Temper tantrums: Why temper tantrums are not bad behavior in children

Many parents have to deal with it. A child throwing a full-blown temper tantrum. This\s a common and normal thing for parents to get from their child. Most children in America throw temper tantrums now and then, and this is what most parents perceive as "disrespect". However, temper tantrums are a normal childhood behavior is developmentally appropriate in nature. They are supposed to be acting that way.

God's Law referring to childhood surrender to parents is spelled out in Colossians 3:20 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is in fact υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to surrender to parents in the form of running to their loving arms, with children resting in the Agape love of parents. However, this starts when a parent serves their child selflessly, doing good things for their child, expecting absolutely nothing in return. Parents instead engaged in mutual askance with their children. Parents did not insist on anything from their child, and instead made a grateful request, with children asking things of parents in return. This mutual askance can only happen in the context of a secure trust between parent and child, as was the norm in the Early Church.

For the first 6 years of childhood in the Early Church, crying is the way that children communicated their vulnerable needs. However, most parents today support punitive parenting for whenever the child cries for seemingly no reason at all. However, the Bible is clear in banning any and all punitive parenting, as decided by the child subject of punitive parenting. See 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, stemming from entitlement. The key to avoiding punitive parenting is to avoid offense in children, including when they tantrum, especially when they tantrum. The idea behind avoiding offense in children is to respond to their every cry and tantrum, without losing your cool in the process, with even leaving your child to cry it out being seen then as parental entitlement leading to offense. However, those not initiated to gentle parenting will lose their cool with their child. Whenever you hurt a child's feelings with your anger, including as a reaction to a temper tantrum, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a child is parental entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. If you set limits not out of anger, and a child throws a temper tantrum anyway, you should be willing to give an informal apology for hurting their feelings with your calmly stated limits with an apology such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limits for Y reasons". 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, and 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 forms of punishment of children. However, other punitive methods were banned by this commandment, meaning that the parish at Colossae received this commandment as prohibiting any offenses as perceived by a child ar minimum. 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 commandment in Col. 3:21 spells out in direct and convicting terms what should be avoided in parenting in order to become a gentle parent. Paul also wrote parenting manuals to each of the parishes that he oversaw as a deacon. Those parenting manuals could be summed up by the commandment in Col. 3:21, and made up the core of what to avoid in order to become a gentle parent. Parenting advice in the Early Church was given in a convicting mode, convicting parents against certain actions, and from there having parents figure out their parenting by following their natural instincts.

Temper tantrums are normal and natural behaviors in children, especially young children under age 6. Punishing a child for their big feelings, as stated previously in this post. is prohibited, as is any anger as a reaction to the tears of children. The idea is to follow your parental instincts, and respond to the child's cries, meaning don't react out of haste to their cries. The Bible also says in Col. 3:20 to form a secure bond with your child, loving your child as your neighbor. See Matt 22:35-40; 25:31-46.

The reason why children throw temper tantrums is not to undermine you as a parent. It is because they have a vulnerable need that needs met. A toddler or preschooler cries for the same reason a baby cries - they need YOU. Usually, all they need to know is that you will never leave them, as their worst fear then consists of separation anxiety. Past age 6, you reap rewards for your due diligence in forming a bond with your child. In most cases, children are instinctually cooperative with parents, wanting to please their parents by way of doing as they are told by their parents automatically out of secure trust with their child. Parents asked things gratefully of children, and children listened to their parents, then taking good care of their children by way of caring for them as they age (see Exod. 20:12; Eph. 6:2-3). Children listened to their parents not out of fear, but out of closeness between parent and child.

Temper tantrums are not bad behavior. Offense avoidance in parenting, in the original Greek, refers to a specific type of offense made up of refusing to apologize for hurting a child's feelings. The core of gentle parenting is to let your child's offense be a guide as to how to teach them with the respect that they deserve. If your child ever hits you up in the exchange, be the first to apologize for hurting their feelings. The Bible is clear that the first person who apologizes in the exchange settles the dispute. That means YOU must apologize for hurting your child's feelings, or else be willing to. 

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!

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

Many parents think that the Bible has no concept of child abuse apart from obeying the law of the land. Most American parents support the present-day child abuse definitions under state and federal law. However, God's Law is above the law of the land. 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 being sorely disappointed when they do not get the well-behaved child that they feel that they deserve. Parents are deserving of absolutely nothing in relation to children just for existing. Even any parent anger directed towards children is parental entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. Whenever this sense of entitlement in parents, in the Early Church, 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, stemming from entitlement. 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 pretty much the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just as hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are inevitable in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to 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 coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, whenever you hurt your child's feelings with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a child alone is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. However, it is entitlement just to refuse to apologize to your child when you hurt their feelings, and was seen as entitlement then. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christians who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin term roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. However, this commandment was ultimately received as prohibiting any offenses as perceived by the child, at minimum. 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. Whenever a child grew up to be atheist, shame fell on parents for being too harsh on their children. An atheist in the Early Church was seen as an abused child, not a "lost soul" to be "won 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 relations outside of a Christian marriage between one adult man and one adult woman, with the marriage being required to be equal in nature. A groom was only allowed a bride his age or else up to 4 years older than him. Most child sexual abuse then came in the form of father-child incest, with daughters being the usual targets for sexual abuse. Fathers dealt with their sexual attraction to his daughter in particular through masturbating righteously, meaning masturbation without pornography. Child sexual abuse was a rare occurrence in biblical times, meaning it almost never happened .When it did happen, it cause a huge moral outrage against the perpetrator, with the whole community in shock. Child sexual abuse was not hidden on the gaslighting level like it is today. It was hidden, but just above the surface for the child victim to come forward and self-report the abuse that they suffered. Children growing up in the Early Church knew that they were being sexually abused, and self-reported their abuser, usually taking offense at how they were being treated.

It is a myth that the Early Christians were well-integrated into Rome. The fact of the matter is that the Early Christians lived in enclaves in major cities, shunning the broader Greco-Roman world, and the world at large. The Early Christians were policed into urban ghettos by the Roman authorities, with many Christian practices being banned under Roman law. One of those practices was attachment parenting.

Child abuse was prosecuted in the Early Church by way of internal church investigation. This investigation usually started with a child confiding into a clergyperson about their home life. From there, the parents were summoned to testify before a council of 3 elders, who would decide the fate of the parents. If the parents at all defended themselves in court, as opposed to answering to the court directly, they were excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God for their entitlement alone.

The Bible is an anti-spanking document. All 88 books of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - were written by anti-spanking Jews, with no Jew worth mentioning ever condoning the punitive treatment of children. All of these biblical writers also wrote parenting manuals that advocated attachment parenting. Even King Solomon issued an attachment parenting manual for minor children, with the rod verses in Proverbs referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes, as a sentence for a crime. It just so happens that these attachment parenting manuals were not translated into English until the 1960s. Before then, this level of parenting knowledge was only found in the Jewish world, and was seen as binding customary law.

The Bible is America's book. America is a Christian nation, and was founded on Judeo-Christian values. We as a society glean from the Bible and its context in order to know how to live and treat each other with respect. Even our legal codes, under the English common law, are based off of biblical teaching. However, the "reasonable chastisement" defense is based off of dated biblical teaching. It is about time that we repeal the "reasonable chastisement" defense, and update out child abuse definitions to be in line with the Bible - meaning whatever the child victim perceives as abuse. 

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!

"Spare the rod, spoil the child": Why the rod verses in Proverbs are repealed verses

Many parents think that the Bible allows for, or even commands, the use of force in parenting. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most pro-spanking parents cite 5 verses in Proverbs as their "proof" that spanking is biblical. However, the Bible nowhere legitimately allows for a "biblical spanking".

There are precisely 6 verses in Proverbs that mention the rod of correction. Perhaps the most popularly cited rod verse is Proverbs 13:24 KJV:

He who spareth his rod hateth his son: but he who loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

The Hebrew root word translated "son" is ben and refers to a mature adult son. The Hebrew root word translated "rod" is shebet and refers here to the rod of correction, namely a switch. This passage ultimately refers to the 40 minus 1 lashes, administered by a father or next of kin, to the bare back, in a courtroom setting, as a sentence for a crime. However, striking another Jew was prohibited except in the context of a courtroom. Striking a minor child was prohibited completely, without exception. The reason for this commandment was that, otherwise, Jewish parents would shield their children from blame. This punishment happened as a final warning before an errant son was put to death. 

Christ died in order to repeal the harsh punishments found in the Old Testament. Christ abolished capital and corporal punishment by suffering it unjustly before Rising on the Third Day. Instead of the harsh punishments of the Old Testament being invoked, Christ opened up the gates of Heaven and Hell before Rising on the Third Day.

The teaching of "biblical spanking" is a man-made teaching. The Bible does not discuss parenting at all in the book of Proverbs. However, the Bible does weigh in on the spanking issue, and then some. See 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 requiring an apology, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your child. However, it is not enough to stop spanking your child, or even stop punishing your child altogether for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just as hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings also are inevitable in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to 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 coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, whenever you hurt your child's feelings with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a child 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 term roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, namely spanking or other forms of punishment of children. However, this commandment ultimately was received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting any and all offenses as perceived by a child. 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.

Most of the Early Christians were anti-spanking, and always were. However, a group of Greek Christians, including at the parish at Colossae, did not get the memo, and insisted on their old pagan ways of parenting. They even cited Scripture as an excuse for their abusive treatment of their children - the rod verses themselves in Proverbs. For the 3 Centuries that the Early Church lasted, corporal punishment was shunned as of this world. The Early Christians, contrary to popular belief, were not well-integrated into broader Greco-Roman world, with them instead shunning the outside world in urban enclaves. 

The 40 minus 1 lashes was a form of judicial corporal punishment that took place in the Old Testament. However, these punishments were for adults only. Striking a minor child at all was a violation of Jewish law. In terms of parenting advice, King Solomon issued a parenting manual that advocated attachment parenting. All of the biblical writers also wrote attachment parenting manuals. Parenting advice in the biblical context was given in a convicting format, not a reassuring format.  It just so happens that these parenting manuals in the biblical context were not translated into English until the 1960s, with this knowledge on parenting before then staying in the Jewish world.

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!

Hebrews 12:5-6: Why this passage does not command spanking

Many parents think that the Bible commands spanking. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents go by the Bible in order to understand proper parenting, A common passage in the New Testament used to justify the use of force in parenting is Hebrews 12:5-6. However, this passage was never intended to justify or excuse any punishment or force in parenting under any circumstance. Heb. 12:5-6 instead refers to trials and tribulations sent the way of the believer. 

God's Word on trials and tribulations is spelled out in Hebrews 12:5-6 KJV:

And ye have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

This passage, when understood correctly, is comforting to me. The Greek root word translated "scourgeth" is μαστιγόω (Latin: mastigoó) and has a figurative meaning to it. When a Christian man in the Early Church got home from a long day at work, he instead said "God whipped me hard today". God obviously does not come down from the Heavens and whip His children. However, God does punish His children, as only He can, sending trials and tribulations the way of the children that He cherishes the most. However, God only punishes His children when it does not harm them, whereas earthly parents only punish their children when it does, in fact, harm them. This passage was intended as comfort for the Hebrew Christians in their persecution from Rome. 

The teaching of "biblical spanking" is a man-made teaching. God does not want His Parenting methods copied by earthly parents, lest they get it wrong. However, the Bible does weigh in on the spanking issue, and then some. See 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, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your child. However, it is not enough to stop spanking your child, or even stop punishing children altogether for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just as hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are also inevitable in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to give a meaningful apology for hurting your child's feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, whenever you hurt your child's feelings with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards children 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 term roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. However, this commandment was ultimately received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting all offenses as perceived by a child, at minimum. 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.

It is a myth that the Early Christians were well-integrated into broader Greco-Roman society. Instead, the Early Christians lived in enclaves in big cities, shunning the broader Greco-Roman world, as well as the outside world at large. Spanking then was seen as a pagan custom that infiltrated Christian churches. Paul would have none of it in the parishes that he oversaw, and wrote two convicting commandments to both the parishes at Colossae and Ephesus with his inspired pen. 

The staple punishment in Greco-Roman households was an open-handed spanking to a bare bottom. However, the Early Christians saw this sort of punishment as pagan in nature. Corporal punishment was absorbed into the Western Christian churches by way of European pagan influence. The European pagans were brutes with their children. Pope Constantine himself was pro-spanking, and formed the Roman Catholic Church in his pro-spanking image. 

The Bible has an anti-spanking bias. The Bible was written by anti-spanking Jews, with no Jew worth mentioning ever condoning the punitive treatment of children. All of the biblical writers also wrote parenting manuals that advocated attachment parenting. It just so happens that these attachment parenting manuals were not translated into English until the 1960s. Before then, that parenting knowledge only belonged to the Jews. 

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 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!

Honor thy parents: Understanding the Fifth Commandment in context

Many parents insist on it. Most American parents insist on respect from their children. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents punish their children when they feel "dishonored". However, honoring parents means honoring them in a certain specific way - caring for them as they age.

The Fifth Commandment is spelled out in Exodus 20:12 KJV:

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

And is repeated in Ephesians 6:2-3 KJV:

Honour your father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

The Greek root word translated "honour" in Eph. 6:2 is τιμαο (Latin: timao) and refers here to a specific form of honoring parents, with that being caring for them as they age. The idea is to give back to your parents in some way, as thanksgiving for how your parents were nothing but kind and charitable towards you. However, this only works if your parents never abused you. If you were abused by your parents, you have the right to shun your parents. You only have to forgive your parents for abusing you if they give a meaningful apology for them offending you. Even then, if your parents go back on their apology, you can go back on your forgiveness.

"Dishonoring" parents is a common reason for parents punishing children. Most American parents punish their children when they feel "dishonored". In many homes, parents punish their children merely for children "dishonoring" them, meaning when they speak against parents. However, the Bible prohibits any and all punitive parenting, including when parents feel "dishonored". See 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, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your child, including for "dishonoring" parents. However, it is not enough to stop spanking your child, or even stop punishing them altogether for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just as hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are also inevitable in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt their feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, whenever you hurt their feelings with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you" and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a 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 term roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. However, this commandment was ultimately received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting all offenses as perceived by a child, at minimum. 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 only reason for the Fifth Commandment was an elder abuse and neglect epidemic in both the Old Testament and the parish at Ephesus. Thus, God gave the commandment, through the inspired pen of Moses and Paul respectively, for parents to be cared for as a reward for being a good parent. 

However, if your parents were ever abusive towards you, you owe nothing to those parents. The only reason that you would have to forgive your parents is if they give a credible apology. Even  then, if parents went back on their apology, you could go back on your forgiveness. 

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!

 

 

Passing down the faith: How to instruct your children in the Lord without punitive measures

Many parents want their children to have values. This is a common goal for parents. Most American parents want their children to have some values. However, punitive treatment of children is not the way to teach a values system to a child. Children don't need religion to be beaten into them. Religion is a base human need for children and adults alike.

God's Law on child discipline, including religious instruction, is spelled out in Ephesians 6:4 KJV:

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

This first stanza clarifies for the second that religious instruction should not hurt. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your child, including in order to "beat the devil out of them". However, it is not enough to stop spanking your child, or even stop punishing them altogether for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just like hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are also inevitable in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to 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 coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, whenever you hurt your child with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my cool with you" and then commit never to lose your cool with your children ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a child alone is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. This first 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 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 of children. However, this first stanza of this commandment ultimately was received by the parish at Ephesus as prohibiting any offenses as perceived by a child, at minimum. 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.

It is a myth that children need to have a religion beaten into them. Religion is a basic 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 is discussing religious instruction. Starting at age 6, fathers left out a Bible for children to discover and explore, leaving the Bible open to a reassuring passage. When children were caught in the act of studying the Bible, parents then lavishly praised and encouraged to keep on studying. Then, fathers interjected something along the lines of "you can ask me anything about that book". From there, religious instruction came in the form of question and answer, with children being curious about Scripture, and with fathers giving pointers in the context. 

A common situation in Christian homes is church refusal. Many times, a young child - under age 6 usually - will refuse to go to church, However, in the Early Church, the man of the house went to church on behalf of his wife and children when the children were under age 6. Most children growing up in the Early Church were not introduced to Scripture until they turned 6. The first 6 years of childhood involved giving children nourishment and sustenance, with breastfeeding sometimes not ending until the child turned 6. The idea is not to force religion down the throat of children, but instead allow your child to find God on their own. Let them choose which church that they want to go to.

A common way for parents to impart a religious education on children is to "break their will", meaning keep punishing them, and punish them some more, until the child is forced to surrender to Christ. However, a child does not have a will to be broken. Children simply have wants, and in most cases, they aren't asking for much. 

Religious development in children is often hastened by parents. One way that the religious development of children is rushed by parents is through forcing grateful postures. The key with grateful postures is to look for them in your child. If your child shows grateful postures on their own, they are in a good spiritual place. I tie my hands behind my back in grateful form when out and about in public, and nobody made me.

You may not get your child to have the exact same beliefs as you. However, all that should matter is that your child have a set of values to live by. Most children will find their own values, in a way that helps them behave and not be defiant or disorderly. Religion is a human need for children, and they will find religion entirely on their own if you let them.

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!

Expanding child abuse definitions: Why the Bible calls for tougher laws on the books protecting children from abuse

Many parents think that the Bible has no concept of child abuse apart from obeying the law of the land. Most American parents support the present-day child abuse definitions under state and federal law. However, God's Law is above the law of the land. 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 whenever they don't get the well-behaved child that they feel that they deserve. Parents are deserving of absolutely nothing in relation to children just for existing. Even any parent anger directed towards children is parental entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. Whenever this sense of entitlement in parents was perceived by children 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, stemming from entitlement. 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 your child. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just like hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are also inevitable in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt their feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, whenever you hurt their feelings with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology to your child for hurting their feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you", and then commit never to losing your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a child 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 roughly translated as "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive measures on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. However, this commandment was received in the parish at Colossae as prohibiting any offenses stemming from entitlement as perceived by 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 their own understanding of childhood trauma. Whenever a child grew up to be atheist, shame fell onto the parents, meaning never the atheist child. An atheist in the Early Church was seen as an abused child, not a "lost soul" to "win 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 relations outside of a Christian marriage between one adult man and one adult woman, with the marriage being equal in terms of age. A groom was allowed a bride his chronological age or else up to 4 years older. Intergenerational marriages were banned under Christian law then  The most common form of child sexual abuse in the Early Church was father-child incest, with daughters being the usual targets. Fathers avoided sexually abusing his child by way of righteous masturbation, meaning masturbation to mental images of children as opposed to pornography of any kind. Pornography of all sorts was prohibited under Christian law then. Child sexual abuse, in the Early Church, happened rarely, meaning it was next to non-existent. Whenever it happened then, it was a huge moral outrage.

It is a myth that the Early Christians were well-integrated into broader Greco-Roman society. The Early Christians lived in enclaves in big cities across the Greco-Roman word, shunning the outside world. The Early Christians had their own customs and culture, apart from the broader Greco-Roman culture.

Child abuse was prosecuted in the Early Church by way of internal church investigation. The investigation usually started with a child confiding in a clergyperson about their home life. From there, the parents were summoned to appear before a council of 3 elders, who would decide the fate of the parents. If the parents at all defended themselves in court, as opposed to answering to the court directly, the parents 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 anti-spanking Jews, with no Jew worth mentioning ever endorsing anything punitive with a child. All of the biblical writers also wrote parenting manuals, with these parenting manuals advocating attachment parenting. Even King Solomon wrote an attachment parenting manual, with the rod of correction in Proverbs referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes. It just so happens that these parenting manuals were not translated into English until the 1960s. However, these parenting manuals were known to the Jewish world much earlier.

The Bible is America's book. America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian values. We as a society glean from the Bible and its context as to how to live and treat each other with respect. Even our legal codes under the English common law come from the Bible, However, the "reasonable chastisement" defense is based off of dated biblical understanding, We now know what childhood was like for children in the Early Church .It is about time we repeal the "reasonable chastisement" defense in all 50 states, as well as expanding the scope of child abuse definitions - under state and federal law - to prohibit anything that is perceived by the child victim as abuse. 

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!

Abortion: Why abortion is bad for women (and benefits male entitlement)

Many people on the political left support abortion as a so-called "right". Most modern feminists support abortion as a form of "women's empowerment". However, I myself am a feminist of the pro-life sort, and I oppose abortion in all cases, as well as any unnatural death  As a man, I am to look out for the welfare of women. Abortion is bad for women.

The Sixth Commandment is spelled out in Exodus 20:13 KJV:

Thou shalt not kill.

The Greek root word repeating the Sixth Commandment is φονος (Latin: phonos) and refers here to any death apart from natural death, including even accidental death. The ancients considered an unborn child to be a valid child from the point of conception. Whenever an abortion was committed in the Early Church, the man who got her pregnant was also charged with fornication for leading her down the wrong path. Any abortifacient herbs were considered an illicit substance under the Greek root word μεθυσος (Latin: methusos). No abortions happened in the Old Testament because of how abortifacients were classified in terms of them being illicit drugs. 

You can be feminist and be pro-life. The foremothers of the feminist movement actively warned women of the dangers of abortion. Abortion is bad for women. That is because the procedure consists of a medically-induced miscarriage, with the stillborn child coming out on his/her due date. This usually causes trauma in women. Most women only go to the abortion clinic once, and then vow never to go there again as their baby comes out stillborn. 

Science proves that an unborn child is a human life. The genetics of an unborn child are unique to the individual unborn child. The unborn child always has the genes of both the mother and the father, with this setup being the case since the moment of conception. 

Abortion ultimately benefits male entitlement, as it is an easy way for a man to escape responsibility as a man, including fatherly responsibility. Many times, the father of the unborn child pressures the mother to get an abortion, with this usually coming with the intent to cover up for an extramarital affair or liaison. Abortion is a good way to cover up for sexual immorality, including rape.

I am opposed to abortion even in the case of rape, incest, or life of the mother. In the case of rape and incest, abortion serves to cover up the evidence of sexual offenses perpetrated against women and children. In the case of life of the mother, the father should be able to care for the baby in most instances. Men can nurture, but most men feel insecure in that role. They need to man up and take responsibility for being a father. 

There is an east way to prevent abortions. If a man wants to not get a woman pregnant, he can simply keep it in his pants. Most abortion is perpetrated against an unborn child conceived out of wedlock. Thus, all sexual relations must take place within the context of marriage. This Christian standard is ultimately spelled out in the New Testament by the Greek root word πορνεία (Latin: porneia). See 1Cor. 7:1-5. 

Abortion can be used to cover up the evidence for moral crimes against women, If women were not allowed to get abortions, the pregnant bellies of women would provide clear evidence of sexually amoral behavior on the part of men, including rape and incest. One compelling argument from the left in terms of legal abortion is the existence of pregnancy abusers. A pregnancy abuser gets his wife pregnant, and keeps her pregnant, in order to keep her quartered in the house. However, that pregnancy is evidence of rape, and it comes from rape pretty much always. Lock up the defiled rapist who quarters his wife like that, and let the child have a chance at life. A better way to liberate women is to have stronger anti-rape statutes, including a ban on marital rape. No child should die in order to liberate a woman. 

It is a myth that women are having abortions done left and right. Abortion is a rare procedure. Therefore, a lot of women are listening to their maternal intuition when they refuse to get an abortion themselves. A procedure that unpopular can be easily done away with.\

Being pro-life does not necessitate being pro-birth. I support social welfare for all Americans, from the womb to the tomb. I support a safety net for those who need it, such as universal healthcare and daycare. When certain expenses are taken care of by the state, that leaves with more money in the pockets of ordinary American families. The Bible also allows for granting free money to the poor as part of a church tax (see 1Cor. 16:1-2). No Christian family went hungry in the Early Church, as Christian church parishes then were close-knit enclaves that shunned the outside world. I also oppose all unnatural death, including war and the death penalty. 

Rights of the unborn are children's rights. Abortion was a concept in the Early Church, and it was hated, even among women. A mother who drank abortifacient tea as an herbal "remedy" was seen as a cold and unfeeling mother. Even today, even most pro-choice women avoid abortion clinics due to it being against their maternal intuition. An unborn child is a valid child, in need of protection just like children do outside of the womb. 

Abortion is not the same as women's health. When a doctor reaches into the birth canal, that counts as a D&C, not an abortion, and that only happens once the baby has died naturally in the womb. Abortion is usually given as a prescription drug known as an abortifacient. The baby passes on his/her due date, but stillborn. 

I do not hate women as a pro-lifer. I am simply looking out for women, much like a responsible gentleman does as a courtesy to the opposite sex. I am a pro-life feminist. Abortion is bad for women, and benefits me as a man. I avoid sexual relations with women because I don't have a wife, and this alone makes sure that no woman gets an abortion because of me. Married sex is the safest sex out there, and the best place to have a child is in the context of a Christian marriage between one adult man and one adult woman. However, all children should be cherished, including those born out of wedlock or otherwise unplanned. If I were an entitled man, and slept around, I would benefit from legal abortion in that I wouldn't have to care for a child - I could just pressure the woman I am with to get an abortion. However, I find it easier to just not get women pregnant out of wedlock, and thus I am not allowed to have sex with any woman, as I do not have a wife. I don't want any woman to get an abortion, as abortion is bad for women, being that it is a medically-induced miscarriage. In Christian feminism, a man can look out for women in this regard, as long as he is a gentleman about it.

The depraved and entitled mothers who murder children in the womb, and all who aid and abet, will be forever cast into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Repent!

Child discipline: How to discipline your child without punitive measures

Many parents want their children to have discipline. This is a common goal for parents to have. However, most American parents equate discipline with punishment. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. However, there are better ways to discipline your child than punitive measures.

God's Law on child discipline 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 clarifies for the second that discipline should not hurt. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your child. However, it is not enough to stop spanking your child, or even stop punishing them altogether for that reason. You need to avoid offense in children. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just as hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are inevitable in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to 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 coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, whenever a child cannot accept limits set not out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting their feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you". and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards children 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 roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. However, this commandment was ultimately received as prohibiting any offenses as perceived by a child. Paul. contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and oppoeed 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 second stanza of this commandment spells out what discipline is acceptable, with the first stanza ruling out anything punitive with a child. The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers to a certain specific form of nurturing, namely of the teaching type. Christian parents in the Early Church looked for preferred behaviors in children, usually in the form of self-discipline and self-control. Whenever children showed preferred behaviors, they were given praise and encouragement. Children were left to find discipline on their own, and when they did, their parents encouraged them to keep working on their self-improvement. Christian parents in the Early Church set a good example for their children to follow, but backed this example up with praise and encouragement, not punishment or shaming. Children also should have religious instruction, as religion is a human need for children and adults alike. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and is better translated as "instruction" in more modern versions of the Bible. The Apostle Paul here was referring to religious instruction. Starting at around age 6, fathers left out a copy of the Bible for children to discover and explore, with the copy of the Bible left open to a reassuring passage. When children were caught in the act of studying the Bible, they were given lavish praise and encouragement for more Bible study of the same. Then, fathers 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 pointers on the context. This second stanza points out the Hebraic tradition of positive reinforcement, meaning catching children being good. Positive reinforcement is an ancient Hebraic tradition predating the coming of Christ by thousands of years.

Every child is different. Some children are more spirited, and some are more easygoing. The idea is to start out setting no limits apart from when children are endangering themselves or others. A more easygoing child is the kind of child to surrender to their parents, and ask them to set limits for them, in which case you should set more limits for that particular child. A more spirited child needs time to form their own discipline, and then be praised when they do find discipline. 

Sometimes, a parent has to set limits for the safety of children and/or others. However, children accepting limits like that is another story. Whenever your child cannot accept a set limit, you need to apologize for hurting their feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is an informal apology when limits were not set out of anger, to prove non-entitlement. However, if you lose your cool with your child as a parent, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, as any parent anger directed towards children alone is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. 

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!

"Benign" deprivation: Why saying "no" to children "frequent and often" can be seen as child abuse

Many parents buy into the concept of "benign" deprivation. Most American parents make it a point to say "no" to most everything that a child wants. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. However, most American parents need an attitude adjustment on this issue. Saying "no" to children "frequent and often" is considered child abuse when it offends the child, which is pretty much always.

God's Law on child abuse is spelled out in 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, stemming from entitlement. The key here to not abusing your child 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 in relations between adults, hurt feelings are also inevitable in children when dealing with them. One thing that hurts a child's feelings is to say "no" to them "frequent and often". The idea behind avoiding offense in children is to avoid saying "no" to a child, or setting limits with them altogether, except when absolutely necessary for the safety of children and/or others. When children cannot accept limits not set out of anger, you need to give an informal apology for hurting your child's feelings with such limits, such as "I'm sorry, but I have to set X limits for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a child 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 Christians who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias porestas, 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 of children. However, this commandment was ultimately received by the parish at Ephesus as prohibiting all forms of offenses stemming from entitlement as perceived by the child, at minimum. 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 Early Christians were hated largely for being too "soft" on their children. The Early Christians dd set limits with children, but only for safety concerns. A modern example of this is when children play ball inside, in which case the parent asks politely and gratefully for the game of ball to go outside. Children could be physically restrained in the Early Church, but only in the lightest of forms, and only for things such as running into oncoming traffic. Apart from that, children were left free reign. When children made messes, parents got a good laugh before picking up the mess. 

A common place of contention in conventional parenting today is the store. Most parents think that giving children what they want in the store leads to them wanting "more  more, and then some". However, the child is usually asking for something inexpensive such as a candy bar. Let them have it. In the Early Church, children usually wanted licorice from the candy stand, in which case the parent asked for the item, and then she paid for it before handing it back to the child to enjoy. You may find that children aren't asking for much. All they care about is that it comes from YOU.

The idea when offering things to your child is to avoid choice overload. For example, when at the restaurant, give them a list of items on the menu, and see what they choose. If they choose something entirely different, then go with that and scrap all of the other choices you gave them. Try to keep the list of items short, preferably limiting the number of options to 2. 

Christian parents in the Early Church did not order children around. Instead, they politely asked things of their children from the bottom of their heart, with the child usually trusting in parents enough for immediate compliance. The key to gaining the trust of children is to avoid punishing them, and also avoid offending them in any way, shape, or form. If you have punished or offended them before, you need to repent in front of your child, promising never to offend them ever again. See Matt. 22:35-40; 25:31-46.  

Children only need limits when they are acting in a dangerous manner. Children will form their own moral beliefs as they get older, with religion being a human need for children and adults alike. Most children will find God on their own, and will need minimal guidance when they ask questions about the context of what they are reading in the Bible. I myself do not want a child to be in lockstep with my values, necessarily. I want them to simply have a set of values, with them choosing the set of values that they want to live by. If a child chooses to have no values at all, that brings shame onto the parents of the child for child abuse, or else anyone else who spiritually abused the child enough for them to reject all religion. Usually, religious development starts at age 6 naturally, which is when Christian parents should leave out a Bible, and leave it open at the most reassuring verse you can find, such as the Beatitudes. 

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!

"Biblical spanking": Why the rod verses in Proverbs are repealed verses

Many parents use the Bible as an excuse for spanking their child. In the book of Proverbs, there exist 5 passages known as rod verses. These verses are often used as an argument for spanking a child. However, these verses are ultimately repealed verses. Nowhere does the Bible say to spank a child. 

There are 6 verses that mention the rod in the book of Proverbs, with the most widely quoted verse being Proverbs 13:24 KJV:

He who spareth his rod hateth his son: but he who loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

The Hebrew root word translated "son" is ben and refers to a mature adult son. The Hebrew root word translated "rod" is shebet and refers to, in the context of Proverbs, the rod of correction, namely a switch. The rod verses in Proverbs ultimately refer to a form of judicial corporal punishment known as the 40 minus 1 lashes, administered to a father or next-of-kin, to the bare back, in the context of a courtroom, as a sentence for a crime. Under Jewish law in the Old Testament, striking  another Jew was prohibited outside the context of a courtroom, with striking a minor child being prohibited in all settings. The 40 minus 1 lashes were a final warning before an errant son was put to death, and could only exist in that given context. The reason for this commandment is that, otherwise, the father would just refuse to whip his son, as Jewish parents then were slow to blame their adult children for anything.

Christ died on the cross in order to repeal the harsh punishments of the Old Testament. Christ experienced both capital and corporal punishment unjustly, and so the Early Christians banned such punishments, and shunned all whippings and executions under Roman law. It is a myth that the Early Christians were well-integrated into Greco-Roman society, with the Early Christians living in enclaves in big cities, shunning the outside Greco-Roman world. Corporal punishment seeped its way into the Christian Church by way of European pagan influence on the Western Christian Church, with the European pagans being brutes with their children.

The teaching of "biblical spanking" is a man-made teaching. Nowhere in the New Testament are the rod verses repeated, with Heb. 12:5-6 referring to trials and tribulations being sent by God the way of His elect. However, the Bible does weigh in on the spanking issue, and then some. See 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, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your child. However, it is not enough to stop spanking your child, or even stop punishing your child altogether for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. A child has the right to take offense when their parents are acting entitled, including towards them. Children usually take it personally by crying tears of displeasure. Whenever your child takes it personally, you need to be willing to give an apology as soon as possible. Usually, all that is necessary is an informal apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings with limits not set out if anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards children alone is entitlement, and was seen aa entitlement in the Early Church. Whenever your child takes it personally, with their feelings being hurt, you should apologize appropriately, lest it be officially an offense. 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 of children. However, this commandment was ultimately received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting any offense in children stemming from entitlement in parents, at minimum. 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.

Parent anger directed towards children was completely prohibited in the Early Church.  Most parents in the Early Church were motivated by anxiety, being expressed usually as worry or concern. The only time parents were allowed to get angry was to protect their child from interlopers. Anger at a child then was seen as akin to a viper - maybe the child was given some warning, but that was about it.

Children in the Early Church were not seen as bad or sinful, even when they acted up. Whenever children got into mischief, the parents had a good laugh before cleaning up their messes. Children in the Early Church were instead seen as among the poor and the vulnerable, with God identifying with the vulnerability of children. See Matt. 25:31-46. 

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!

Adult attraction to children: Individual responsibility for adults attracted to children

Many adults and organizations support the idea of collective responsibility. That means stopping a would-be defied sex offender from sexually abusing a child/ However, every single adult is capable of sexually abusing a child under the right/wrong conditions. 

All adults are cursed with the sin nature of mankind. We as a species are flawed creatures, and are all capable of harming a child in some way or another as depraved and decadent adults. Most child sexual abuse happens as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that an adult is faced with. Usually, there is a heartache involved where the perpetrator feels sexual lust to the point of physical pain, all due to unmet sexual needs n relation to children.

The Greek root word translating "fornication" is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers here to sexual relations with a child, as children are incapable of marriage, and all sexual relations have to occur within the context of a Christian marriage are prohibited. A groom has to be the same age as the bride, or else the bride has to be up to 4 years older. Intergenerational marriage was banned under Christian customary law then. The way out of a fornication habit is to masturbate to the first image that comes to mind. For most men, this mental image is an image of his daughter.

Most child sexual abuse has nothing to do with pedophilia. Most child rapes take place as a part of the "electra" complex. The idea is that the father is attracted to his daughter in a way that she isn't attracted to him. The home sexual dynamic goes in the form of a criss-cross, with boys having a dead end attraction, and girls having a mutually unrequited sexual dynamic. However, no young girl wants to have sex with her fathers. Instead, all she wants to do is masturbate to sexual fantasies of his daughter.

The solution to child sexual abuse is to allow for righteous masturbation to sexual thoughts of children. Whenever an adult has a sexual inkling for a child, they should masturbate to sexual thoughts of that child. Most child sexual abuse happens when an adult represses their sex drive for children, with this sexual narcissist coming out onto the child like a ton of bricks. Righteous masturbation means pornography, meaning masturbation for health reasons. In the Early Church, masturbation without pornography was seen as a way out of sexual sin, not the way in. 

Most child sexual abusers are not pedophiles. A pedophile is not an anger packet directed towards a child. A pedophile is a human being with a sexual preference for children under age 14. Pedophilia is a form of of arrested sexual development. Pedophiles start out being attracted to same age peers, but as they get olde, their attraction figures stage do not. Most pedophiles have a form of immature autism of the moderate-severe type, where their attractions reflect their emotional; immaturity. If you see a man with autism just click with children, and get along with children naturally, think pedophile, but the right kind. I myself am a pedophile, and I also have autism of the moderate-mild level. I have no desire to have any close friends except with children. Autism means "narrow focus". When that narrow focus is on children, that usually means that the autistic adult is a pedophile.

I myself am a flawed pedophilic adult. I myself committed mainly street harassment n the form of flirting with children. 1 out of 4 pedophiles have sexually abused a child in the past, and usually, these offenders have a severe form of autism. Most pedophilic sexual offenses come from lack of boundaries, not any intent to cause harm. I did not intend to cause harm to my cousin, but what I did was a sexually entitled act of fornication. I was investigated for raping my cousin, which never happened, with the police excusing me because I meant no harm by my sexual interaction with my little cousin.

The depraved and decadet, defiled adults who sexually abuse children will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them descend into torrents of Hell prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Repent!

Redefining child abuse: Why the Bible calls for expanding child abuse definitions

Many parents believe that the Bible has no concept of child abuse apart from obeying the law of the land. Most American parents support the present-day child abuse definitions under state and federal law. However, God's Law is above the law of the land. 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 being sorely disappointed when they don't get the well-behaved child that they feel that they deserve. Parents are deserving of absolutely nothing in relation to children just for existing. 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 then 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, stemming from entitlement. 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. Just like hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are also inevitable in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to give a meaningful apology to your child for hurting their feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, whenever you hurt their feelings with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a 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 roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. However, this commandment was ultimately received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting all offenses as perceived by a child, at minimum. 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 had a basic understanding of childhood trauma. Whenever a child grew up to be atheist, it was seen as a shame on the parents, not the child. An atheist in the Early Church was seen as an abused child, not a "lost soul" to "win over".

The ancients in the Bible had their own understanding of child sexual abuse. The Greek root word translated "fornication" in the New Testament is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers here to any sexual relations outside of the context of a Christian marriage between one adult man and one adult woman, with this marriage being equal in terms of the age of the participants. A groom was only allowed a bride his age or up to 4 years older than him. Intergenerational marriages were banned in the Early Church, as was any sexual advances towards a child at minimum. The most common form of child sexual abuse was father-child incest, with daughters being the usual target. Most fathers in the Early Church masturbated righteously to thoughts of his child that he was attracted to. Child sexual abuse was rare in the biblical context, meaning it was next to non-existent. Sexual abuse then did not exist on the gaslighting level, but existed at a level where a child could easily self-report their sexually abusive parents to the church authorities. Whenever a child was sexually abused by parents or other adults, it was seen as a huge moral  outrage.

Child abuse in the Early Church was prosecuted by way of internal investigation. This investigation usually started with a child confiding in a clergyperson about their home life. From there, the child's parents were summoned to testify before a council of 3 church elders that would decide the fate of the parents. If the child's parents defended themselves at all, as opposed to answering to the court directly, they were excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God. Contrary to popular belief, the Early Christians were not well-integrated into Rome, and instead lived in enclaves in big cities, shunning the outside Greco-Roman world. 

The Bible is an anti-spanking document. All 88 books of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - were written by anti-spanking Jews, with no Jew worth mentioning ever condoning the punitive treatment of  a child. All of the biblical writers also wrote parenting manuals that advocated attachment parenting. Even King Solomon wrote an attachment parenting manual, with the rod of correction in the book of Proverbs referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes. It just so happens that these parenting manuals were not translated into English until the 1960s. Before then, only the Jews knew what those attachment parenting manuals said. 

The Bible is America's book. America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian values. We as a society glean from the Bible and its context as to how to live and treat each other with respect. Even our legal codes under the English common law are based off of biblical teaching. However, the "reasonable chastisement" defense is based off of dated biblical teaching. It is about time we abolish the "reasonable chastisement" defense, and expand child abuse definitions to include anything that the child perceives as abuse.

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.

Hebrews 12:5-6: Why this passage is not a pro-spanking passage

Many parents defend spanking as a so-called "right". Most American parents justify their choice to spank a child using the Bible as an excuse. Most American parents cite 5 passages in Proverbs and 1 passage in Hebrews to excuse their abusive treatment of children. However, the core of the pro-spanking argument rests of Hebrews 12:5-6. This passage in Hebrews does not even refer to any spanking coming from earthly parenting/ Heb. 12:5-6 refers chiefly to trials and tribulations sent by God the way of the believer.

God's Word on trials and tribulations is spelled out in Hebrews 12:5-6 KJV:

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

When understood correctly, this passage is comforting to me. The Greek root word translated "scourgeth" is μαστιγόω (Latin: mastigoó) and can have a figurative meaning to it, as is the case here. This sort of metaphor is known as rod language. If you were a Christian in the Early Church, and you had a long day at work, you instead said "God whipped me hard today". God does literally spank his children. However. God does punish His children, like only He can, sending trials and tribulations the way of His children that He loves the most. However, God only punishes His children when it does not harm them, whereas earthly parents only punish their children when it does, in fact, harm them. This passage was intended as comfort for the Hebrew Christians in their persecution from Rome.

The teaching of "biblical spanking" is a man-made teaching. God does not want His Parenting methods to be copied by earthly parents, as they could get it wrong. However, the Bible does weigh in on the spanking issue, and then some. See 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, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your children. However, it is not enough to stop spanking your children, or even stop punishing children altogether for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. Just as hurt feelings are inevitable in relations between adults, hurt feelings are also inevitable in children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to 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 coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology, in the case of hurt feelings due to limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limits for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for losing my temper with you", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards a child 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 roughly translated as "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. However, this commandment was ultimately received in the parish at Ephesus as prohibiting any offenses as perceived by a child, at minimum. 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 staple punishment in the broader Greco-Roman world was spanking to the bate bottom with an open hand. Paul would have none of it in the churches that he oversaw, convicting pro-spanking parents of offending their child. The Early Christians, contrary to popular belief, were not well-integrated into Greco-Roman society. The Christians then were ghettoized into enclaves in big cities throughout the Greco-Roman world. The Early Christians in the 1st Century even had their own courts that led internal church investigations into child abuse. 

Anger is a driving force in most parents today. However. the Early Christians opposed any anger in parenting. Instead, parenting then was guided by worry or concern, with anger pretty much only existing in the parent when parents acted in protective mode. Anger at children was seen among the Early Christians as akin to a viper lashing out at its prey - maybe the child hot some warning, but that's about it.

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!

 

Pedophilic children: How to accommodate your pedophilic child

Many parents worry about their child being sexually abused by an adult. This is a common attitude among parents. Most parents fear their child being preyed upon by pedophiles. However, what if your child becomes a pedophile? A pedophile is born, and can be diagnosed as age 16, and can be identified much earlier. Pedophilia is a developmental disorder involving arrested sexual development.

What should a parent do when their child discloses to them that "I am a pedophile"?  Many American parents shun the topic, and can tell if their child is a pedophile. Pedophiles start out at puberty attracted to children their age or whereabouts, but as they grow up, their sexual preferences stay the same. 

A pedophile is not an anger packet directed towards a child. A pedophile is a human being with a sexual preference for children under age 14. A pedophile is a parallel parent that is sexually motivated in nature. In most cases, the pedophile has a form of autism that is child-centered in nature. "Autism" means "one with" A pedophile has a form of autism that one with children. When looking for a pedophile, look for a man with autism whose passion is children, as most adults with autism find children "too noisy" or "too chaotic".

It is a myth that the Bible prohibits the existence of pedophiles. The Greek root word translated "fornication" is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers here to anything sexually amoral as understood then. Having mere attractions are not sin. When a pedophile disclosed their attraction to children to someone else, it was seen as a cry for help, in which case the pedophile was allowed to talk out their desires with a  supportive person. In some cases, pedophiles were appointed as clergy in the Early Church, and even took in a few orphaned children that nobody else wanted. A man had two main outlets in the Early Church - with his wife, or with masturbation without pornography. The church prohibition on pedophilia started not with trauma survivors, but with Pope Constantine in the 3rd Century, when Constantine stated that any adult who disclosed an attraction to children would end up with all friends and family disfellowshipping them. The Roman Catholic Church doesn't cover for pedophiles - it oppresses them by prohibiting child sexual fantasies altogether. The Roman Catholic Church was the first church to ban all masturbation, including to thoughts of children. However, the Early Christian churches were rather inclusive of pedophiles. It was seen then as a flaw, but one that could be put to use for good. However, it was still seen as a flaw, as it was a sexual attraction directed towards children, thus a flaw of the human condition. Whenever an adult sexually abused a child in the Early Church, it was a huge moral outrage, with the perpetrator being excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God. 

Trauma survivors did advocate against pedophiles in the past. However, all we wanted as a movement is to be opposed in a certain way - based off of trauma on the part of the pedophile. They did say that pedophiles can't be traumatized, but only for a pedophile to challenge them on that one. Most pedophiles have a sexual shaming trauma, similar to trauma from being seen as gay by sexually shaming parents. If they as much as admitted to pedophilia, they were kicked out of the house as soon as the disclosure came out. 

The key to accommodating your pedophilic child is to allow them to masturbate righteously. That means take away the pornography depictions and tell them to masturbate to the first image that comes to mind. If they are a pedophile, they might be fantasizing about sex with children. Let them masturbate to sexually exciting fantasies of children, exploring al of the different possibilities with children, then always landing in the same place - relief. They may also need someone to talk out their desires with. Some pedophiles are better at handling their desires better than others. Sometimes, a pedophile needs a therapist to sort out their desires with, in which case the desires officially become a mental illness. Masturbation in and of itself comes with health benefits, but only when done without pornography.

It is a myth that pedophilia is a dehumanizing attraction. A pedophile has a humanizing attraction towards children. I am a pedophile, and I see children as autonomous human beings, not mere extensions of their parents. A child is a full human being to me. It just so happens that children's rights is based off of that very concept. 

A pedophile can be understood in most cases as being a big kid attracted to much younger kiddos. Most pedophiles also have arrested emotional development alongside arrested sexual development, usually due to autism. Most pedophiles have a primary diagnosis of moderate-severe autism spectrum disorder, with myself having a moderate-mild case of autism alongside my pedophilia. The way it works is that the only friends that you want are children, with the pedophile usually being a human ragdoll for a child. 

Pedophilia is not caused by any trauma from women, but instead is a genetic trait associated with autism. I myself don't hate women as a pedophile, but instead see women simply as people, as opposed to attraction figures. I can see certain women's issues more clearly because I take women seriously instead of seeing them as sex symbols. I myself try my best to be a sex-critical feminist. 

The depraved and entitled parents who punish and shame their children for their pedophilic desires will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torrents, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Repent!