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

Many parents think that the law of the land is enough to define child abuse. Most parents think that the Bible has no answers as to what child abuse is defined as. However, the Bible has a definition of child abuse, namely whatever the child perceives as abuse.

The Greek root 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 consists of a parent who is 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. All parent anger towards children was seen as parental entitlement then. Whenever this sense of entitlement was perceived by children 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 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.

The Greek root word translated "they be discouraged" is αθυμέω (Latin: athumeo) and refers to a child losing heart. Ultimately, this highlighted word refers to long-term damages, namely trauma. The ancients did have a basic understanding of trauma. Whenever a child lost faith in God, and became atheist, the parents were put to shame, and were blamed for a non-believing child leaving the faith.

Child abuse was seen under Christian law was defined in biblical times as any abuse perceived by the child as such. Most cases in biblical times were largely self-reported. Whenever a child came forward about child abuse that they were experiencing, the parent was rebuked. The evidence gathered by the rebuke was then turned over to the council, and from there, both parents were put before a council of 3 elders. Christian law then came in the form of an inquisitorial system of jurisprudence, where the council guided the investigation into the parents.

The writers of all 88 books of the Bible were written with an anti-spanking bias. This is because all of the writers were Jews, and Jews never endorsed punitive parenting of any sort. Even King Solomon endorsed attachment parenting in his secular writing, with the rod verses referring to a form of judicial corporal punishment known as the 40 minus 1 lashes in the case of an adult being convicted of a criminal offense. The book of Proverbs is poetry, and is not to be taken literally.

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!