Child punishment: Why God hates any punishment of a child

Many parents think that they feel entitled to punishing a child. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents feel that they have the so-called "right" to punish their children. However, the fact of the matter is that children have a right not to be punished by a parent or other adult.

The Greek root word denoting parental entitlement is πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés) and is defined ss, officially speaking, wanting things from children, to the point of imposition. Unofficially speaking, parental entitlement is when an adult throws a temper tantrum for not getting what they feel that they deserve from children. All parent anger and adult anger towards children was seen as parental entitlement then. When this anger or temper tantrum was perceived as offensive or damaging by the child, 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 a child, stemming from entitlement. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and understood in his 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.

Parent anger, and by extension all adult anger, is a moral crime against children in and of itself. Adult anger towards a child was seen as akin of a viper lashing out at a child. Any decent parent in the Early Church did not ever become angry with a child, ever. Instead, parenting was driven by worry or concern, not anger.

Child punishment includes anything with the intent to be controlling with a child in the form of "or else" gaslighting. It is morally wrong to strike or punish a child, in any capacity. In the Early Church, parents who were at all punitive towards children were excommunicated after the case came before the council. The council consisted of 3 elders who heard the case of the punished or abused child, and then came to a verdict from there.

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!