The only difference between men and boys are just the prices of their toys! :itold: 
What is an "adult" ?
- Thread starter Challenger78
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Pronatalist
Registered Senior Member
Are you so sure? In many cultures, such as in Bangladesh, people still marry as young as 13. Were you irresponsible and childish at age 11, or does society merely say that 11 is "young?" I would have loved to marry young, if only I had known a suitable mate back then. I would love to have had a possibly quite large and "unplanned" family by now, and still be growing.
Of course, many Americans prefer to wait a bit longer, to have time to get their education and such. But I think "education" has become a bit overrated, the college degrees just don't work so well to get good jobs, when we no longer produce enough good jobs, and most everybody and their brother has a degree. Maybe we could afford for more people to go back to breeding babies a bit younger?
I think teenagers aren't given enough credit sometimes. Some make for great parents, especially when they behave more responsibly thinking of future consequences, or marry at age 17 or 18 or so, with their parents' and their Church's blessing.
And it is quite possible, that some people could actually be ready for the responsibilities of parenthood, at age 12, in some cultures at least, especially if they grew up in a large family and are well used to caring for the needs of babies. If the world was more prolife and pronatalist, I do think we could easily deal with all the more people enjoying becoming sexually active younger, and more babies being born naturally faster, but they need to do it responsibly, and be ready to take on the duties of being a good spouse and parent. BTW, scholars think that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was betrophed to Joseph, at age 14. And until recently, parents used to marry off their children young, to prevent thinks like babies outside of wedlock. So biologically and historically, age of puberty seems to be about the rough guide for when "adulthood" really starts. With people living longer, maybe it does make a little sense, to sometimes ask, "What's the rush?" But then I still think more people should marry in their 20s, and not put it off so long until their 30s and 40s, almost when they have lost interest in sex.
I agree.
Oh wait...the rest of your post is pure insanity.
Pronatalist
Registered Senior Member
The only difference between men and boys are just the prices of their toys! :itold:
Yeah, but as parents spend ridiculous amounts on children's toys, like iPods and cellular phones, and the latest "must have" video game consoles, which seem to get more and more expensive BTW, it's getting harder and harder to see the distinction.
Haven't parents heard of putting their children upon a (budget) "allowance?" Instead of telling them No, they can ask, "Well do you have enough money?" Sure, if the child has close to enough money, help them out a bit, if they've been good.
Better to have many children, to help prevent one's children from getting spoiled, than to spoil them buying them too much expensive material stuff, that they are just going to lose, or that will be "out of date" next year. I recall as a child, I didn't have the latest designer clothes, but sometimes used hand-me-downs, or stuff from yardsales, as I was the oldest. Even just recently, I bought some belts at a thrift store. Only a dollar each, and scarcely even used.
Another consideration that came to me while I was reading over this thread
It's actually adults more than children who seem to care about what others think more than what they think of themselves.
It's actually adults more than children who seem to care about what others think more than what they think of themselves.
Pronatalist
Registered Senior Member
Glad you found a point of agreement.
Pronatalist
Registered Senior Member
Yet another way that I didn't change much from a boy to a man.
I didn't then care a lot what people thought of me, and I still don't.
I wasn't much persuaded by peer pressure. Why throw money away on cigarettes and smell like an ashtray, just because the "cool" kids are doing it? I don't want to be like them anyhow.
I don't drive a fancy car, and I don't wear jewelry. I have no tattoos, nor piercings, I like my body as natural as is reasonable. I don't drink, and I rarely eat out. I don't want to look "cool." Whatever for? No matter what you do, somebody else will always look "cooler."
Pronatalist
Registered Senior Member
People are finished developing in their late 20s? When did this happen?
What about old age wisdom?
Why even does a woman's body have to be completely finished developing, before a baby grows inside her? Teenagers are obviously able to carry babies to term, and yet may still be developing a bit.
Anyway, I read something in a book, some time ago, about how puberty is coming younger, and yet people put off getting married until later and later. Is it really so reasonable, to expect so many young people with their "raging hormones," to wait decades for sex? Couldn't some of them maybe marry younger?
I think people, not all that long ago, were more commonly ready to marry and start having babies while yet young, largely because they commonly grew up in large families already, so it wasn't any big shock, when the baby comes along, they can't "party hardy" so much anymore, and babies aren't always so "fun." They were already well used to family responsibilities and helping out raising younger siblings, so the first baby wasn't likely so much a "reality shock." But today's culture is a bit too much about all "fun and games," and not doing hardly any chores, not much about taking responsibilities while still rather young, and so today's youth are more immature and naive than ever. And that's not good.
Society seems rather opinionated against youth starting families young, but like I said, we don't give teenagers enough credit, and I think they can do more than many people think. But it takes strong families and good moral upbringing, to help younger people make the wiser decisions earlier on.
Perhaps one fear of letting people start families, while yet in their teens themselves, is that it can accelerate natural population growth, by squeezing the generations closer together, and giving married couples lots more years to conceive larger families. But I think many couples could actually enjoy that, and that especially a family-friendly society can easily handle the somewhat faster natural rise of population levels. Also, surely some parents likely feel a sense of relief, at not having to bother with birth control or "spacing" children, doing it the old good way, of welcoming babies to come as they come.
But what children need is responsible loving parents, not necessary parents that are old and rich, and then increasingly too infertile to conceive.
I think if I had a child, who expressed views of being supposedly ready for or desiring sex, I wouldn't like so many liberals, encourage bad decision making by pushing the nasty "protection." I would prefer to go the responsibility route. Are you ready to be a good parent? Ready to get a job? (if male). Do I like their fiance? Have you shown examples of taking proper responsibility to me? If so, I would explore the prospect of letting them marry young with my blessing. I would not want them to practice any form of "birth control," as I don't believe in that. It more shows children how much they are really wanted, for children to know why their parents don't use any means of "birth control," as more children are always welcome, should they come along. And help them as I can, with free babysitting some of the time, not all the time, as I probaby have to have a life too, and family can share in the duties. If people feel powerful urges to reproduce, and can find the responsible outlet for them, sure go ahead, let the babies start coming out of your body, and respect the body's natural reproductive rhythms. I do believe possibly naturally large families are appropriate for today's age as well. Never before had we had so much technology available for better supporting vast and dense populations of people, as we have now.
Pronatalist
Registered Senior Member
I also think that another way that families can sometimes grow "large," is because many parents love children so much, not only will they have their own children, but they adopt or take in other people's foster children as well. It's not just about having "another life experience," or about having children to enhance their lives, as if children were like fancy glorified "pets," but about worshiping God in such a way, that they welcome most any children that God would seem to entrust them with.
Actually, many people do seem to be rather good at reproducing, and nurturing children, such that the idea of population "control" wouldn't hardly make any sense to them. Yet another reason why I believe humans should never be subjected to imposed population "control."
Anyway, why does society seem to act like they think teenagers are adult enough for sex, but not adult enough to be parents? Something immoral and inconsistant there, in my view. If they are ready for sex, they had best be getting ready for babies. For we all know how babies are made, right?
Actually, many people do seem to be rather good at reproducing, and nurturing children, such that the idea of population "control" wouldn't hardly make any sense to them. Yet another reason why I believe humans should never be subjected to imposed population "control."
Anyway, why does society seem to act like they think teenagers are adult enough for sex, but not adult enough to be parents? Something immoral and inconsistant there, in my view. If they are ready for sex, they had best be getting ready for babies. For we all know how babies are made, right?
Yeah, I'm pretty sure, I wasn't even allowed to take care if my brother when I was 11. I actually think there is quite a bit of maturity difference between a 13 year old and an 10 or 11 year old. Plus my kids would have starved, which is what my kids would probably be doing right now if I had them. I don't believe in having children until I can afford to give them at least basic necessities such as nice clothes and shoes, their own bed, toys and stuff, oh and food. I can barely afford to buy clothes and food for myself. So I doubt I would have been much better parent at 11 than I am now a decade later.
Pronatalist thats not what i said, i said PHYSICALLY the brain doesnt finish developing till the 20s most paticually the part of the brain (ceribral cortex) which deals with impulse control. This is the reason i find the US habbit of charging adolesants as adults so idiotic, in reality it should be the other way around, people shouldnt be charged as an adult until there is evidence that the ceribral cortex has finished developing
this has little or nothing to do with experiance which your right does continue for an entire lifetime
If your interested in development i suggest a book called Looking forward through the lifespan, developmental psychology by Candia Peterson.
this has little or nothing to do with experiance which your right does continue for an entire lifetime
If your interested in development i suggest a book called Looking forward through the lifespan, developmental psychology by Candia Peterson.
Pronatalist
Registered Senior Member
We should get tougher on crime, and do away with excessive "laws" that make no moral sense.
Don't want to be charged with an "adult" crime, don't do any adult crimes. I'm not into all the psycho-babble excuses that just end up excusing more and more crime until we have some terrible crime wave.
Rather than chaining people down with endless rules and regulations, we ought to be training more common sense and personal responsibility. That's partly why I say, if ready to make some babies, do it right and official, get married and take responsibility, and go ahead and make babies.
We can be more permissive of people making their own decisions, if they will but own up to them and take responsibility for their actions.
If teenagers aren't ready to be parents, can't they themselves, and/or their parents, decide that? It should be easy enough to get parental permission or judge or something permission for "underage marriages." Society only has to require, that parents take proper responsibility for their children, and leave it up to the families and parents, as much as reasonably possible.
I didn't say for everybody to start families younger, just merely entertaining the idea, that doing so may be the right thing to do for many people, to cut down upon some of this sex and babies outside of wedlock stuff. Want to be parents? Go right on ahead, but do it right and responsibly.