Righteous co-sleeping: Why God wants parents to sleep next to their children

Many parents think that co-sleeping is the irresponsible choice for a parent. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. However, the fact of the matter is that not only does co-sleeping gel a bond between parent and child, but it also helps prevent child sexual abuse.

Righteous co-sleeping is the centerpiece of a mutual submission relationship between parent and child, with the burden of proof falling squarely onto parents. See Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers here to secure, vulnerable rest in the love and submission of parents. This highlighted word ultimately refers to a secure attachment between parent and child. This secure attachment comes from parent submission, where parents are to perform good works for their children, with children resting securely in the good works of parents. Good works here refers to doing good things for children, meeting children's every vulnerable need, expecting absolutely nothing in return. See also Matt. 22:35-40, 25:31-46; 1Cor. 13:4-8.

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 initially 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.

Most parents have to deal with bedtime refusal. This is a common reason for parents to punish their children. However, children under age 6 are too young to sleep in their own bed. Most children under age 6 have a primal fear of predators devouring them. You might think that predators don't exist today. You would be wrong. Most child sexual abuse happens as a bedtime ritual, with fathers sneaking into his child's bedroom, and raping her. In the Early Church, the sexual abuse of children was rare next to non-existent, and that was because the mother was right there, guarding her child from the sexual entitlement of fathers, perhaps using herself as a human shield for her child if necessary.

The most common excuse for not co-sleeping comes from fearmongering on the part of pediatricians and mental health professionals serving children, with frightening terms such as "sleep dependence". However, Christian parents in the Early Church co-slept next to children every night in skin-on-skin format, until the onset of puberty, which is when most children wanted their own place to sleep. However, even with extended co-sleeping - perhaps lasting into the teenage years - co-sleeping always had an end to it. 

Co-sleeping is the ultimate way to gel a bond with a child. The family bed was a concept in the Early Church. In the Early Church, the family bed came completely in the nude, with parents being naked in the confines of the household, and with children going naked wherever they went. The mother slept in between the children and their father, thereby guarding her children from the father's sexual entitlement. 

A large part of my trauma involved power struggles over co-sleeping. I needed mom to sleep next to me because I had bipolar mania, which includes racing thoughts at bedtime. This lasted well into the teen years. When I snuck into my parents' bed, my father grabbed me by the throat and then shook me. I did eventually learn to sleep in my own bed, once I was medicated with a mood stabilizer to calm me down. 

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!