians practiced birth nudity, where mother and child were quartered in the nude next to each other, in the family home, in skin-on-skin closeness and intimacy. When out and about in public, mothers swaddled their children next to them in swaddling blankets. Breastmilk was a common need for children, and mother breastfed wherever they were, including in public. Children were weaned when they pushed away the nipple, in most cases at around around age 3, but sometimes until age 6 or older. Come nightfall, children co-slept next tocases  mothers, in skin-on-skin comfort and sustenance. This skin-on-skin co-sleeping lasted until the onset of puberty, which was when children wanted their own place to sleep.

Mothers nurture up close, whereas fathers nurture from afar. Fathers were charged with the duty of religious education for children. Religious education starts with leaving out a Bible for the child to discover and read, with the children being eager to learn about the facts of life, and the fathers giving pointers on the context. In most cases, the Hebrew Bible was the first book that child read. From there, children studied the Bible, and came to their own conclusions regarding religion. When children figure out original sin on their own, they should be comforted.

Actual discipline in biblical times involved a form of nurturing of the teaching sort, from afar, coming from fathers. When a child actually did something good, usually a developmental milestone, children were lavishly praised and encouraged to "keep headed down the straight path". Parents passed down the faith by both an undeserving attitude on the part of parents, and leaving out Scripture for the child to scour and explore with their natural curiosity.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to wrath through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever 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 is at hand!