Expanding child abuse definitions: Why the Bible calls for more laws protecting children from abuse

Many parents think that the ancients had no concept of child abuse. This is a common belief amongst American parents. Most parents instead believe that the Bible calls for the punishment of children. However, the fact of the matter is that the Bible has its own definition of child abuse, namely anything perceived by the child 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 consists of a parent being sorely disappointed when they did not 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 was seen back then in the Early Church as parental entitlement. When this sense of entitlement in parents was perceived by a 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 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 deacon.

The Greek root word translated "they be discouraged" is αθυμέω (Latin: athumeo) and refers here to long-term damages, namely trauma. The ancients did have a concept of trauma. When a child went atheist, that was seen as a sign of abuse in a child. Adults who were atheist were seen not as arrogant, but instead were seen as trauma victims.

Child abuse by parents was an act that was shunned across the board, with the pro-social rumor spread throughout the church that a specific parent or set of parent. The pro-social rumor usually started with the children, and ended with the council. When the council handed down the verdict, the child was given a choice between going with parents and going with pedophiles, with children usually choosing pedophiles, and with pedophiles only getting close to children in order to lactate, as opposed to a barter setup.

The Bible, in and of itself, is an anti-spanking document. All 88 of the books of the Bible where written by Jews, and Christ Himself was a Jew. No Jew worth mentioning ever punished a child. Even King Solomon recommended attachment parenting in his secular writings. The rod in Proverbs refers to the 40 minus 1 lashes, with striking another Jew only being allowed in a courtroom setting. Since Christ endured corporal punishment, the Early Christians shunned all force in parenting. Children were seen as completely blameless, except for fornication or drunkenness offenses, where parents confronted the child for committing a blasphemy offense upon their baptism, with the sin guilt counting only in retrospect, with all children dying before knowing Christ welcoming them into the Kingdom of Heaven. 

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!