Thread: Qualifications for parents

Originally Posted by frank47

I tastefully disagree. Most schools have metal detectors in them. Drug abuse, suicides, teen pregnancies, vulgarity, lack of respect, and abortions, just to mention a few, are all off the charts compared to 50 years ago. Our entertainment industry belongs in a toilet. Am I wrong?

I think part of the problem is the tendency to idealize the past. Was there less or more violence 50 years ago? I think it depends how you measure it. And the way you describe things it appears that you are measuring it rather subjectively without taking into account the overexposure and sensationalism of the current media compared to 50 years ago.

As far as abortions go 50 years ago abortions were illegal and thus way unsafer, so direct comparison is rather silly.

Every generation seems to think that their children are far far worse than them.

As far as entertainment, you know that when a lot of the old christian hymns that nowadays are symbols of piety were written they were considered almost a blasphemy because they were using worldly tunes suited for taverns. I know there's a lot of trash on the TV and you know what - my TV set has been collecting dust in the attic for many years. I can pick and choose to entertain myself with stuff I enjoy and so can everybody else. Some people enjoy playing say grand theft auto, and I think the fact that they enjoy the violence has nothing to do with the availability of the game.,
You know what christianity says about these things - if you have it in your heart you're just as bad as if you have actually done the deed (yet the laws of our society are based mostly on actions and not on beliefs like it used to be).

Originally Posted by gugi

Was there less or more violence 50 years ago? I think it depends how you measure it.

You are correct in that it depends on how one measures violence. There were wars 50 years ago. There was discrimination 50 years ago. What I was referring to is the amount of violence, drug abuse, teen-age (even pre-teen sex), abortions (legal or not) and lack of human respect - all of which pervades our society today. I know we all can get nostalgic, but these statistics are undeniable. What I fear is what our society will look like 25 years from now. I probably won't be around but my child most likely will.

Originally Posted by frank47

You are correct in that it depends on how one measures violence. There were wars 50 years ago. There was discrimination 50 years ago. What I was referring to is the amount of violence, drug abuse, teen-age (even pre-teen sex), abortions (legal or not) and lack of human respect - all of which pervades our society today. I know we all can get nostalgic, but these statistics are undeniable.

What statistics are you referring too?