The Grey Room

Happy St.George's day to you too Mr & Mrs Garten!!!

chopper wrote: Jim Garten wrote: Heavyfreight wrote: fandango wrote: My question to you is...what is it about Christianity that is able to bring about such social order? Why does it take a sincere belief  in an imaginary spirit to make teenagers comparatively so well behaved? Fear of retribution.  Sincere belief in a religion provides the one thing missing in today's society: fear of punishment if you mis behave.  It's as simple as that. I think the steam driven one has a point; there's also the factor that Christian parents tend to have a strong sense of family. This is not exclusive to those who bother God, but you find those who value family as a unit (be they a religious or secular family) spend more time with their children (as opposed to just allowing them to run riot) & instil a modicum of courtesy an respect (another 2 things sadly missing from a majority of society) I think you've hit the proverbial nail on the head there, Mr Garten - the breakdown of the traditional family and it's values. I've spent many nights in YHs around Europe when I was younger and never trashed one of them - not even when the staff raided our room at 3am one day to chuck out someone who was staying there illegally.

darqDean wrote: James wrote: Addendum: I have been on www.friendsreunited.co.uk many times in the past to see what old school acquaintances are up to.  Some of the A* English students (one who went to Oxbridge, I believe) even used shorthand text-style speech on there.  It really annoyed me. I love lurking around friendsreunited, but shy away from direct contact - all my classmates seem to have become teachers or Civil Servants (though top marks go the the guy who spent the past 18 years coaching women's soccer at various Universities around the USA)

I've got an account on there, but I cannot justify the £5 to actually correspond with people, so I just lurk too.

Someone (a girl too, strangely!), did message me about remembering me, but as I cannot reply back, she'll probably think I've ignored her.

I have supplied an e-mail address, so if she's that desperate to know I'm not doing anything exciting with my life, she can e-mail me.

James wrote: Addendum: I have been on www.friendsreunited.co.uk many times in the past to see what old school acquaintances are up to.  Some of the A* English students (one who went to Oxbridge, I believe) even used shorthand text-style speech on there.  It really annoyed me.

cool! A double eh? big undertaking!

Jim Garten wrote: Heavyfreight wrote: fandango wrote: My question to you is...what is it about Christianity that is able to bring about such social order? Why does it take a sincere belief  in an imaginary spirit to make teenagers comparatively so well behaved? Fear of retribution.  Sincere belief in a religion provides the one thing missing in today's society: fear of punishment if you mis behave.  It's as simple as that. I think the steam driven one has a point; there's also the factor that Christian parents tend to have a strong sense of family. This is not exclusive to those who bother God, but you find those who value family as a unit (be they a religious or secular family) spend more time with their children (as opposed to just allowing them to run riot) & instil a modicum of courtesy an respect (another 2 things sadly missing from a majority of society)

I think you've hit the proverbial nail on the head there, Mr Garten - the breakdown of the traditional family and it's values.
I've spent many nights in YHs around Europe when I was younger and never trashed one of them - not even when the staff raided our room at 3am one day to chuck out someone who was staying there illegally.

Although there are no capital letters, which is a terrible teenage affliction.

There is one thing I never did as a teenager and that was write or type in text speak.  However, the Internet and mobile 'phones were barely available when I was at school.  I did not get my first mobile 'phone until the first year of College and that was only for emergencies (especially as I had recently passed my driving test and was on the mean streets of Swine Town).

Now every teenager from the age of 11 or 12 (some even younger), have mobile 'phones and it disgusts me.  I would not give my children (if I had any), a mobile 'phone until they could pay for it themselves.  I do not care if all their friends have them, it is tough luck.  They would not have one.

Strangely though, I would let them have a television in their room from about 14 or so upwards... maybe 16.  A computer they would need access to for their school, but I would encourage them to use the library, however basic it is, because Wikipedia is not always the way to go.  Not everything is online and I am glad that it is not.

Oh and I realise this is not the ranting room, so my apologies.

Addendum: I have been on www.friendsreunited.co.uk many times in the past to see what old school acquaintances are up to.  Some of the A* English students (one who went to Oxbridge, I believe) even used shorthand text-style speech on there.  It really annoyed me.


Edited by James - April 22 2008 at 14:52

sadly that all unravels in later life - adolescence is best handled by teenagers - not thirty-somethings who suddenly realise they've something missing somewhere but haven't the experience to know exactly what that is so try everything and anything in the vain hope of discovering whatever it is they don't have in their life that everyone else has, when the reason they don't have it is because they don't know what it is whereas normal teenagers who know everything there is to know and that everything else is a lie learn this through bitter experience at the school of hardknocks so achieve a level of balance and purpose in their lives without the aid of external props and training-wheels.

^^^so maybe our society needs a few more brainwashed teens, to hold it's fabric together for another generation...

Jared, it's seem, not seam. 

What are stag parties like?  Apparently my brother stayed in a YH in Oxfordshire recently as part of a stag do.  I was curious to know whether the children were better behaved than the drunken adults!

How's your MySpace going?  Let me know if you want any further assistance.

Rach, yes, the end of the week is fine, just let me know in advance if you can though.  You have my number, so you can text as well.  Cheers!