Assuming poster is an teenager

[jmcrae]

I was wondering if when people reply here they assume, unless it is obvious that they are not, that the poster is a minor?

Actually, unless it’s blatantly obvious that the poster is a child or teen, or unless they state their age, I just automatically assume that they are about my age - older than 35.

We might answer a question differently from a 13 year old than a 33 year old. I suppose that is appropriate.

I’d use simpler language for a 13 year old, but I’d still give what I consider to be the correct answer.

In every case, no matter how old I think the original poster is, I always try to avoid any kind of graphic language, since this is a public forum that anyone can read, and needs to be safe for children to browse around in. Not every child has parental supervision, and I wouldn’t want it on my conscience that a child was exposed to something inappropriate on the Internet, that I had put out there. I’d have some explaining to do with Jesus, if I were ever the cause of scandal for a child.

 

[jmcrae]

Ah yes…typically said by adults, like somehow that by observing their own teenage years, that they know everything in the minds of other teenagers.

A 22 year old isn’t an “adult” - not quite!

As far as I know, my own experience of the adults surrounding me and some of the teenagers surrounding me (including myself) support my own opinion. Even teachers have said that students seem to know a vast more than they do.

I remember the teachers saying the same things when I was young. What I think it is, is that kids are surrounded all day long by knowledge at school. Once you’re out of school, you forget everything except for whatever pertains to the occupation that you have chosen, and things that pertain to your everyday tasks at home, like balancing your cheque book, cooking a meal, cleaning a bathroom, and so on.

Every teenager knows how to do algebra, but once you hit your 30s, if you haven’t done algebra since the tenth grade, you aren’t going to be able to remember how to do it - and teenagers are going to seem really smart, to you, in the area of algebra.

 

[gardenswithkids]

I’d use simpler language for a 13 year old, but I’d still give what I consider to be the correct answer.

In every case, no matter how old I think the original poster is, I always try to avoid any kind of graphic language, since this is a public forum that anyone can read, and needs to be safe for children to browse around in. Not every child has parental supervision, and I wouldn’t want it on my conscience that a child was exposed to something inappropriate on the Internet, that I had put out there. I’d have some explaining to do with Jesus, if I were ever the cause of scandal for a child.

I don’t assume the other posters are teenagers, but I do assume that teenagers, (possibly including my own) may read this forum.

The original poster seems to be asking if we lie to teens by telling them things that we do not believe. No.

I thoroughly agree with 1ke that the teacher mentioned in the op is out of line discussing his personal life and past sins with students. Furthermore, if that teacher lies in order to set a better example, 1) lying is not a good example and 2) being an adult does not mean it’s okay to have pre-marital sexual relations and break drug laws.

Besides being totally inappropriate to discuss such matters in the class, when a teacher presents information the way that teacher did, it sounds like he thinks immoral acts become moral when a person reaches a certain age. They don’t. I would hope for better morals from an adult, (especially one who goes into the teaching profession), than I expect from that same person when he was a teen.

 

[PatriceA]

I was wondering if when people reply here they assume, unless it is obvious that they are not, that the poster is a minor? And I wonder if the responses are affected by that presumption? I ask because often when replying to morality questions from minors people try to present clear unambiguous answers. Often those answers do not take into account some practicalities and truths of living in the real world. We might answer a question differently from a 13 year old than a 33 year old. I suppose that is appropriate.

I have a friend who is a teacher. He tells his students he never drank, smoked pot, or was sexually active until he was an adult. But we were in high school together, so I know it’s a lie. But he says you just have to say that. He says otherwise they would just go wild.

I noticed the same thing when my brother and I were watching tv and a “girls gone wild” ad came on. He was really annoyed by it. I just commented that it was kind of stupid. I would not watch or buy one. I have actually seen breasts before and dont need a video. But I said it did not really bother me; I just thought it was typical youth stupidity. My brother glared up at me and between clenched teeth said " that’s because you’re not a father".
So I just wonder whether people here generally always believe the moral arguments they are making. Or if those responses are tailored to the idea that the questioner may not be an adult. That is they may not represent the full and truthful view we may have when speaking to other adults. Are most responses constructed with that presumption?

By the way, your second scenerio about the video and brother saying what he did has nothing to do with your age and everything to do about him being a parent and you’re not, yet. You could be 40 years old and making the same comments and I would say something similar as your brother said. Your opinion about EVERYTHING changes when you become a parent.

 

[JimG]

I give clear, unambiguous answers to everyone. Teen or adult, if you ask a question, you deserve the truth as the Church teaches it. I don’t reveal any of my personal life online anywhere, other than things about my cat and the recipes I use.

Betsy

I would hate for the animal rights activists to come down on you, so will not spread this around.

Still, cats are very private creatures and never let us know their real thoughts or even their real name. [See T.S. Eliot: *The Naming of Cats]

Humans still have an expectation of privacy; but while the concept of it lingers, the reality has largely disappeared.

 

[jmcrae]

By the way, your second scenerio about the video and brother saying what he did has nothing to do with your age and everything to do about him being a parent and you’re not, yet. You could be 40 years old and making the same comments and I would say something similar as your brother said. Your opinion about EVERYTHING changes when you become a parent.

Yes, exactly - those girls on the video become not just random girls who happen to be really stupid, but, they are somebody’s daughters. That’s what makes parents feel so angry about videos like that.

 

[baltobetsy]

I would hate for the animal rights activists to come down on you, so will not spread this around.

Still, cats are very private creatures and never let us know their real thoughts or even their real name. [See T.S. Eliot: *The Naming of Cats

]

Humans still have an expectation of privacy; but while the concept of it lingers, the reality has largely disappeared.
I guess I’ll apologize to the cat and limit my personal sharing to the culinary. Thanks for looking out for me.

Betsy