Jesus Camp

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

I would say teach them to think about their decisions and the consequences that follow. "Morality" is so subjective, and varies from culture to culture. Even the Ten Commandments are fallible in terms of civil law. I suppose with the 2-year old you may think it's better to start out simple and say things like:

Do not lie.

Do not steal.

Do not cheat.

Do not kill.

But in the end, I think it would be better to show them why not to do these things, rather than just have these definitive dos and don'ts.

If there were moral absolutes, you would think there would be some sort of mechanism that would punish or censure ALL those who commit immoral acts. But this is not the case. There is not much of a reason NOT to do something simply because you are told that it's "wrong." For the parent, this means that they need to think about punishment for what they deem to be their childrens' immoral behavior. In other words, it isn't enough to say "That was bad, Billy. Don't do it again." Therefore you take a strap to their rear end; cause some pain. They then learn that the consequence for that action is pain, always a good reason not to do something. The time-out thing has run its course. Corporal punishment is the consequence for what you would call an immoral act, and even in the mind of a 2-year old, knowing not to do something for fear of the punishment is a pretty rational thought process. I think they've shown this cognitive process using rats

Exactly, if you just teach absolutes people can always justify their way out of obeying them, or twist it around so that the rule does not mean what it means. This is why we always have religious purges like Crusades, Ethnic Cleansings, Genocide, God's war on Iraq, and the like... if there is not moral relevance then you can weasel your way out of anything, ethically.

[dar512]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

Trying to be rational with anyone under the age of twenty two is about as successful as pissing up a rope.

Yet, it seems to be popular.

Because being rational with your kids, even when they are acting irrationally, teaches them to be rational.

[Pangloss62]

pissing up a rope.

That is one whacked analogy.

Where does it come from?

[Ibby]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

Trying to be rational with anyone under the age of twenty two is about as successful as pissing up a rope.

Yet, it seems to be popular.

Hey, whoaaa, watch it!

...I try, at least...

[wolf]

Google does not seem to lead to any authoratative sources on this matter.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Oh come on, Pangloss -- you don't stop at the one nor the other; you do the both. They get the dos and don'ts and they get the reasoning behind them, in that order and in their due time. Which I think you say later on, if phrasing it vaguely.

I'm of footfootfoot's view about the rationality of the young. With the young, it is a triumph of emotion over experience. As you age, that ratio changes.