The excluded variable in this scenario is the right of our Christian brother to go to class and the cafeteria without being exposed to constant and vivid reminders of the sexual aspects of the female anatomy. True freedom of expression lies in the ability to be yourself, but not at the expense of another Christian's walk and thought life. Becoming your parents Facing adulthood without spiritual cloning Though parental visits during last weekend's Homecoming may have been a relief for the homesick among us, other students probably found themselves a little disconcerted at once again having to endure the annoyances, embarrassments and idiosyncrasies that seem only to increase with the advancing age of their parents. Though college may seem to be the place where the rebellion of adolescence culminates in the final separation of adulthood, it often becomes the place where the shocking discovery is made that you have actually become your parents. This usually comes in the area of language or habits.
Parental influence is much deeper, though, than hand gestures and common phrases.
For those of us whose parents created a somewhat stable childhood environment, there is a strange tension between rebelling against and accepting our parents' influence. This is especially true when it comes to religious belief. Many students at Asbury have spoken in terms of finding their own way in Christianity, apart from the influence of their parents. The irony, of course, is that often their very acceptance of Christianity was the result of their parents' faith. It is usually when the plausibility of our parents' worldview breaks down that we question.