Wait- how does this work?!?! A spiritual "contradiction"

[Vidy]

Oh, I'm not like this all the time in everything. Just on the forums =P And I think i acted this way to her mom sometimes, but half the time it was something she brought up that put me on the defensive. I'm not trying to argue for the sake of arguing, but when somebody brings something up that even RESEMBLES an attack on me, I try to defend myself. I'm sure you understand that too ^_^

But the thing about group discussions is that it's VERY difficult to let something fizzle back to the original topic. One person will move back to it, I'll follow their lead, then somebody else will come add their input and I feel inclined to respond to them. The curse of chat boards =P

I'm not trying to "shove" my qualities in anyone's face, and I'm not even trying to sound really intelligent.

The "arrogant, immature, abrasive with everyone, not giving respect to elders" thing?... As far as arrogance goes, I'm not. I don't assume superiority, and I'm not exactly proud about anything lol. For immature, that's debatable, and honestly I have yet to see a good definition of maturity anywhere 0_o As for as abrasive, I already said that that's not how I always am (it's mostly an online thing tbh). And for giving respect to elders- Correct. I don't give respect to elders BECAUSE they're elders. Respect is earned.

 

[DABEARS85]

And for giving respect to elders- Correct. I don't give respect to elders BECAUSE they're elders. Respect is earned.

wrong.

Leviticus 19

19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

The bible commands you respect your elders. I won't get into the father/mother part, because that's obvious. I'm talking about strangers.

 

[Vidy]

wrong.

Leviticus 19

19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

The bible commands you respect your elders. I won't get into the father/mother part, because that's obvious. I'm talking about strangers.

Ok, I can't disagree with you there, though it would probably be easy to argue points about what it means by "elderly," and what kind of respect it's referring to. I show EVERYONE respect in such a way that I don't treat them poorly. I do NOT treat everyone with respect in such a way that I will count everything they say as truth, or as valuable.

 

[DinoDillinger]

I agree with everything Snail is saying. i also do not believe teenagers are equipped to be able to handle the stress of what adults do. I think they would crack under the pressure, Theres no way a teenager could Get a full time job, get married, raise a family, find somewhere to live and have a stable environment. Some adults cant even manage this, what makes you think a 15 or 16 year old could. Teenagers as children are innately selfish. You still live with your mom and dads, you dont have to worry about anything but going to school and doing your homework! Why would you wanna grow up faster than you have to. Sometimes i wish i was still in my teens so i wouldnt have to take on all the responsibilities that i have to now........ just sayin

Actually in other cultures, teenage people are alot more responsible than most western adults. Taking on the responsibilities of families and the like. You could say that part of the reason for the immaturity of teenagers today is mainly the fault of the parents and the modern views on parenting and child development. Which they have all kinds of scientific data for but when they go to apply it, you end up with modern america's youth. Which for the most part is a sad sight.

 

[MahogonySnail]

The point of the example is, even though adults may be "more equipped" to deal with "mature" stuff, it doesn't make teenagers incapable of it. The risk-factor thing sounds weird to me, considering some people are just risk-takers and some aren't. The risks may change as people get older (making large capital investments instead of skydiving for example), but they still take these risks nonetheless. And some may learn that some risks may be taken, and don't learn this until adulthood... But classifying teenagers vaguely as unable to deal with adult situations is a poor choice IMO.

"I think that teens have always been less mature than people in their mid 20's and older"

Have any proof of this? Well, now that I think about it, I think the Bible mentions something about young adults (which would have been teenagers), but instead of saying "You can't do it, you're too young!" It says "You are young and more prone to this, so be careful and avoid it." IIRC.

Well my proof would be, if science tells us that the brain is not fully developed until 20's as in the articles I showed, then it must always have been this way. Perhaps it explains the prevalence of such things as warfare and duelling when the life expectancy of a person was much lower. The majority of people in my street who shout and scream until all hours of the morning leaving their drink bottles around are not adults in their mid 20's or older they are teenagers or early 20's.

Risky behaviour is not just driving over the speed limit on the roads or getting drunk it's also diving into relationships too quickly , committing before each other is ready etc.

It should also be noted that personality wise, a person is not who they really will be for life until they hit the 20's. That's why young relationships often break up as both mature and get older because one of them changes and then they aren't compatable with each other any more.

 

[Vidy]

Well my proof would be, if science tells us that the brain is not fully developed until 20's as in the articles I showed, then it must always have been this way. Perhaps it explains the prevalence of such things as warfare and duelling when the life expectancy of a person was much lower. The majority of people in my street who shout and scream until all hours of the morning leaving their drink bottles around are not adults in their mid 20's or older they are teenagers or early 20's.

Risky behaviour is not just driving over the speed limit on the roads or getting drunk it's also diving into relationships too quickly , committing before each other is ready etc.

It should also be noted that personality wise, a person is not who they really will be for life until they hit the 20's. That's why young relationships often break up as both mature and get older because one of them changes and then they aren't compatable with each other any more.

I'm sorry, but that is a sad, sad view on relationships that I believe is part of what leads to a lot of divorces today. "He/She just isn't the same person I married!" BULL! You committed to THAT person. If they change, for better or for worse, you freakin' stick with them. To be honest, since adults are already "who they are" or whatever, then if they get into a relationship, then if they find out the other person is quite what they thought, neither one of them is willing to change and accommodate.

Also, I was FAR from "rushing into the relationship." We have had a relationship for about 3 years (though only half of it was official). All of the FUNCTIONAL marriages I see around me, the people had known each other for less than a year or two. You wouldn't consider that rushing? I realize SHE may not have been ready, but she didn't show any signs of discomfort or talk to me about the things I was saying, so that was a major communication problem there. However, as always, I still haven't heard HER say those things- It was all her parents telling her those things, and saying it about her.

Also, look at the post above you. Teens in foreign cultures- Look! Mature and responsible. There's a counterexample to your "scientific argument." Explain.

 

[Matthew]

And for giving respect to elders- Correct. I don't give respect to elders BECAUSE they're elders. Respect is earned.

It's interesting that you mention this as I think it is a perfect example how a few more years and a little more wisdom changes a feeling like this.
I do completely understand what you mean and I felt exactly the same, to the extent where I openly told people that they had to earn my respect and I would not just give it because I happened to be coming up a few years behind.

Putting aside what the bible has to say the issue, I have, with the benefit of a few more years had time to think on this come to understand that someone's actions do not nead to relate sepcifically to me in order to respect them.
I used to go about my life thinking no-one older than me was worth any consideration because they had not proven themselves in my eyes as worth any respect, but they are going about their life and have been doing so for a long time, they've dealt with the problems and the pain and they have taken steps into parts of life that I can only right now imagine, they have done their part to serve others by being a good member of society and they are still surviving all that hardship with other misery often mixed in and that is worthy of respect from younger people.
Of course without the weight of all that experience it is easy for you to see it as an entirely unremarkable thing, but it is remarkable and worth a lot of respect, but I do believe that respect needs to flow both ways.

That logic is perhaps easily debunked by a more cynical mind who would say every person could be a criminal or doing bad things etc....but as a christian if you see the best and try to be optomistic you should consider every new person you meet is a good one until otherwise proven and give your respect out of understanding from your own life the scale of effort they have put into their own.

Surely you deserve respect for who you are in character and how you live in the effort you make to be a good and strong person, it'd be a shame if someone new you met didn't pay you any respect simply because you have not yet been able to prove it to them, your life should speak for itself as should everyones, maybe all christians, all people need to offer forward that that little bit extra faith and positive assumption rather than leaning back on the idea that people have to 'earn' and 'prove' it.

So you say you don't respect elders because they're elders and respect is earned.........I would submit the idea that simply by being elders they have earned it and they are continuing to earn it everyday, just as you are earning it from those younger than you.