Passing down the faith: How to pass down the faith (without punishment or force)

Many parents want children to be raised in a religion. This is a common desire amongst American parents. Most American parents think the only way to pass down the faith is through punishment. However, the right way to pass down the faith is through catching children in the act which is Bible study.

Passing down the faith is part of the Christian 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 that 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. This word ultimately 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 their children as they would to God, 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 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 punishment, reprimands, or other controlling demeanor towards children. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death, 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 into the church. Paul may not have gotten along with the women of the church, but he sure loved children, and even took in a few orphaned children during his time. Indeed, Greco-Roman fathers got out the scourge of cords in order 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 showing good traits - such as taking turns, being patient, or showing self-control - fathers gave children lavish praise and encouragement to "keep headed down the straight path". Boys were given manly praise when caught being good by fathers, whereas girls were given a side-embrace when caught being good by fathers. Children also need religious instruction. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and refers to the instruction of the Lord. This instruction started when fathers left out an Aramaic copy of the Hebrew Bible, for the child to discover and explore. Once children were caught reading the Bible, they were lavishly praised and encouraged by fathers with phrases such as "that book is good for you". From there, religious instruction in the family home came in question and answer format. Children were eager to learn the facts of life, and fathers provided pointers on the context.

Religious development is a normal part of child development, with religion being an inherent need for a child. A child's religious development usually started around age 6. A young child's religious beliefs are simplistic, and are non-conforming to any religious denomination. As children get older, however, they start to grow towards a specific religious sect or denomination. Most of the time, children conformed to a specific religious sect or denomination by the time they were 13. Whenever you notice progress in children's religious development, it is good to praise and encourage them.

What motivates a child to hear out their fathers? Why not start with children experiencing a secure attachment with mothers? 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. During the first 2 years of a child's life, children were held constantly by their mothers, either in her arms, or else in a papoose bag on her back when mom's hands were full. Children aged 2-6 ranged beside mothers, following her from room to room, fearing that mothers would "go away and never come back". Whenever children cried, mothers cooed at their child before picking them up, then holding their child in skin-on-skin comfort and sustenance. Mothers went naked throughout the home, only wearing a thin, revealing dress resembling an apron when out in public. Children were naked wherever they went, and this easily allowed for skin-on-skin comfort and sustenance. Come nightfall, children co-slept next to mothers in skin-on-skin format, with this co-sleeping lasting until the onset of puberty, which is when most children then wanted their own place to sleep.

The abovementioned secure attachment with mothers led to a secondary secure attachment with fathers. Mothers nurture up close, whereas fathers nurture from afar. Fathers nurtured in a special teaching way where fathers praised and encouraged the learning of the faith, as well as learning good traits such as taking turns, being patient, and showing self-control. Fathers otherwise remained distant due to parent attraction, which led to fathers masturbating to sexual thoughts of their children. The nature of fatherly attachment is a sexual attachment, with fathers indulging in righteous masturbation in order to center their parent attraction, alongside tarring and charring the act of approaching a child for sexual or flirtatious reasons with images of Hell.

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 of Heaven is at hand!