My statement doesn't remove the importance of a teenager becoming interesting in other means of communication to learn (parents are a means of communication though that isn't their sole purpose). Of course this young man found the book somehow (he doesn't state how) and read it; applause to that for both persevering through such a lengthy tome and learning something from it.

Now, I do WANT parents to teach their kids, but unfortunately, you make a valid point that most are not qualified and it has a lot to do with our evolutionary teaching in schools since early 1900s which pretty much has removed from a couple of generations the need for absolute morals and not just luckily derive them because one a particular day of the week the chemicals bounced in a particular manner.

Concerning "trust but verify" do you really think that was the purpose of this young man's picking up the book? I think we need more background intel to see whether he picked it up on a whim, by recommendation (and by whom), or from some other impetus.

Above, my last sentence answer's this...read carefully.

Secondly, what difference does that make. One absolute in life is that parents are to teach their children to be self-sustaining...some succeed, other don't, but that doesn't remove the responsibility; however, if you subscribe to evolution, then the idea of moral absolutes doesn't apply does it.

I applaud you by half. Of course you should become a man and handle yourself, but your parents should teach you so, not some book.

As a parent, this is my goal for our child.