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!