Redefining child abuse: Why the Bible calls for more child protection laws

Many parents think that the Bible calls for punitive parenting. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. However, when the Bible is understood in context, it can be understood as an anti-spanking document that calls us as Americans to support more laws protecting children.

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 an adult temper tantrum when you don't get what you feel that you deserve from children. Any parent or adult anger towards a child was deemed parental entitlement on the part of parents. When children perceive such a temper tantrum as offensive or damaging, it becomes 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 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 toward children. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their child one last time. The parents who punished their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined under the Law as the slightest or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen 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 Christians 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 punitive parenting, with this ban being passed in 1979. However, several ancient societies also banned punitive parenting. This included the Ancient Jews, including the Early Christians. In the Early Church, all child punishment was deemed an offense under the Law, including "hand-me-down-the-slate" gaslighting.

Modern Israel has also banned punitive parenting by way of court ruling. In 2000, a case was heard by the Israeli Supreme Court, with the ruling allowing for the secular courts to hear child abuse cases. Beforehand, if the sectarian courts were Christian or Muslim in orientation, the parents were kept with their children. There was never a defense allowing for punitive treatment of children in the Israeli Penal Code, with the Jewish courts enforcing the law as such already. Ultimately, the Israeli ban was something most Jewish Israelis already knew.

Child abuse is not something that the Bible is silent on. It is a myth that the Early Christians lacked an understanding of childhood. Christian parents in the Early Church were warm and kind to their children, meaning not entitled at all. Maybe the definitions of childhood were different, but those ages are nowhere found in the biblical text. Instead, the law of the land decides the definition of childhood today. In most jurisdictions, that age is 18.

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, whichi 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!