Original sin: How to talk to children about original sin

The doctrine of original sin is perhaps the most misused of all Christian teachings. However, original sin is the backbone of the Christian faith. Without original sin, Christ died in vain. Children need to know about the doctrine of original sin. However, sin shaming is not how you inform a child of their sinful nature. 

We as human beings are flawed creatures. Human beings are deserving of absolutely nothing just for existing. Mankind has turned his back on God. God hates most all of mankind, choosing a few of His creation as His adopted children. God rescued us from a peacekeeping past. There is nothing good about human nature. We as a species are glorified apes. Children aren't the only sinners. We all have turned our backs on God as human beings.

God's Law on child discipline, including instructing children in the Christian faith, is spelled out in Ephesians 6:4 KJV:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

This first stanza of this commandment prohibits sin shaming. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense as perceived by a child. The key here is to avoid offense in children. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just like hurt feelings are inevitable between adults, hurt feelings are also inevitable in children when dealing with them. One thing that hurts children's feelings is being called a "sinner" by their parents. Sin shaming almost always comes from parent anger directed towards children. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your sin shaming, such as "I apologize for calling you a sinner like that". Whenever you refuse to apologize to a child for hurting their feelings, it is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. This stanza of 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 parenting customs, which were punitive in nature. However, this commandment was ultimately received as any offenses perceived by a child at minimum, including offenses coming from sin shaming. 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.

This second stanza tells us how to instruct children in the Lord, with religion being a human need for children and adults alike. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and is more aptly translated as "instruction" in more modern versions of the Bible. The Apostle Paul here was referring to religious instruction. Starting at age 6, fathers left out a Bible for children to discover and explore, with children learning to read on a Bible. When children were caught in the act of studying the Bible, they were lavishly praised and encouraged to keep on studying. Fathers then interjected something along the lines of "you can ask me anything about that book". From there, religious instruction came in question and answer format, with children being curious about Scripture, and with fathers giving children pointers on the context. At some point, children broach the topic of original sin on their own. Children likely will ask "why did Jesus have to die?", in which case you say "We all are sinners as human beings, and so we need a Savior to save us from our sins". Never call a child a "sinner". WE as human beings are sinners, as a whole.

Most Christian parents in the Early Church never got angry with their children. Children were never called out for their sinful nature in the Early Church, as that was seen as an expression of anger, and thus entitlement. Children then were instead seen as next to God, with God siding with the vulnerability of children. See Matt. 25:31-46. 

Sin shaming involves shaming children for their sinful nature. However, we ALL as human beings are flawed creatures, especially in the case of adults. We all as adults have a depraved and decadent nature in relation to children. This form of sinful nature involves the one-sided incursion of adults towards children. Most parents have a sense of entitlement to them - in the form of parent anger directed towards children - with parental entitlement being the downfall of most Christian parents. God sides with children, not adults, with children being considered among the poor and the vulnerable due to their dependent state in relation to parents.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to wrath 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!