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

Many parents think that child abuse definitions should stay the way that they are. Most American parents ignore Scripture on the issue of child abuse. The fact of the matter is that child abuse has a biblical definition to it, with our Judeo-Christian values clearly issuing definitions 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. Unofficially speaking, parental entitlement is throwing a temper tantrum when you don't get what you feel that you deserve from children. Any adult anger towards a child was deemed parental entitlement then. When this temper tantrum was perceived as offensive or damaging by the child, it was deemed child abuse. See also Colossians 3:20-21 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 offensive touch or speech 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, and 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 society in modern times to ban all punitive parenting of parenting, including corporal punishment. However, several ancient cultures prohibited any punitive treatment of a child. Ancient Israel, and by extension the Early Church, were among those ancient cultures that mandated attachment parenting. No country did it better than Israel.

Israel officially banned punitive parenting in 2000. However, even before that, there was no legal defense for punishing or being controlling with a child. Up until the 2000 court ruling, reports of punitive parenting went to sectarian courts. The 2000 ruling allowed for the secular courts to take up the slack for the non-Jewish sectarian courts. The Jewish family courts were already on board, and enforced the law on Jews since the founding of modern Israel in 1948. Basically, the average Israeli Jew interpreted the court ruling as hearing what they already knew - punishing a child was always wrong in Israel.

Today, all domestic violence is explicitly in violation of the Israeli penal code. That means any violence taking place within a family home is domestic violence in Israel. This includes any punishment of a child. This means that any domestic tyrant can be arrested in Israel, either for crimes against the child, or crimes against intimate partners, or both.

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!