18 year old missionary boys. Bring em on!

[_Yoda]

My son recently went out. He was just as prepared at 18 as he is now.

The fact that you're proud of this, rather than sad, is a pretty good snapshot of LDS mentality.

Really? Do you guys always have to be stupid about this kind of thing? As a parent, I undertand what BC was getting at, and, since you are a parent, I am pretty sure that you actually get it, too, and are just being purposely combative.

In case you really are that dense, let Momma spell it out for you.

What BC meant was that based on his son's maturity, he would have been very prepared to go on a mission at 18. That doesn't mean that he didn't learn things during that year. I am sure that he did. But, what BC was saying was that he felt that the new age change is a good thing because, as he viewed in his own children, they could have easily handled going on a mission at 18 from a maturity standpoint.

[_Drifting]

Really? Do you guys always have to be stupid about this kind of thing? As a parent, I undertand what BC was getting at, and, since you are a parent, I am pretty sure that you actually get it, too, and are just being purposely combative.

In case you really are that dense, let Momma spell it out for you.

What BC meant was that based on his son's maturity, he would have been very prepared to go on a mission at 18. That doesn't mean that he didn't learn things during that year. I am sure that he did. But, what BC was saying was that he felt that the new age change is a good thing because, as he viewed in his own children, they could have easily handled going on a mission at 18 from a maturity standpoint.

Liz, is it reasonable to assume that bcspace's son was not better prepared to serve a mission at age 19 than he would have been at age 18?

[_Morley]

My son recently went out. He was just as prepared at 18 as he is now.

The fact that you're proud of this, rather than sad, is a pretty good snapshot of LDS mentality.

True that.

[_Yoda]

Really? Do you guys always have to be stupid about this kind of thing? As a parent, I undertand what BC was getting at, and, since you are a parent, I am pretty sure that you actually get it, too, and are just being purposely combative.

In case you really are that dense, let Momma spell it out for you.

What BC meant was that based on his son's maturity, he would have been very prepared to go on a mission at 18. That doesn't mean that he didn't learn things during that year. I am sure that he did. But, what BC was saying was that he felt that the new age change is a good thing because, as he viewed in his own children, they could have easily handled going on a mission at 18 from a maturity standpoint.

Liz, is it reasonable to assume that bcspace's son was not better prepared to serve a mission at age 19 than he would have been at age 18?

No. I am sure that his son was probably more prepared to go, being a year older, and having a chance to learn some more things. But that is beside BC's point. (I am sure he will correct me if I am wrong.) What he was trying to say was that his son's maturity level was such that he would have been fine if he had left at 18.

[_krose]

That's contradictory, Liz.

You said "more prepared to go, being a year older," while BC said "just as prepared." Those two statements are opposite.

[_Yoda]

That's contradictory, Liz.

You said "more prepared to go, being a year older," while BC said "just as prepared." Those two statements are opposite.

The topic of conversation was maturity. I took what BC said to mean that his child was just as prepared from a maturity standpoint to go.

Frankly, I am sick to death about all of the exactness in terms being used just to trip people up. Can we just talk without always thinking about how to out debate the other person? It gets really old.

[_krose]

Sorry, but I'm always going to be a proponent of accuracy in communication.

If someone tries to make a point by obfuscating or exaggerating, I'm going to want to call them on it. I'm not talking about grammar/usage/spelling errors or typos, but intentionally misleading statements. That's not nitpicking.

Saying a kid has made no progress in maturity or other preparation after adding another 6% to his lifespan is just not believable. If you mean "sufficiently" prepared, you should say so. It's not that hard to be honest and accurate.

[_Darth J]

My son recently went out. He was just as prepared at 18 as he is now.

The fact that you're proud of this, rather than sad, is a pretty good snapshot of LDS mentality.

Really? Do you guys always have to be stupid about this kind of thing? As a parent, I undertand what BC was getting at, and, since you are a parent, I am pretty sure that you actually get it, too, and are just being purposely combative.

Yes, Liz, I am a parent. Unlike the adolescent kids the Church is sending out to tell people how to raise their children.

In case you really are that dense, let Momma spell it out for you.

What BC meant was that based on his son's maturity, he would have been very prepared to go on a mission at 18.

There is no 18 or 19 or 20 or 21 year-old on Earth who is very prepared to pontificate to grown-ups how to live their lives, what perspective they should have on life, and why they should make a huge commitment to a paternalistic organization based on an implausible mythology.

That doesn't mean that he didn't learn things during that year. I am sure that he did. But, what BC was saying was that he felt that the new age change is a good thing because, as he viewed in his own children, they could have easily handled going on a mission at 18 from a maturity standpoint.

Oh, okay. I see your point now. What you're saying is that an 18 year-old pretty much has just as immature a brain as a 19 year-old, is just as utterly lacking in life experience, is just as inexperienced in having a career or a family, has just as superficial an understanding of the religion they are touting, and is in just as ridiculous a position to dictate to grown-ups with families and careers and life experience how to live their lives and what perspective they should have on families and careers and life.

So I concede the point, Liz. Given the incongruence between the messenger and the message, what difference does it really make if you're 18 instead of 19?

[_Darth J]

Saying a kid has made no progress in maturity or other preparation after adding another 6% to his lifespan is just not believable.

Actually, Krose, I think that is what they are unwittingly saying.

[_bcspace]

My son recently went out. He was just as prepared at 18 as he is now.

So he didn't learn anything of value in the year between being 18 and 19?
WOW

Of course he did. But nothing to change his overall preparation. In his case, a year+ was too long to wait. He was far more prepared spiritually at 18 than I was at 19. However, I was a consummate basher by then. He's not, but he'll learn and I'll be helping him.