Expanding child abuse definitions: Why the Bible calls for broadening child abuse definitions

Many parents think that the ancients in the Bible had no concept of childhood, let alone child abuse. Most American parents support today's child abuse definitions. However, the fact of the matter is that the Bible has its own definition of child abuse - whatever the child 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. Even any parent anger directed towards children was seen as parental entitlement in the Early Church. Whenever this sense of entitlement 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 to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not included to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. The key to not abusing your child is to avoid offenses in children. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in adult peers - be willing to apologize whenever you cause hurt feelings in another. Usually, this apology in parents should come in the form of reassurance of good intent, such as when an ordinary limit coming from parents upsets the child. However, if you ever set a limit out of anger or haste, you should definitely give a formal apology for losing your cool with your child, then committing never to lose your cool with your child ever again. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul mentioning offense avoidance in parents specifically because some Greek Christian parents brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin term translating roughly to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other 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 in the Early Church, 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, namely childhood trauma. Whenever a child lost heart, and became an atheist, blame fell on the parents for being too punitive with their children. Atheism was not seen as a choice then, but a reaction to being abused as a child. 

The ancients even had a concept of child sexual abuse. The Greek root word translated "fornication" is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers here to any sexual advances perceived by a child, even if the child liked it. Sex was not seen as a right in biblical times, but instead was seen as duties in a marriage between one adult man and one adult woman. Apart from that, adults masturbated to thoughts of children for health reasons, meaning to stay out of trouble. Pornography of anyone was seen as contraband in the Early Church, including that which depicts children. Child sexual abuse was rare in biblical times, meaning next to non-existent. 

Child abuse cases in the Early Church were investigated by a council of three elders. Usually, an investigation started with a child confiding in a clergyperson. From there, the council called the parents to testify in court. If the parents defended themselves instead of answered to the court for their actions, they were swiftly excommunicated for their entitlement towards their child. The child was usually taken in by relatives, but when nobody stepped up to the plate, the child was taken in by the first pedophile that the child ran to. The child protection pedophiles then never sexually abused the child, but instead nursed the child back to health, meaning lactating at the most. 

The Bible is an anti-spanking document. All 88 books of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - were penned by Jews, with no Jew worth mentioning ever defending the right of a parent to punish their child. Even King Solomon recommended attachment parenting in his secular writings, with the rod of correction referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes. Striking another Jew outside of a courtroom setting was seen as an offense in the Old Testament, with children being immune to all charges, at least while still being children.

America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian family values. We as a society glean from the Bible in order to learn how to behave as a society, and treat each other with respect. It just so happens that the parenting literature in the biblical context was not translated into English from the Hebrew until the 1960s. That parenting literature recommended attachment parenting, not training a child with punishments.

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!