Child punishment: Why God hates any form of punitive parenting

Many parents think children need punishment in order to grow up. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. However, children never need punishment in order to thrive. Children is never the answer to a child that misbehaves. 

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. Unofficially speaking, parental entitlement is throwing a temper tantrum just for not getting what you feel that you deserve from children. All anger towards a child was seen as entitlement on the part of the adult. When this entitled attitude leads to the child perceiving offenses or damages, 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 punishment 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.

Anger at a child, in the Early Church, was seen as entitlement. Anger towards a child was seen as akin to a viper striking out against a child. Instead, any anger was intended to protect a child from harm and abuse. Otherwise, Christian parents in the Early Church simply were worried or were concerned when a child acted up, or else laughed off mischief when children were into everything in sight. When children didn't grow out of a developmental phase, mothers never punished their children, and instead were worried constantly about their children's development.

Any form of punishment of a child was seen in the Early Church was prohibited under both the customary law and God's Law specifically. Anything that offends another person is theft in the Bible. God made these offenses especially relevant. Anything that offends a child is considered child abuse under Christian law.

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!