Redefining child abuse: Why the Bible calls for stronger laws against child abuse

Many parents think that the ancients in the Bible had no concept of childhood, let alone child abuse. Most American parents support the present-day child abuse definitions. However, the Bible has 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 who is sorely disappointed when children don't give them what they feel that they deserve from children. Even any parent anger directed towards a child is parental entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. 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 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. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults - be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. Usually all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent when children cannot accept a limit not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limits for Y reasons". But, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including when setting a limit, you need to give a formal apology to your child such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool with your child alone is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement 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 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 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, namely childhood trauma. The ancients in the Bible had a basic understanding of childhood trauma. If a child grew up to be atheist, it was seen as a sign of trauma, not merely a case of a "lost soul" worth "winning over". 

The ancients in the Bible 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 towards a child, including when perceived by a child. Most child sexual abuse then was committed by parents, even in the case of sodomy against young boys. In the case of female victims, fathers usually acted on a sexual attraction to his daughter. Most men then knew to masturbate to sexual attractions to children. Child sexual abuse then was rare, meaning next to non-existent.

Child abuse then was prosecuted by way of a church investigation into a child's home life. This usually started when a child confided into a clergyperson about experiencing child abuse when at home. The elders of the church then subpoenaed the parents to testify before the council. If the parents defended their abusive conduct at all, they were 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 Jew worth mentioning ever endorsing punitive measures in parenting. Each writer of the Bible, as well as Christ Himself, wrote parenting manuals advocating attachment parenting Even King Solomon wrote an attachment parenting manual for the little ones, with the rod of correction referring to a sentence for a crime, namely the 40 minus 1 lashes.

America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian values. We as a society glean from the Bible and its context in order to know how to behave and treat each other with respect. Even our legal codes are based off of the Bible. It just so happens that the parenting manuals in the biblical context were not translated into English until the 1960s.

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!