Redefining child abuse: Why the Bible says that child abuse definitions should be expanded

Many parents think the Bible doesn't have any answers on the issue of child abuse. This is a common belief amongst American parents. Most American parents believe the issue of child abuse is an issue that the Bible has no answers for. However, the Bible is very clear on child abuse.

The Bible prohibits any form of child abuse. The Greek root word denoting parental entitlement is πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés) and is defined as, officially speaking, wanting things from children, to the point of imposition. This imposed want came in the form of a demand, at minimum. When this want was imposed by a parent, and the child perceived it, it became child abuse. See Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

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 the 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. 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 as a deacon.

The first country in modern times to ban all punitive measures in parenting, including corporal punishment, is Sweden. However, certain ancient cultures prohibited punitive parenting. In the biblical context, children were protected by law from all forms of punishment, including corporal punishment. This ban carried over into the Early Church.

Modern Israel banned corporal punishment, and all punitive parenting, in the year 2000. But, even before then, Jewish family courts ordered for the collection of children in a Jewish household. The problem was that the Christian and Muslim family courts ruled in favor of the parents in punitive parenting cases. In the year 2000, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the police could act unilaterally to arrest the child abuse offender and collect the children of the parent abuser. Israel's family court system is sectarian based, meaning each religious denomination or sect has a family court that serves that denomination or sect.

In modern Israel, the penalty for punishing a child was based off of what criminal statutes applied. The Israeli Penal Code never had a defense for punitive parenting. Thus, if the child was yelled at, the parents could be charged with harassment. If a parent struck a child, the parents could be charged with battery. If the child was placed in time-out, the parents could be charged with false imprisonment.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger 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!