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Why another thread attacking "young people"? Why not a thread on all the old pedophiles in the churches?
The only thing that makes smoking pot wrong is that our government made a law against it. They can make a law against anything. Many people have no moral problem with using marijuana. But everyone knows that child predators are evil.
Why another thread attacking "young people"? Why not a thread on all the old pedophiles in the churches?
The only thing that makes smoking pot wrong is that our government made a law against it. They can make a law against anything. Many people have no moral problem with using marijuana. But everyone knows that child predators are evil.
Asking a question is not an attack. I was asked by a young person to do something illegal so that he could keep a job. The question therefore is 'Do most young people today not care about right and wrong?'
And disagreeing with a law does not give you an excuse to break that law.
My response to the kid is not the topic of the thread, or the issue.
You made it part of the topic by telling us what your response was. Why include it if it had no bearing on anything? Perhaps you were looking for validation for treating the young man in such an unloving and dismissive way. As I said in my very first post, I can't say that I wouldn't have responded in the same knee-jerk way that you did. But the right thing to do is to examine the log in our eye, and the wrong thing to do is to tear down an entire generation to excuse our own bad behavior. Do most of us old fogies care about right and wrong, or not?
I think it depends considering where I live (the US) we live in a melting pot with a myriad of different people and you grow up realizing that people don't always carry the same value system as you do. Sometimes even what you consider to be right and wrong is vastly different from your peers and so instead of fighting with them and creating discord in what could've otherwise been a regular old system, you learn tolerance and respect.
You grow up with people different from you and you see the way they're functioning despite their differences and you realize that they deserve the same amount of respect.
But yes, I do care about right and wrong, particularly in my personal life.
Asking a question is not an attack. I was asked by a young person to do something illegal so that he could keep a job. The question therefore is 'Do most young people today not care about right and wrong?'
And disagreeing with a law does not give you an excuse to break that law.
Why would you assume that MOST young people are no good just because of this one experience. And as Jesus said, why do you call me good? Also, you seem to have forgotten that there are none righteous and none who seek after God. Why do you post crap like this? It seems like it is to build up your SELF and tear the OTHER down. Don't you see why that is not a good thing? Why not post something positive that a young person did and glorify God in so doing? Why must you always focus on the negative?
Why would you assume that MOST young people are no good just because of this one experience. And as Jesus said, why do you call me good? Also, you seem to have forgotten that there are none righteous and none who seek after God. Why do you post crap like this? It seems like it is to build up your SELF and tear the OTHER down. Don't you see why that is not a good thing? Why not post something positive that a young person did and glorify God in so doing? Why must you always focus on the negative?
Did I make an assumption? Or did I simply ask a question about what other people think?
Did I make an assumption? Or did I simply ask a question about what other people think?
I guess I just assumed you had assumed that most young people do not care about right and wrong. Sorry. I think "right and wrong" is not the same for everyone, for example, some things done in America might be illegal in other countries and also some things that ARE legal, seem wrong to some people, whereas, some things that are illegal (like smoking weed) are fairly common practice in America (I don't smoke weed because it makes me think too incessantly), but I know a lot of folks who do and the only reason it is considered WRONG is because the Federal government decided to make it illegal (which I think was completely unnecessary), so I would bet in this guy's mind he is within his right to smoke pot and it is probably wrong in his mind that people must be subjected to urine tests for such a thing as using a natural herb for recreation while they do not test for alcohol. If that is how his mind works, I can understand that and I don't see him as a "bad person" as you do.
So, can you think of a loving response that would have been possible in that situation, rather than being dismissive of the young man?
Well, even if you don't want to answer, I will.
I don't think fast on my feet, so my first instinct would've likely been to be put off by him, and be dismissive as well. I look forward to the day when I'm so filled with God's love that my natural inclination is to welcome any "uncomfortable" situation as an opportunity to see the other person through God's eyes, rather than judging them. But, for now, I'm still in a place where I've got a lot of judgment in me and spontaneous situations like that are not my forte. So, how I wish I would handle it may very well not be how I would end up handling it. That being said...
I'd respond with something along the lines of, "Sounds like that job is really important to you." Maybe that would open up the possibility for a further conversation, maybe not. In either case, my response to his request would have to be, "My desire is to live in truth, so I can't help you with what you're asking, because I feel it would be dishonest. That wouldn't be good for me, or for you, or for your employer." Again, maybe that would open up a further conversation, maybe not. But at least it leaves the possibility open. Who knows where it might lead and maybe he and I would learn something from each other in the process.
Anyway, I'm thankful for that young man, and for you having started this thread, Mike, because both of you give us all the opportunity to ponder, if we choose, how we can grow in love.
Mike, what have I said that indicated I think you should have gone along with his request? As I said, that would have been unloving. I also have said twice now that I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing you did so if you're feeling judged it's probably not by me, because I have no high horse to be on. If we can't encourage each other to be more loving in our interactions with people, are these threads really serving a worthy purpose?
So, can you think of a loving response that would have been possible in that situation, rather than being dismissive of the young man?
How I handled the situation is not the topic of this thread. I did not ask for advice on how I should have handled it, nor for vindication regarding how I did handle it. I am fine with my response to the kid. So leave it be and give it a rest.
The only thing I am interested in on this thread is peoples opinion on whether most young people today care about right and wrong. Period!
Well, even if you don't want to answer, I will.
I don't think fast on my feet, so my first instinct would've likely been to be put off by him, and be dismissive as well. I look forward to the day when I'm so filled with God's love that my natural inclination is to welcome any "uncomfortable" situation as an opportunity to see the other person through God's eyes, rather than judging them. But, for now, I'm still in a place where I've got a lot of judgment in me and spontaneous situations like that are not my forte. So, how I wish I would handle it may very well not be how I would end up handling it. That being said...
I'd respond with something along the lines of, "Sounds like that job is really important to you." Maybe that would open up the possibility for a further conversation, maybe not. In either case, my response to his request would have to be, "My desire is to live in truth, so I can't help you with what you're asking, because I feel it would be dishonest. That wouldn't be good for me, or for you, or for your employer." Again, maybe that would open up a further conversation, maybe not. But at least it leaves the possibility open. Who knows where it might lead and maybe he and I would learn something from each other in the process.
Anyway, I'm thankful for that young man, and for you having started this thread, Mike, because both of you give us all the opportunity to ponder, if we choose, how we can grow in love.
Wonderful post, full of God's love, Pleroo.
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