Thanksgiving dinner: Why children have the right to be offended by physical contact

Many parents will be celebrating Thanksgiving this season. This is a time for children to be with extended family. Grandma may want a hug. But, does the child want the hug? Most American parents punish children merely for not accepting a hug from grandma or another member of extended family. However, even the mere consent violation on the part of adults is considered child abuse under God's Law.

God's Law on child abuse is spelled out in 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 any refusal to apologize to a child. Ultimately, in this context, this commandment was referring to physical battery, meaning any time a child objected even the slightest of touch, adults should apologize to children. Usually, parents as well as extended family insist on children hugging them as a way to "be sociable", and usually, the parent is the main party in the entitled pressure imposed on children to hug or be affectionate with an extended family member. Let the child's every wish be your guide this Thanksgiving, meaning if your child is averse to hugging someone in the family, they should not be forced to, as any time a child's feelings feelings are hurt in this regard, you as an adult need to apologize. Refusal to apologize for upsetting your child is entitlement, with the offense being official when the child is hurt emotionally by the touch that they didn't want. Children have the right to be offended by anything an adult does to hurt their feelings, and the only way around this as an adult is to be willing to apologize at a moment's notice, even in the case of the slightest of unwanted affection. 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 onto children. Paul, contrary to popular legend, 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. Even in the Old Testament, touching another Jew without consent was seen as physical battery, and could only happen in the context of a courtroom.

It is okay for a child to be offended by being forced to hug members or the extended family. Whenever physical contact with a child is rejected by that child. Whenever a child is emotionally hurt by the physical touch coming from an adult, that constitutes an official offense. Whenever a child refuses to give you a hug, you should be willing to apologize to that child, lest it become entitlement on the part of all adults involved.

Most of the time, children can tell intuitively whether a specific adult is harboring a sexual narcissist. In that situation, children will avoid the adult and will refuse to be affectionate with the adult. If a child ever refuses to hug a member of extended family, or any adult for that matter, that wish should be respected. 

Children are not your property, meaning a child is an autonomous human being. If an adult doesn't want a hug, nobody questions why. Why is it that children usually offended in this way? A child should have the right to be offended when they don't want to hug or kiss a member of extended family, or in the case with any adult for that matter. 

Thanksgiving is a time for thanks. Be thankful for your child in every respect. The core antonym of gratitude is entitlement, and that includes parental entitlement. Whenever you even are angry with a child, including for refusing to hug grandma or be affectionate with a member of the extended family, you are entitled. Any adult anger is entitlement in the eyes of God, and so if you lose your cool in forcing your child to be affectionate with extended family, you definitely need to apologize for losing your cool with them, and commit never to being angry with a child ever again. Your children have the right to be offended when their feelings are hurt by way of non-consensual affection. No child wants to be forced to be affectionate.

The depraved and entitled parents who punish their children for refusal to be physically affectionate will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them descend into the abyss which is the Hell of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Repent!