Child abuse definitions: 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. Most parents today 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. However, any parent anger directed towards a child was seen as parental entitlement then, and was roundly condemned as such. Whenever this sense of entitlement in parents was perceived as offensive or damaging by children, 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, with this entitlement including parent anger towards children. Child abuse in the Bible, as a legal concept, consists of entitlement in parents, leading to offense in children. The key to avoiding abusing your child is to avoid offense in your child. The idea behind avoiding offense in your child is to be willing to meaningfully apologize whenever you hurt your child's feelings. However, if you lose your cool with your child, you should definitely apologize to your child, and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool with your child alone is entitlement. With that said, any refusal to apologize to your child for upsetting them, in and of itself, 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 translated 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 to any long-term damages, including trauma. The ancients in the Bible had a basic understanding of childhood trauma. When children grew up to be atheist, shame fell onto the parents, with atheism being seen as a sign of trauma, not simply a "lost soul". 

Child abuse was a matter investigated by the church. Usually, the investigation started with a child confiding into a church elder or deacon. From there, the parents were called before the council for a trial. If the parents defended themselves at all in court, they were swiftly 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, with no Jew worth mentioning ever defending the punishment of children. Even King Solomon recommended attachment parenting for the little ones, saving the rod for adult descendants who were convicted of a crime, as a last resort before the child being put to death, with the rod verses in Proverbs referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes. 

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 and get along with each other. Even our legal codes ultimately come from our founding Judeo-Christian values. It just so happens that the Bible was grossly mistranslated at the Latinate level. However, the Bible is clear on child abuse - do not provoke your child to anger, meaning avoid offense in children. This verse in Colossians is glossed over in order to keep a European pagan tradition going in the name of "God".

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!