Moderns are sometimes quite surprised to learn that, in the West and in Christian culture, children have always been obligated to support their parents. This is a concept called "alimentation".
As adult parents are obligated to care for their children, to give food, clothing and shelter for their well-being, children are also eventually obligated to their parents for the same exact care. It is a well-known fact that, eventually the human body wears out, we're no good for work anymore, we're sickly, we're widowed, all those things, and therefore children have always assumed the roles of caregiver and breadwinner for their parents.
In fact, there are still US laws on the books to this effect. That children may be obligated to pay medical bills or other support, if their parents cannot make ends meet. Adult children are sometimes blindsided by this responsibility. It seems a crazy thing, when I got to move out at 18 and my parents no longer had anything to do with me, that now they're calling in this favor. But that is, in fact, how the world has worked for thousands of years, formally and informally.
And that is why we've always done it this way, because the youth had respect for their elders, and cared for them, not this mercenary home-health nursing for-pay crap that we have today. That is the scourge of capitalism that unrelated people should be forced to "care for" people who are not their family, while their actual family tries to live off insurance coverage and the same mercenary system.
there are still US laws on the books to this effect. That children may be obligated to pay medical bills or other support, if their parents cannot make ends meet. Adult children are sometimes blindsided by this responsibility
In most (if not all) states, this responsibility is permanently and irrevocably severed if the parent abandons/disowns the child, refuses to pay child support after a divorce, etc.
Even if you later make up and re-establish a relationship with an adult child, there is no way to re-establish that obligation. It is gone forever. Being a bad parent can have consequences!
Moderns are sometimes quite surprised to learn that, in the West and in Christian culture, children have always been obligated to support their parents.
And that is why we've always done it this way, because the youth had respect for their elders, and cared for them
Which is it? They were obligated to do so, or they did so because they had respect (dad-gum it!), unlike the kids of today?
Comments
Moderns are sometimes quite surprised to learn that, in the West and in Christian culture, children have always been obligated to support their parents. This is a concept called "alimentation".
https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01312b.htm
As adult parents are obligated to care for their children, to give food, clothing and shelter for their well-being, children are also eventually obligated to their parents for the same exact care. It is a well-known fact that, eventually the human body wears out, we're no good for work anymore, we're sickly, we're widowed, all those things, and therefore children have always assumed the roles of caregiver and breadwinner for their parents.
In fact, there are still US laws on the books to this effect. That children may be obligated to pay medical bills or other support, if their parents cannot make ends meet. Adult children are sometimes blindsided by this responsibility. It seems a crazy thing, when I got to move out at 18 and my parents no longer had anything to do with me, that now they're calling in this favor. But that is, in fact, how the world has worked for thousands of years, formally and informally.
And that is why we've always done it this way, because the youth had respect for their elders, and cared for them, not this mercenary home-health nursing for-pay crap that we have today. That is the scourge of capitalism that unrelated people should be forced to "care for" people who are not their family, while their actual family tries to live off insurance coverage and the same mercenary system.
In most (if not all) states, this responsibility is permanently and irrevocably severed if the parent abandons/disowns the child, refuses to pay child support after a divorce, etc.
Even if you later make up and re-establish a relationship with an adult child, there is no way to re-establish that obligation. It is gone forever. Being a bad parent can have consequences!
Which is it? They were obligated to do so, or they did so because they had respect (dad-gum it!), unlike the kids of today?