Expanding child abuse definitions: Why the Bible calls for stronger laws against child abuse

Many parents believe 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 has its own understanding of child abuse - whatever the child victim perceives as abuse is such.

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. Parents are deserving of absolutely nothing from children just for existing. Any parent anger directed towards a child was seen then as entitlement. 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 child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards a child. Child abuse in the Bible, as a legal concept, consists of entitlement in a parent, leading to offense in children. The key to not abusing a child is to avoid offense in children. However, hurt feelings in children are inevitable in parenting, and so parents should be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever they hurt their children's feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents. However, if you ever lose your cool with your child, you definitely need to give a formal apology, and then commit to never losing your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool alone is entitlement, and was deemed 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 term roughly translated to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other form 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 to long-term damages in children, namely childhood trauma. The ancients had a basic understanding of childhood trauma. When a child lost heart, and became an atheist, it was seen as a sign of child abuse, not a sign of a "lost soul" 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 in this context to any sexual interaction between an adult and a child. Any time a child growing up in the Early Church perceived sexual advances from a child, it was deemed child sexual abuse, even if the child liked it. These norms exist today, but in all 50 states, there are legal ways to have sex with a child, usually involving a low age of consent. 

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 endorsing the punishment of children. Even King Solomon recommended attachment parenting for the little ones in his secular writings. The rod of correction in the book of Proverbs instead referred to the 40 minus 1 lashes, which was unlawful to do to a minor child. 

America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian family values. The Bible is a founding document of this nation, even above the Constitution itself. We as a society look to the Bible and its context for guidance as to how to live and treat each other with respect. Even our legal codes have roots in Judeo-Christian family values. It just so happens that the Bible was mistranslated, partially on purpose to keep a tradition of punitive parenting going. However, the commandment not to provoke a child to anger is obvious, once exegeted, meaning it is not a nonsense verse by far. The Bible here says not to offend a child ever. Indeed, you should avoid offense in everyone, but the Apostle Paul made it extra clear that you should avoid offense in children.

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!