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

Many parents think that the biblical context has no concept of child abuse. Most American parents support the current child abuse definitions. However, the Bible has its own definition of child abuse - whatever 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 a parent 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 parent anger directed towards a child was deemed parental entitlement, and was condemned as such. Whenever 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 offenses or damages, 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. It is not enough to stop spanking and punishing your children - you need to ideally avoid the slightest of offense perceived by a child. However, offending children is inevitable in parenting, in which case parents should be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever they offend their child. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent, such as statements such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, when you lose your cool with your child, you need to give a formal apology such as "I apologize for losing my cool with you", and then commit to not losing your cool again with your child. A provocation to anger is a specific form of offense, with this sort of offense stemming from entitlement. However, even refusing to apologize to a child that you upset is a form of entitlement. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translating to "power to the parent", including the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

The Greek root word translated "they be discouraged" is αθυμέω (Latin: athumeo) and refers here to long term damages, namely trauma. The ancients in the Bible had a basic understanding of trauma. If a child grew up to be atheist, it was seen as a sign of trauma. Atheism in an adult child was seen as a shame on the parents in question, as opposed to the atheist simply being seen as a "lost soul". 

Child sexual abuse was defined under the Greek root word πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers in this context to any sexual advances perceived by a child, even if the child liked it. Any sexual interaction between an adult and a child is child sexual abuse. Sexual relations with children will never be acceptable, and wasn't even acceptable in the biblical context. All sexual relations outside of a marriage between one adult man and one adult woman was deemed sexually amoral then.

The Bible is an anti-spanking document. All 88 books of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - were written by Jews, with no Jew worth mentioning ever defending punitive treatment of children. Each of the biblical writers recommended attachment parenting in their secular writings, citing Jewish customary law. Even King Solomon recommended attachment parenting for the little ones in his secular writings. 

The Bible is a founding document of this country, even above the Constitution itself. We as a society glean from the Bible and its context as to how to live as a country and get along with each other. It just so happens that the Bible was grossly mistranslated concerning parenting at the Latinate level. Nowhere in the Bible is punitive parenting ever recommended, with the rod verses referring to a form of judicial corporal punishment known as the 40 minus 1 lashes. Whipping minor children was banned in all cases, even under King Solomon's rule.

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!