The image below came across my Facebook timeline not too long ago.
Unsurprisingly, a large number of the comments stated that the two things that teenagers need are violence and religion.
Many people my age and older all seem to believe that beating a child is the best way to discipline them. I was brought up within that mindset, and I used to think the same way. However, I have changed my mind about it.
How would these people think if they were treated the same way at work? You mess up at work, and your boss effectively beats you up. I don’t think for one second that would go down well with anyone.
This doesn’t stop people still thinking this way.
As a non-parent my opinion doesn’t matter though. Allegedly.
Probably one of the biggest factors will be that adults do not know how to communicate with anyone younger than them. Instead of talking to a child or teenager, it’s easier to resort to violence. Or, even the other favourite used by people who cannot reason or communicate — Jesus.
Yes, you make God sad when you do bad things, and then God will have to punish you in a lake of fire.
Religion is psychological warfare. It’s appealing to the innate morality of a person. It is essentially guilt tripping a person into following some arbitrary, man-made set of rules and regulations.
Violence and religion are the last things that teenagers need. Try respecting them as individuals first. Try talking to them before resorting to beatings. You might be surprised by what you learn.