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

Many parents think that child abuse is a modern concept. Most parents support the child abuse definitions that we have today. However, the fact of the matter is that the ancients in the Bible did have a concept of child abuse. Child abuse is defined in the Bible as anything that the child victim perceives 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 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. Parent anger directed towards a child was seen in the Early Church as parental entitlement. When this sense of entitlement on the part of parents was perceived by the child as damaging or offensive, 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 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, 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 to long-term damages, namely trauma. The ancients in the Early Church had a concept of trauma. When a child grew up to be atheist, it was seen as a sign of trauma, not merely a sign of a lost soul.

Prosecuting child abuse in the Early Church came in the form pro-social rumor. When parents were shunned by their children, it was immediately seen as a sign of child abuse. Word spread far and wide of a child being abused by parents. When word reached the council, the panel of 3 elders came to a verdict as to the fate of the parents. When the parents were found guilty, someone else took in the child. Sometimes, family members were unwilling to step up to the plate, in which case children went with pedophiles. These pedophiles were known as "child saviors", meaning men especially trained in nursing an orphaned child back to health. Pedophiles then did not rape their child charges, and instead masturbated to sexual thoughts of their child charges. 

The Bible is an anti-spanking document. All 88 books of the Bible were written by Jews, with no Jew worth mentioning ever endorsing punitive parenting. All of the biblical writers endorsed attachment parenting. Even King Solomon recommended attachment parenting for the little ones. The rod of correction in the Bible refers specifically to the 40 minus 1 lashes, meaning as a sentence for a crime. Christ put an end to the harsh punishments in the Old Testament by doing His Work on the cross.

The Bible is a founding document, even above the Constitution itself. The Bible and its context is something we glean from as a society. It just so happens that the Bible gave an anti-spanking commandment in Col. 3:21 and also Eph. 6:4, stanza 1.

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 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!