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 support the current child abuse definitions. However, the Bible has its own definitions - 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 children was seen as parental entitlement then. 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 children. Child abuse in the Bible, as a legal concept, consists of entitlement in parents, leading to offense in children. The key to not abusing your child is to avoid offense in children. However, hurt feelings in children are inevitable in parenting, and so you should be willing to meaningfully apologize whenever you hurt your child's feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent from parents. But, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you should definitely apologize for losing your cool with your child, then commit never to losing your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool with a child alone is entitlement, and was seen as parental entitlement even in the Early Church. 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.

The Greek root word translated "they be discouraged" is αθυμέω (Latin: athumeo) and refers to long-term damages, namely childhood trauma. The Early Christians had a basic understanding of childhood trauma. This word refers literally to a child losing heart, and succumbing to religious trauma. Whenever a child grew up to be atheist, they were seen as having trauma, not merely "lost souls" needing to be "won over". 

The ancients even had a concept of child sexual abuse. The Greek root word translated "fornication" is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers to anything considered sexually amoral then. Any sexual interaction between an adult and a child was seen as fornication then. Whenever a child perceived sexual attention, it was child sexual abuse, even if the child liked it. A man in the Early Church was only allowed two outlets - sex with his wife, or else righteous masturbation without pornography. One egregious sexual offense then was a man raping his child. Also banned in the Early Church was pornography, including, but not limited to, pornography depicting children. I myself, as a man, find it immeasurably helpful to righteously masturbate to thoughts of children without pornography. Now, children simply light up when dressed in showy attire. Child sexual abuse was rare in biblical times, meaning next to non-existent.

Child abuse was prosecuted in the Early Church by way of internal investigation. In most cases, a child confided into the church elder or deacon. Whenever the child disclosed being the victim an abusive incident, the parents were called before the council of 3 elders. If the parents defended themselves at all, 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 good Jew ever endorsing punitive parenting of any kind. Even King Solomon  recommended attachment parenting for the little ones, with the rod of correction consisting of the 40 minus 1 lashes against an adult son in particular. 

America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian family values. 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 to know how to live and get along with each other. It just so happens that the Jewish scholarly writings on parenting were not translated into English from the Hebrew until around the 1960s. We now can learn a lot from our Jewish counterparts on parenting.

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!