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

Many parents think that the Bible and its context has no understanding of childhood, let alone child abuse. Most American parents support the present child abuse definitions. However, the Bible also has a definition of child abuse. Whatever the child victim perceives as abuse is objectively so.

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 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. However, any parent anger directed towards a child was deemed entitlement then. 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. The Bible defines child abuse as entitlement in parents, leading to offense in children. The idea is to avoid offense in your children, meaning apologize for any hurt feelings in the child, lest it be seen as an entitled offense. However, you really need to apologize when you lose your cool with your child, because that alone is a form of entitlement. But, even bumping into a child in public can be deemed child abuse if the adult is unwilling to apologize for invading a child's personal space. 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, including 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-terms damages, namely trauma. Even the ancients in the Bible had a concept of childhood trauma. Whenever a child grew up to be atheist, it was a shame on the parents, as the ancients then knew that atheism comes from having spiritually abusive parents.

Child sexual abuse was also a concept in biblical times. The Greek root word denoting fornication is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers, in this context, to any sexual interaction between an adult and a child. Any time a child perceived sexual advances from an adult, it was considered child sexual abuse. All sexual relations outside of marriage was deemed fornication in the Early Church. Child sexual abuse was rare in both the Old and the New Testaments. Whenever a child was raped, the child rapist was excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God. 

Child abuse was prosecuted in the Early Church by the church authorities. Usually, an investigation started out with an abused child confiding into a clergyperson about how their parents were treating them. From there, the parents were called in to testify before the council. If the parents were at all defensive, they were excommunicated from the church.

The Bible is an anti-spanking document, with all 88 books of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - being written by Jews, with no Jew worth mentioning ever defending punishment of a child. Even King Solomon recommended attachment parenting for the little ones, with the rod of correction in Proverbs referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes, administered in a courtroom setting, as a final warning before putting the adult child to death. These harsh punishments were repealed by Christ's Work on the cross. 

The Bible is a founding document of this country, above even the Constitution itself. Most of our legal codes under the English common law are rooted in Judeo-Christian norms. We have a secular government, but we don't have a secular society. Whenever a Christian teaching gains popularity, it is reflected in state and federal law. It just so happens that the Bible was grossly mistranslated at the Latinate level, in order to keep a pagan custom going.

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 abd night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!