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

The doctrine of original sin is among the most misused and misunderstood of all Christian teachings. Yet, original sin is the backbone of Christianity. Without original sin, there would be no reason for a Savior. Yet, Christ died and Rose on the Third Day, with witnesses to prove it. Children were born in sin, but that is no reason to punish them.

All human beings are guilty merely for existing in relation to God. We as human beings are depraved and decadent by our very nature, and are deserving of nothing but non-existence. God hates us for our very existence, in an insignificant way. We are insignificant to God as human beings. God especially hates us as adults, as we have a peacekeeping nature that kept children down especially. Only a few will win favor with God, with the rest of mankind being predestined to everlasting torment. See also Rom. 3:10.

The answer to talking to your children about original sin is spelled out in 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 is 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. 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. See also Matt. 22:35-40.

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 was understood in its 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 in the parish at Ephesus who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing their 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 during his time as a deacon.

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, and 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 parents' footsteps. Children in biblical times were caught being good, as opposed to being caught being bad. Whenever children were caught showing good traits by fathers - such as sharing, being patient, or showing self-control - they were given lavish praise and encouragement with statements such as "keep headed down the straight path". Boys were given manly praise from fathers when caught being good, whereas girls were given a kiss to the forehead from fathers when caught being good. Children also need religious instruction. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and refers to the instruction of the Lord. Religious instruction started out with fathers leaving out an Aramaic copy of the Hebrew Bible, for children to discover and explore. When children were caught exploring the Bible, they were given lavish praise and encouragement from fathers with statements such as "that book is good for you". From there, religious instruction came in question and answer format, based off of what children saw in the text. Children were eager to learn the facts of life, with fathers being quick to give pointers on the context. Religious development is a part of child development, as religion is a human need for children and adults alike. In young children - usually older than age 6 - children have simplistic religious beliefs that are non-conforming to any religious denomination or sect. But, as they get older, they grow towards a specific religious denomination or sect. It may not be your choice of religion, but at least they have values. A parent can limit their children's options to Christianity by only leaving out a Bible. 

Original sin does not have to be taught using punishment or shaming. The topic of original sin will come up in the religious questions that children ask you. Somewhere during the child's instruction, children will ask the question "Why did they have to kill Jesus?". The proper way to answer such a question is "We as human beings are all sinners, and so we need a Christ to save us from sin with His Sacrifice, so we can be forgiven". From there, children should get the message that we are all sinners. Maybe this answer might be distressing to a child, which is when you reassure them by cooing at them and picking them up. 

How do you motivate a child to hear out their father's religious instruction? Why not start out with a secure attachment with mothers? For the first 6 years of childhood, children were in constant closeness to mothers, meaning that wherever the mother went, so did the child. For the first 2 years of childhood, children were constantly held by mothers, either in her loving arms, or else on her back in a papoose bag when her hands were full. Between ages 2-6, children ranged next to mothers, following mom from room to room, not letting mom out of their line of sight, morbidly fearing mom "going away and never coming back". Whenever children cried, mothers cooed at their children before picking them up, then diagnosed the need from there. Maybe the child was tired. Maybe the child was hungry. Maybe the child needed mom's milk. Maybe the child needed mom, period. When the mother and child were out and about, mothers wrapped up the child - under age 6 - next to her bosom in swaddling blankets, with the child - and the swaddling blankets with them - underneath her loose-fitting, revealing dress that resembled an apron. Come nightfall, children co-slept next to mothers in skin-on-skin format every night, until the onset of puberty, which was when children wanted their own place to sleep. Children went naked wherever they went, with mothers also going naked within the confines of the family home, with this birth nudity facilitating skin-on-skin warmth and sustenance. 

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!