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

Many parents believe that punishing or being controlling with children is commanded in the Bible. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. However. the fact of the matter is that the ancients who wrote the Bible has a concept of child abuse - whatever the child perceived as 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 involves parents being 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 anger towards a child from parents was seen as parental entitlement. When this sense of entitlement was perceived by the child as offensive or damaging, 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 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 child. 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 aa 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 inro 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.

The Greek root word translated "they be discouraged" is αθυμέω (Latin: athumeo) and refers to long-term damages, with these damages including trauma. The ancients had a concept of childhood trauma. Whenever a child turned atheist, they were seen as a trauma victim, not a blasphemer. Atheism was seen then as a sign of trauma, not simply a choice to get back ar parents, with the parents being shamed for imposing religious trauma,

Child abuse was a concept in biblical times, with notable cases going before a council of 3 elders that presided over the case. If the parents were convicted by the council, the child was given a choice - go with the parents, or go with pedophiles. Pedophiles even then were not allowed to have sexual relations with the children that they took in. All a pedophile could do then was masturbate to sexual thoughts of the children in their care.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children 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!