Redefining child abuse: Why the Bible calls for expanding child abuse definitions

Many parents think that the ancients had no concept of childhood, let along child abuse. This is a common belief amongst American parents. However, the fact of the matter is that the ancients did have a concept of child abuse, with child abuse being defined in the Early Church as the slightest of offenses or damages stemming from parental entitlement.

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 when parents are sorely disappointed when they don't get what they feel that they deserve from children. Parents are deserving of absolutely nothing from children just for existing. Any parent anger directed towards children then was deemed parental entitlement. Whenever this sense of entitlement was perceived as offensive or damaging by a child, it was deemed 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 here 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 it original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including, but not limited to, any punishment, 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" and is defined under the Law as the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen as holding your children hostage merely for thing 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 his time as a deacon.

The Greek root word translated "they be discouraged" is αθυμέω (Latin: athumeo) and refers to long-term damages, namely trauma. The ancients did have a concept of trauma. Atheism was seen as evidence of child abuse. Whenever a child lost heart, and lost faith in God, they were seen as the victim of child abuse, not blasphemers rebelling against the church.

Punitive parenting was seen in biblical times as any parenting motivated by anger. Parent anger towards children was seen in the Early Church as akin to a viper lashing out at a child. Parents in the Early Church only got angry in order to lay claim onto their children, thereby voicing protective anger on behalf of the child.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke your 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!