Redefining child abuse: Why our Judeo-Christian values call for expanding child abuse definitions

Many parents believe that the Bible does not have a mere definition of child abuse. This is a common belief amongst American parents. Most American parents support child abuse definitions being the same as they are now. However, our founding Judeo-Christian values support expanding the definition 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. Most of the time, parents want respect and praise, then imposing that want through parent anger. Unofficially speaking, parental entitlement is parents throwing a temper tantrum when they don't get from children what they feel that they deserve. All parent or adult anger was deemed parental entitlement in the Early Christian context, as all anger at a child is sore disappointment when children don't give parents what they feel that they deserve. When this entitlement leads to offenses or damages perceived by a child, it becomes child abuse. See also 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 a child, stemming from entitlement. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and was 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. The 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 during his time as a deacon. 

Sweden was the first country in modern times to ban all forms of punitive parenting, with this ban being passed in 1979. However, many ancient cultures had a concept of children's rights, at least on the basic level of children's rights. The Ancient Jewish culture, including the Early Christian culture, already had a ban based off of the Eighth and Tenth Commandments. 

Israel officially banned punitive parenting of children in 2000, by way of court order. The Supreme Court of Israel ruled that the secular courts could hear cases involving child custody in cases of child abuse. Basically, the Supreme Court ruling was more of the same, as Israel never had a legal defense for parents who punished their children. The State of Israel was founded on children's rights tenets.

Israel currently has a statute prohibiting all domestic violence, understood broadly based off of all violence or battering within a home. This prohibition included any punishment or abuse of a child. Domestic violence laws were based off of whatever the child perceived as domestic violence or domestic abuse. 

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!