Why the Bible calls for expanding child abuse definitions

Many parents think that the ancients in the Bible had no concept of childhood, let alone child abuse. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents support the present-day definitions of child abuse. However, the Bible has its own definition of child abuse - whatever the child victim perceives as abusive.

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. In fact, any parent anger directed towards a child was seen in the Early Church as parental entitlement, and was roundly condemned as such. 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 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. Child abuse, as defined in the in the Bible, consists of entitlement in parents, leading to offense in children. The key is to avoid offense in your child, with parents being willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you cause hurt feelings in a child. A parent definitely needs to apologize to their children when they offend their child by losing their cool with them, as losing your cool with a child, in and of itself, is entitlement. But, even refusing to apologize to your children when they cannot accept the word "no" alone is 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 childhood trauma. When a child grew up to be atheist, the ancients knew something had to have happened in order to cause that child to abandon the faith. Atheism then was seen as a sign of trauma, not simply a "lost soul". 

Child sexual abuse was also a concept of the ancients. The Greek root word translated "fornication" is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers to here as a sexual interaction between adult and child, namely when a child perceive sexual advances from a child, including child rape. Child sexual abuse was rare in both the Old and the New Testaments.

Child abuse was prosecuted by the church authorities in the Early Church. Usually, church investigations started with a child confiding into a church elder or deacon about being abused by a parent. The parents were called before the council, where a panel of 3 elders decided the fate of the parents. If the parents defended themselves in any way, they were immediately excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God.

The Bible is an anti-spanking document. All 88 books of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - were written by Jews. Even in biblical times, no Jew worth mentioning ever endorsed punitive parenting of children. Even King Solomon recommended attachment parenting for the little ones, with the rod in the book of Proverbs referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes, meaning a sentence for a crime imposed on an adult son. 

America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian family values. We as a nation glean from the Bible and its context as to how to live and treat each other with respect. Even our legal codes are based off of Judeo-Christian values. It just so happens that the Bible was poorly translated at the Latinate level, in order to keep a pagan tradition going. But, the Bible is clear about one thing - avoid offense in children, as per Col. 3:21.

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!