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

'Tis Christmastime. This means time with family and friends. A common power struggle parents have with children is when children refuse to hug or kiss relatives. This is a common cause for contention this Christmas season between parents and children. Refusing to respect your child's wishes in this regard constitutes child abuse.

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 children, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards children. The key to not abusing your child this Christmas season is to avoid offense in your child. The idea behind avoiding offense in children is to be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. One thing that hurts your child's feelings is to commit against children the moral crime of forced affection. Most forced affection involves an angry parent who feels "embarrassed" by their child not "being sociable", with parents feeling sorely disappointed when children aren't affectionate like what parents want. Whenever a parent loses their cool like this, it is definitely in order to give a formal apology, and then commit never to lose your cool with your children ever again, as losing your cool at all as a parent 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 with them 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 onto children, such as spanking and 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.

Children are not your property. Children are not cuddle-toys for adults. Children are real people, meaning full people. If a child does not want to hug grandma, they shouldn't have to. Children are autonomous human beings, meaning they are full people with rights of their own.

I am a pedophile. The main thing I want with a child is affection. I might benefit viscerally from a child being forced to hug me. This is reason enough not to force your child to hug relatives. Thankfully for the child, I have religious convictions against anything affectionate with a child, as when I would hug a child against their wishes, it would mean something sexual to me.

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 torrents, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

"Benign deprivation": Why the "frequent and often" use of the word "no" is child abuse

Many parents buy into the belief that children need to hear the word "no" frequent and often. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents say "no" to children all of the time. However, the frequent use of the word "no" is child abuse.

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 "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 parent anger directed towards children. The key to not abusing your child is to avoid offense in your child, meaning be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. One reason why children's feelings get hurt is when parents say the word "no". The key is to apologize to your child whenever they cannot accept the word "no". Usually, all that is needed is a reassurance of good intent. However, if you ever set a limit at all out of anger or haste, you should definitely apologize for losing your cool as a parent, then commit never to never losing your cool with your child again, as losing your cool as a parent alone is entitlement. The word "no" should be used seldom in parenting, meaning almost never. Part of avoiding offense in children is finding any reason to say "yes" to a child's petitioned request. 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 parenting customs, which were punitive in nature. 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.

"Benign deprivation" ultimately refers to the frequent use the word "no". However, Christian parents in the Early Church knew more than parents today that using the "no" unnecessarily can be child abuse. Under customary law then, the word "no" was prohibited in parenting as a general rule. The exception to this rule is if the parent is declining a request that is unsafe, unworkable, and/or immoral. When this happened, and children could not accept the word "no", they were offered an apology, by way of reassurance of good intent.

Christian parenting in the Early Church was not ever motivated by anger. Instead, parenting then was motivated by worry and concern. Most Christian parents in the Early Church worried a lot about their children, in the warmest and kindest of ways. Anger directed towards children was seen then as akin to a viper lashing out at an unsuspecting child. Maybe the viper hissed, but that's about it in terms of a warning.

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!

Santa Claus: Why Santa should not bring coal for Christmas

'Tis Christmastime once more. Santa is said to "have a list", and is "checking it twice", to "find out who is naughty or nice". However, the Bible says that Santa should not have a naughty list, as the only purpose for the naughty list is to scare children into behaving. The fact of the matter is that Santa should not bring coal to "naughty" children for Christmas, as scaring children with Santa is child abuse.

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 parent anger directed towards children. Threatening children with Santa bringing coal for Christmas hurts a child's feelings unnecessarily, and when parents defend their so-called "right" to upset children in this regard, it officially becomes an offense, with this offense in children constituting child abuse. If you have threatened your child with Santa, you should tell your child as an apology "I talked to Santa, and he never would deliver coal to any child. I was wrong." 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 parenting customs, which were punitive in nature. 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.

A true gift comes with no strings attached. A true gift comes from love. Love, in the biblical tense, refers to giving without receiving. The idea is to give children everything that they ask for, while expecting absolutely nothing in return for a gift that make Christmas memorable. Children shouldn't have to be "nice" in order to receive gifts.

There was no gift-bringer for children in the Early Church. Instead, children received gifts directly from parents, with this symbolizing the gifts from the Three Kings who visited Christ. Ultimately, Christmas Day then came on the same day as in modern times, as a solemn observation of Christ's birth. There was no commercialism in the Early Christian Christmas. Just a day off from work to be with family.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke not 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 burning sulfur, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Positive reinforcement: How to discipline your child without punitive measures

Many parents want their children to have discipline. This is a common desire amongst American parents. However, most American parents conflate discipline and punishment. However, the fact of the matter is that discipline in the Bible involves positive reinforcement, meaning catching children being good.

God's Law on child discipline is spelled out in Ephesians 6:4 KJV:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

This first stanza clarifies for the second that discipline should not hurt. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) 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 parent anger directed towards a child. In order for discipline to not hurt, you need to avoid offense in your child, meaning be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. In most cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent, such as when a child cannot accept set limits. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you definitely need to give a formal apology to your child, and then commit never to losing your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards children was seen then as toxic entitlement. However, whenever you refuse to apologize to a child that you caused to be upset, you are entitled. This first stanza of this commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents in the parish at Ephesus who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely 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.

This second stanza was intended to point out acceptable forms of discipline, with the first stanza ruling out anything punitive with a child. The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers here to a specific form of nurturing, namely of the teaching type. Children were left to form their own discipline, and when that discipline showed, they were given lavish praise and encouragement to keep up the good work. Christian parents in the Early Church set a good example for children to follow, but backed it up with praise and encouragement, as opposed to punishment and force. Children also need religious instruction, as religion is a human need for children and adults alike. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and is more aptly translated as "instruction" in more modern versions of the Bible, and refers to light instruction. Starting at age 6, fathers left out a Bible for children to discover and explore. When children were caught in the act of studying the Bible, they were given lavish praise and encouragement from parents, with fathers then stating "you can ask me anything about that book". From there, religious instruction came in the form of question and answer. Children were curious about Scripture, with fathers giving pointers on the context. This stanza was intended to lift up the Judeo-Christian tradition of positive reinforcement, meaning the Hebraic custom of catching children being good. This tradition of positive reinforcement was a Hebraic custom of the biblical context, and outdates punitive parenting by thousands of years.

Sometimes, children need limits. However, them accepting limits is a whole other story. Whenever your child cannot accept limits, it is a good time to apologize to your child. The idea is to, in most case, be willing to give a reassurance of good intent to a child. However, if you lose your cool with your child at all when setting limits, you should give a formal apology, with you then committing to never losing your cool ever again as a parent, as anger at a child alone was seen as toxic entitlement then.

Positive reinforcement was an ancient custom that outdated punitive parenting by thousands of years. Children were given lavish praise and encouragement when caught being good. Most childhood mischief was a reason for righteous laughter in parents. However, when behavior was unsafe or immoral, or else when the petitioned requests of children were unsafe, unworkable, and/or immoral, the parents set a limit, backing the limit up with an apology. However, childhood behaviors such as crying or meltdowns are normal behavior, and require a parent to respond to a child's every cry.

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!

Passing down the faith: How to instruct your child in the Lord without punitive measures

Most parents want their children to have religion. This is a common desire amongst American parents. However, most parents think religious instruction needs to hurt in order to be useful. However, the Bible calls, in context, for religious instruction to never be painful.

God's Law on passing down the faith is spelled out in Ephesians 6:4 KJV:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

This first stanza clarifies for the second that religious instruction should not hurt. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived as 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 parent anger directed towards children. The idea in parenting is to avoid offense in your child. This means that any time you hurt your child's feelings, you should be willing to give a meaningful apology to your child. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you should definitely apologize to your child, and then commit never to losing your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool as a parent, in and of itself, is entitlement, with this entitlement being seen as unlawful entitlement in the biblical context. However, whenever you refuse to apologize for causing upset in your child, you are entitled. 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", namely 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.

Religion is a human need for children and adults alike. There is no need to beat a religious education into a child. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and is better translated as "instruction" in more modern versions of the Bible. Starting at age 6, fathers left out a Bible for children to discover and explore. When children were caught in the act of studying the Bible, fathers lavishly praised and encouraged, with fathers then saying to children "you can ask me anything about that book". From there, religious instruction came in question and answer format. Children were curious to learn about Scripture, with fathers giving pointers on the context.

A common way for modern-day Christian parents to pass down the faith is to break their child's will. A child does not have a will that needs to be broken. Religion is a basic human need. "Breaking their will" is wholly unnecessary, and creates a power struggle over religion that needn't be. All a parent has to do is leave out a Bible, with childhood curiosity taking over from there.

Childhood religious learning shouldn't be rushed or hastened. Grateful postures don't need to be forced onto children. Grateful postures come on their own, and are a sign of a good spiritual temperature in a child. I myself tie my hands behind my back wherever I go, and nobody forced me. I tie my hands behind my back because it is comfortable, and also to remind others that they are in the presence of the elect.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to wrath 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!

"Spare the rod, spoil the child": Why the rod verses in Proverbs are repealed passages

Many parents think that the Bible commands that children be spanked, at least some of the time. Most American parents think the Bible says "spare the rod, spoil the child". However, this specific phrase is nowhere found in the Bible. However, 6 verses in the book of Proverbs mention the rod of correction. With that said, these verses are repealed verses.

One commonly cited rod verse is Proverbs 13:24 KJV:

He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

The Greek root word translated "rod" is shebet and refers to a switch, administered to the bare back. The Greek root word translated "son" is ben and refers to a mature adult son. Ultimately, this verse refers to a form of judicial corporal punishment, namely the 40 minus 1 lashes. These punishments were not ever imposed on minor children. The 40 minus 1 lashes was a final warning before a criminal offender had to be put to death. Striking anyone outside of courtroom in the Old Testament was considered battery. Whipping a child at home was seen as domestic battery. The reason for this advice was that otherwise, the father would simply refuse to do what he was deputized to do, and refuse to whip his son. The book of Proverbs does not give commandments, but instead gives manly advice to young men and their parents.

The harsh punishments in the Old Testaments are repealed by Christ's Work on the cross. It was prophesied in the Old Testament that Christ would bring an end to the harsh punishments of the Law. He would do this by breaking the curse of the Law, and keeping ALL of the Law. 

The rod verses in Proverbs do not refer to a biblical spanking. However, the Bible does weigh in on the spanking issue. See 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 parent anger directed towards a child. It is not enough to stop spanking and punishing your child - you need to avoid offense in your child. The key to avoiding offense in children is be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. In most cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent from parents. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you definitely need to give a formal apology to your child, and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool alone as a parent is entitlement, and was seen as unlawful entitlement even then. This commandment implies that spanking or punishing your child alone is unlawful, as punitive measures provoke children to anger. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandment, 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", namely the power to impose punitive measures on children, such as spanking and 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 ultimate moral crime against a child is getting angry as a parent. Parent anger, when directed towards a child, was never allowed. The only reason parents were allowed to get angry was to protect their children. If a parent got angry with their child at all, they were charged with the moral crime of parental entitlement. Parental entitlement was not seen then as a necessary backbone, but was treated as a serious moral flaw. The ancients could surely get angry, and didn't need a backbone to assert themselves. Parental entitlement, including parent anger directed towards children, was included in the Greek root word πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés). 

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.

Hebrews 12:5-6: Why this Bible passage is not a pro-spanking passage

Many parents think that the Bible is pro-spanking. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most pro-spanking activists cite Heb. 12:5-6 as proof that God is in favor of spanking. However, this theology sits on shaky ground. Nowhere in the book of Hebrews is parenting advice given. Heb. 12:5-6 has to do with trials and tribulations sent the way of the believer

God's Word on trials and tribulation is spelled out in Hebrews 12:5-6 KJV:

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

When interpreted correctly, this passage brings me comfort. The Greek root word translated "scourgeth" is μαστιγόω (Latin: mastigoó) and can have a figurative meaning to it. The rod was a metaphor in Hebrews for trials and tribulations being sent by the Lord the way of the believer. In the Early Church, instead of saying "I had a long day at work", you said "God whipped me hard today". God punishes His children, like only He can. But, God only punishes His children when it does not harm them, whereas earthly parents only punish their children when it does harm them. This passage was intended by the Apostle Paul as comfort in their persecution from Rome. 

The book of Hebrews does not contain parenting advice for earthly parents. God does not want His Parenting methods to be used by earthly parents. However, God's Law does weigh in on the spanking issue. See 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 parent anger directed towards a child. It is not enough to stop spanking or punishing children - you should avoid offense in your child. The key to avoiding offense in children is to be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. In most cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent. However, if you ever lose your cool with your child, you need to give a formal apology, and then commit not ever to lose your cool ever again, as losing your cool as a parent, in and of itself, is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement then. This commandment implies that spanking and other forms of punishment are banned under God's Law, as this provokes children to anger. 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, and is a Latin phrase roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power of the parent to impose punitive measures, including spanking and 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.

America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian family values. We as a nation use the Bible and its context for guidance as to how to live and treat each other with respect. It just so happens that the parenting context of the Bible has, until recent years, has been hidden, meaning not translated into English from the Hebrew. The Jews have long known how to be gentle parents, with Christians first finding out about the parenting context of the Bible much later. The commandment not to provoke your child to anger is clear once clarified in context - don't even offend your child. If you do upset your child, you should be willing to apologize.

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!

Santa Claus: Why Santa should not threaten to bring coal for Christmas

'Tis Christmastime once more. Many children are awaiting a visit from Santa Claus. However, Santa currently has a "nice" list and a "naughty" list. Most American parents use Santa as a form of behavioral modification. The naughty list has to go, as its only purpose is to scare children. Scaring children at all is child abuse.

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, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards children. Threatening children with Santa bringing coal for Christmas hurts a child's feelings, and when parents defend their so-called "right" to upset their child in this way, it becomes child abuse. If you have hurt your child's feelings in this regard, you should apologize to children by telling them "I talked to Santa, and he does not deliver coal for Christmas. I was wrong". This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandment, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan ways of parenting, which were punitive in nature. 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.

A true gift comes with no strings attached. A true gift comes from love. Love is defined in the Bible as giving without receiving. The idea is to give your child everything that they ask for, and expect absolutely nothing in return for giving that gift that makes the child's day. Children shouldn't have to be "nice" in order to receive gifts. 

The Early Christians had no concept of a gift-bringer. Christmas came at the same day, but it was simply an observance of Christ's birthday. Most Christian parents then handed their children gifts in person. The gift giving symbolized the Three Kings bestowing gifts for the Christ Child. The concept of Santa was alien to the Early Christians, as was the commercialism that often plagues modern Christmas.

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.

Back talk: Why to apologize when your child talks back to you

Back talk is a common problem parents face in their children. Most children talk back at some point in their childhood. However, most parents think that talking back to parents is deserving of punishment in a child. However, the fact of the matter is that a child who talks back cannot accept a limit, and thus parents need to apologize, lest they be seen by God as being abusive towards their children.

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 parent anger directed towards a child. The idea behind not abusing children is to avoid offense in children. The key to avoiding offending your child is to be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings, lest it be officially an offense. One way children show emotional pain when they are older is by talking back. Back talk happens when children cannot accept a set limit, in which case that is a good time to apologize by way of reassuring the child of your good intent. A good way to reassure a child of your good intent is to say "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you yourself ever lose your cool when setting a limit, you should definitely apologize to your child, and then commit never to losing your cool ever again as a parent, as losing your cool as a parent, in and of itself, is entitlement. Most back talk simply involves a child not being able to accept a limit, and thus they need you to apologize whenever you hurt their feelings in that regard. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandment, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan ways of parenting, which were punitive in nature. 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.

Back talk is not something to take personally in a child. All back talk amounts to in an older child is a child not being able to accept a set limit. This behavior is most common in school age children. Whenever your child talks back, take a deep breath, and know that your child simply needs help accepting a limit. One way to help them is to apologize for upsetting them with that limit that they cannot accept.

The main reason for spanking, now and in Ancient Greece, is "disrespect" in a child. Children in Ancient Greece were usually given a spanking to the bare bottom when children talked back. Paul would have none of it in the church, and so he convicted the Greek Christians of their punitive pagan ways of parenting with his inspired pen.

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!

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. This is a common belief amongst American parents. Most American parents support the current child abuse definitions. However, the Bible had 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 that 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. Any parent anger directed towards children was seen as parental entitlement then, and was roundly 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, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards a child. Child abuse in the Bible, as a legal concept, is defined as 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 children is to be willing to meaningfully apologize whenever you hurt your child's feelings, lest it officially be an offense. Most of the time, a reassurance of good intent is all that is necessary. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you definitely need to give a formal apology, and then commit never to losing your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool as a parent, in and of itself, is entitlement. However, even refusing to apologize to a child at all is entitlement, such as even when you bump into a child in public without saying "sorry". 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 measures on children, such as spanking and other forms of punishment of children. 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, including childhood trauma. The ancients had a basic understanding of childhood trauma. Whenever a child grew up to be atheist, it was seen as a sign of trauma, not a sign of a "lost soul".

The ancients even had a concept of child sexual abuse. The Greek root word translated "fornication" is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and meant, in context, any sexual relations outside of proper ventricles. Proper ventricles for a man included sex with his wife, and/or righteous masturbation without pornography. This word prohibits any sexual advances directed towards a child, including any rape or sexual assault of a child. Any sexual interaction between an adult and a child was deemed child sexual abuse then, even if the child liked it Child sexual abuse was rare in biblical times, meaning next to non-existent. 

Child abuse was prosecuted by the Early Church in the form of an internal investigation. Usually, the investigated with a child confiding into a church clergyperson about the abuse that they were enduring. The elders then called the parents before the council, and if the parents were defensive at all, they were swiftly excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God. The child then went either with the other parent, or in the case of both parents, non-offending pedophiles took in the children as foster parents.

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 or even condoning the punitive treatment of children. All of the biblical writers recommended attachment parenting in their secular writings. Even King Solomon recommended attachment parenting for the little ones in his secular writings, with the rod of correction referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes as an adult son's sentence for a crime. 

America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian family values. We as a society glean from the Bible and its context as to how to live and treat each other with respect. Even our legal codes come from our Judeo-Christian values. However, the Bible was grossly mistranslated at the Latinate level. This was partly intentional - in order to keep a pagan tradition going. Spanking children was a pagan tradition in Ancient Greece, and it clearly was prohibited in 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!

Adult attraction to children: Individual responsibility for adults sexually attracted to children

Many parents and adults alike blame pedophiles for the child sexual abuse epidemic. Most adults automatically blame pedophiles for every case of a sexually abused child. However, all of us as adults are collectively individually to blame for the child sexual abuse epidemic. 

Every single adult is responsible for the sexual abuse of children, as any old adult is capable of sexually abusing a child under the right/wrong condition. Most sexual abuse happens to teenage girls, and is committed by an ordinary adult man without a single other offense under their belt. Most men are attracted to teenage girls, and when men are alone with a teenage girl, they are likely to offend against a child.

Child sexual abuse does not usually come from pedophiles. It instead comes from adults repressing their sex drive for adolescents. Whenever you repress something as powerful as a sex drive, you risk it coming out sideways onto an unsuspecting child, like a ton of bricks. 

Pedophilia itself does not usually lead to child sexual abuse, Most pedophiles are painfully aware of their sexual desires, but feel it in the form of urges. When pedophiles feel urges, it is because they are trying to deny something that can't viscerally be denied. Most pedophiles who rape children have a mental disability, and don't understand the boundaries with children. Sometimes, a pedophile thinks they are cured, and that is the last thing a child needs - because they are simply feeling it under the hood, at the unaware level. 

I myself have committed sexual abuse of a child. I myself committed sexual harassment of children, usually in the case of street harassment. I am currently under investigation for a case of sexual harassment with a cousin in the attic of my grandparent's house. I was an obvious abuser who engaged in infatuation grooming, Most pedophiles aren't like me, and have a squeaky clean record in relation to children in terms of even lawful child abuse. A pedophile is the last person to abuse a child in any way.

Most career sexual abusers of children are not pedophiles, but are simply ordinary rapists. It is one thing if someone is a pedophile, but are they a rapist? That question is what survivors need to know. Usually, career rapists have a bunch of adult victims, but also have a few child victims that are made of note by the police. Most pedophiles who are career sex offenders think they are cured, right up until their first offense, and then they run with their desires. 

The key to righteous avoidance in parents is righteous masturbation. Righteous masturbation comes without pornography, meaning solely for health reasons. The idea is to face your child fantasies head on, and masturbate to the first child that comes to mind. This usually has to happen once or twice, and brings the adult to a place of relief. If you need more than that, and need it all of the time, you are a pedophile, and need to own up to it. The Greek root word denoting lust in the Bible is έπιθυμέω (Latin: epithumeo) and refers here to being in lust, meaning having a sexual narcissist. The way to purge unrequired lusts is to masturbate without pornography. Pornography is the new drug, not masturbation. Just masturbate to the first child that comes to mind. That alone should kick the pornography habit. I once had a pornography habit for a very short phase of my life, but I masturbated to the first inage that came to mind on my own, and then the habit was gone. Most men in the Early Church had an amendment to their theology to fit in masturbation in at least some of the time,

Some of us need further restrictions on ourselves. I myself do not ever speak to children unless spoken to by them. I char and tar the every sexual possibility with children with images of Hell. I usually became infatuated with children when I spoke to them. The idea is to avoid speaking to children, as if that leads to an infatuation, I am in danger of mortal sin. If you see me obsess about a child, know that I am an abuser in that context, and need to be kept on watch. I myself saw possibilities with children that weren't there. I can interact with children, but only on their terms, meaning if they come to me first. Until then, interacting with a child is an infraction under my Christian beliefs. Most pedophiles don't need this sort of restriction, but I lacked boundaries in the past, and so I need to know the limits. I actually thought that talking to children as a stranger was appropriate behavior in relation to children. Most pedophilic sexual offenses happen in the same obvious way, meaning the child victim is a target of an obsession that revolves around the child. Most pedophiles know the boundaries.

To repeat, if you see me post about an obsession about a specific child, you know that I am in abuser mode. I am an obvious abuser, meaning I am obsessive about a child in a way that makes it obvious. I am an easy adult abuser to spot, and once I develop that spark, I will have to talk it out with my mom, who is my accountability partner. My mother is a safe person for me to talk about anything with, as she is trained in the field of mental health. I also have a therapist to talk to. I think every pedophile needs someone to talk to about their risk of sexually offending, meaning in the form of clinical celebratory disclosure. However, obsessions about children happen when I speak to a child whom I do not know, and so I can simply look at a child respectfully and fantasize later about her. Btu, if a parent asks if I am a pedophile, I have to answer to the court and plead "yea", and accept the consequences for my plead. 

The depraved and decadent, defiled adults who rape or sexually assault children will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them descend into torrents of Hell-fire, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Repent!

Passing down the faith: How to instruct your children in the Lord without punitive measures

Many parents think that children need religion. Religion is a normal need for children and adults alike. However, most parents think that religion needs to be forced onto a child, such as forcing a child to go to church. However, parents don't need to break a child's will in order to teach them about the good news of Jesus Christ. Make it a game.

God's Law on passing down the faith is spelled out in Ephesians 6:4 KJV:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

This stanza of the commandment clarifies that religious instruction should not hurt. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) 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 or punishing children - you need to avoid offense in your child. However, hurting children's feelings is inevitable in parenting, in which case you as a parent should be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you cause upset in your child, lest it officially be an offense. But, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you should definitely apologize to your child, and then commit never to lose your cool ever again, as losing your cool as a parent, 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 in the parish at Ephesus 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 a child, such as spanking or other forms of punishment. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

This second stanza has to do partially with proper religious instruction, which comes in light of the first stanza prohibiting anything punitive with a child. Religion is a human need for children, and thus punitive measures in religious instruction are wholly unnecessary. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and is better translated as "instruction" in more modern versions of the Bible. Religious instruction then started at age 6, when fathers left out a Bible for children to discover and explore. When children were caught in the act of studying the Bible, they were given praise and encouragement in their biblical studies. Fathers then said "you can ask me any question about that book". From there, religious instruction came in question and answer format, with children being eager to learn about Scripture, and with fathers giving pointers as to the context. Religious instruction was made into a game, meaning it was intended as fun for the children. Maybe the child found different denominational beliefs, but at least they had values.

Many Christian parents believe in the false teaching of breaking a child's will. This is a common setup in Christian households, where children are repeated beaten until they "submit to Christ". Children have a human need for religion, and thus they don't need to associate it with punishment or force. That setup is the core creator of atheists nationwide. Children do not need a will broken when there is no will there to begin with. A child is simply a big ball of primal instinct, and should be treated with respect to that vulnerability.

Children develop religion on their own. There is no need to force things such as grateful postures - they develop them naturally when they reach a certain level of perfection. Grateful postures are simply something to look for, for good spiritual health. I tie my hands behind my back automatically - nobody made me.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke your 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!

Child discipline: Understanding the Judeo-Christian tradition of positive reinforcement

Many parents want their children to have discipline  This is a common wish amongst American parents. However, most American parents equate discipline with punishment. However, the fact of the matter is that children need discipline, but minus the punishment that comes with it in most American homes.

God's Law on child discipline is spelled out in Ephesians 6:4 KJV:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: bur bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The first stanza of this commandment clarifies that discipline should not hurt. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) 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 parent anger directed towards a child. It is not enough to stop spanking or punishing children - you need to avoid offense in children. However, hurting your child's feelings is inevitable in parenting, and thus a parent should be willing to meaningfully apologize for hurting their children's feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intentions. However, if you lose your cool with your child, you should definitely give a formal apology to your child, then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool as a parent 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 in the parish at Ephesus that brought into the church their pagan custom of patrua 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. 

This second stanza spells out what discipline is acceptable, with the first stanza ruling out anything punitive with a child. The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers to a specific form of nurturing, namely of the teaching sort. Children were left to form their own discipline, and when this discipline showed in a child, they were given lavish praise and encouragement to keep up the good work. Christian parents in the Early Church set a good example for children to follow, but backed it up with praise and encouragement, not punishment and force. Children also need religious instruction, as religion is a human need for children and adults alike. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and is more aptly translated as "instruction"  in more modern versions of the Bible. Starting at age 6, fathers left out a Bible for children to discover and explore. When a child was caught in the act of studying the Bible, they were lavishly praised and encouraged in their religious learning, with fathers then saying "you can ask me anything about that book". From there, religious instruction came in question and answer format, with children being eager to learn about Scripture, and with fathers giving pointers on the context. This stanza here spells out the Judeo-Christian tradition of positive reinforcement, with this Hebraic tradition predating the coming of Christ by thousands of years, and was a long-standing Jewish tradition long before the New Testament was even written.

Children also need limits from time to time. However, children are known for not accepting all limits set. It helps to have a secure attachment to your child. However, even then, children sometimes have trouble accepting a limit. When your child doesn't accept a necessary limit, they should be given an apology in the form of reassurance of good intent. However, if you ever set a limit out of anger, you should give a formal apology to your child, and then commit never to lose your cool again as a parent, as parent anger, when directed towards a child, in and of itself, is entitlement/

Anger was never used as a guiding drive in parenting in the Early Church. Anger was only allowed in parenting in the case that parents needed to protect a child from harm and abuse. Anger was never allowed to be directed towards a child, as this was seen then as a viper lashing out at an unsuspecting child.

It is a myth that children were administered "hand-me-down-the-slate" gaslighting. Sexual correction of a child was banned in the Early Church. Fathers did have parent attractions towards their child, in which case he masturbated to sexual thoughts of his child. This righteous masturbation ultimately is how fathers imprinted on their child. 

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to wrath 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!

Santa Claus: Why Santa shouldn't even threaten to bring coal for Christmas

'Tis Christmastime once more. Most children are waiting for the arrival of Santa Claus to come to tpown. However, Santa has standards for children. They must be good all year, or else face getting coal for Christmas. However, Santa should not bring coal for Christmas just because a child was being a child and acting up, as this alone is child abuse. The naughty list has got to go.

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, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards a child. Threatening children with Santa bringing coal hurts a child's feelings, and thus if you have said this to your child, you as a parent should say to apologize "I talked to Santa, and he doesn't ever bring coal. I was wrong.", lest the upset in a child officially become an offense. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who insisted on the pagan custom of parenting, which was punitive in nature. 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.

Any time you threaten a child like that, you hurt their feelings, and when you defend these parenting tactics, it officially becomes an offense. It usually causes children to worry if they will get presents. Christmas should be a time of giving, not a time to try and control a child's behaviors with even feigned threats of Santa leaving a bucket of coal.

A gift is something given without strings attached. True love for your child is giving without receiving. You give gifts to your child, and expect absolutely nothing in return. This form of Christian love, spread all around on Christmas day, is denoted by the Greek root word αγαπαο (Latin: agapao) and refers to giving to children without expecting anything in return. That means don't expect children to behave in order to get presents come Christian morning.

Christmas was a solemn holiday in the Early Church. There was no Santa Claus then. Instead, parents gave their children presents at a gift exchange. There is never a recorded case of parents even threatening to not give children presents. Christmas happened only for a day, and did not have the commercialism that exists in American Christmas. Christ was the center of Christmas, not the gifts given to children. The gifts were symbolic of the Christ child receiving gifts from the three kings/ 

The depraved and entitled parents who threaten children with gifts will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them descend into the Hell of fire and torment, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Repent!

"Spare the rod, spoil the child": Why the rod verses in Proverbs are repealed verses

Many parents think that the Bible allows for, or even commands, the punishment of children. American parents usually cite 7 verses in Proverbs that mention the rod of correction as a means to excuse their punitive parenting of their children. However, the fact of the matter is that the Bible is an anti-spanking document, written by an anti-spanking God. 

The rod is mentioned multiple times in the book of Proverbs. One popular verse is in Proverbs 13:24 KJV:

He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he who loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

The Greek root word translated "rod" is shebet and refers to a switch in the context of Proverbs. The word "son" is ben and refers to a mature adult son. This passage does not refer to any domestic punishments, as punishing a minor child for anything was unlawful then. This passage, and the others like it, refers to the 40 minus 1 lashes, which was a final warning before putting the errant son to death. This judicial whipping could only happen in a courtroom setting, with the father being deputized to administer the stripes. The reason for this commandment was that, otherwise, fathers would simply refuse to whip his son. 

These passages in Proverbs are repealed verses. Christ died and Rose so that we could be free from the harsh punishments of the Old Testament, including the 40 minus 1 lashes. The idea was to open up the gates of Heaven and Hell for humans to inhabit. Christ repealed all capital and corporal punishment with His Work on the cross.

Proverbs does not give us advice on the issue of spanking. However, the Bible does weigh in on the spanking issue. See 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 parent anger directed towards children. It is not enough to stop spanking or punishing children - you need to avoid offense in children. One way to avoid offense in children is to be wiling to give a meaningful apology to children when you hurt their feelings, lest it be officially an offense. However, if you ever lose your cool with your child, you definitely need to apologize for your parent anger, and then commit to never losing your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool as a parent, in and of itself, is entitlement. However, even refusing to apologize to a child that you upset alone is entitlement. This passage implies that spanking a child is morally wrong, as it always comes from parent anger, with any parent anger alone being considered entitlement then. 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", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking and 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.

Spanking originated as a pagan custom in the broader Greco-Roman world. The main punishment for children in Ancient Greece was an open-handed spanking to the bare bottom of a child. However, this form of parenting was banned in the Early Church, with punitive parents being treated as church infiltrators. Punitive parents were swiftly excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God.

Parent anger directed towards children alone was banned in the Early Church as a form of entitlement. Most parenting done in the Early Church was motivated by worry or concern, not anger. Anger was intended then to be shielded from a children by parents, or else was used in protective format on behalf of a child. Parent anger directed towards children was seen then as akin to a viepr lashing out against an innocent child.

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!

"Benign deprivation": Why the frequent use of the word "no" is child abuse

Many parents think that children need to hear the word "no" frequent and often. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents think that children need to be told "no" all the time. However, American parents need an attitude adjustment on this issue. Using the word "no" all the time can be child abuse.

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, stemming from entitlement. Child abuse in the Bible, as a legal concept, entails entitlement in parents, leading to offense in children. This commandment calls for Christian parents to avoid offense in children. One way to avoid offense in a child is to be willing to apologize meaningfully whenever your child's feelings are hurt by the word "no", lest it be officially an offense in a child. However, if you ever say "no" out of anger or haste, you should definitely apologize to your child, then committing to never losing your cool as a parent ever again, as losing your cool as a parent, 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 insisted on pagan parenting, which was punitive in nature. 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.

Customary law in the Early Church prohibited, as a general rule, the word "no" in parenting. The only exception was if the petitioned request of children was unsafe, unworkable, and/or immoral. Whenever a child could not accept the word "no", they were given reassurance of good intentions from parents, and then were helped through their upset by mothers especially. 

Even in the case where a declined request was necessary, Christian parents in the Early Church used nicer-sounding words than "no". These words included statements such as "that won't work", "that can't happen", or "that isn't possible". Usually, that was all that was needed to cushion the blow when children couldn't have what they wanted.

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!

Hebrews 12:5-6: Why this passage is not a pro-spanking passage

Many parents think that the Bible condones or even commands that parents spank or otherwise punish children. Such parents usually cite a few verses in Proverbs and one passage in Hebrews. With that said, the main passage holding together the case for spanking is Heb. 12:5-6. However, this argument exists on shaky ground, with Heb. 12 not even dealing with earthly parenting.

God's Word is stated in Hebrews 12:5-6 KJV:

And ye have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

When interpreted correctly, I find this passage to be comforting. The Greek root word translated "scourgeth" is μαστιγόω (Latin: mastigoó), with this word having a figurative meaning to it. The mention of the rod here is a metaphor for enduring hardship, with this type of metaphorical language being known as "rod language". Then, if you had a long day at work, you instead said "God whipped me hard today". God punishes His children, like only He can, sending trials and tribulations the way of the believer. However, God only punishes His children when it does not harm them, whereas earthly parents only punish their children when it does harm them. This passage was intended by the Apostle Paul to the Hebrew Christians as comfort in their persecution from Rome.

This passage in Hebrews is not about earthly parenting, as God does not intend for His Parenting methods for human use. However, the Bible does chime in on the spanking issue. 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 any parent anger directed towards a child. It is not enough to avoid spanking or punishing children - you need to avoid offense in your child. However, hurting your child's feelings is inevitable in parenting, in which case you should be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. However, if you ever lose your cool with your child, you should definitely apologize deeply for losing your cool as a parent, and then commit never to losing your cool as a parent ever again, as losing your cool as a parent alone is entitlement. This verse implies that spanking and punishing children is child abuse, as it always comes from entitled anger, and always offends the child, with this legal concept constituting child abuse. 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 with them their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translating to "power to the parent", including the power to impose punitive sanction 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 concept of spanking children is a pagan custom. In Ancient Greece, children were spanked on the bare bottom when they misbehaved. Paul would have none of it in the Early Christian Churches of God. Greek Christians who punished their children in any way were treated as church infiltrators. Punitive parents were brought before the council of 3 elders, and if they were defensive at all about their actions toward their children, they were swiftly excommunicated from the church. 

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!