Respect for Parents and Other Family Members

 Transcribed by AI

Dear listeners and young ones, I am very happy to be connected with you through the Youth Programme. Friends, you are listening to the Youth Programme on Radio Voice of Life, and I am delighted to see you in your programme, which is called the Hope of Youth. I want to thank you, dear listeners, for allowing me to be a guest in your homes, workplaces, and shops. As usual, I will introduce myself; I am Faiz. In this part of the programme, we will listen to the first segment, and then we will return to continue the programme.

As I mentioned earlier, we will return to this part of the programme. I have seen that sometimes, these simple words can have a significant impact. Oh dear, it is mentioned in the Holy Book that in unity with Him, you will also be built up together, as God dwells in it through His Spirit. Oh dear, the compassion we showed and the conversations we had with our loved ones changed their lives, meaning it was God's will for them to change. You can see that when you spoke with them, if there is respect and kindness in every home, families are happier, and children learn how to behave with others. I want to always have love, respect, and the word of God in our home, and this starts with us. Exactly, oh God, grant us wisdom so that we can understand Your word and live by it, learning kindness and love from Your word and applying it in our lives. Amen.

Dear listeners and respected youth, we warmly welcome you to this segment of the programme. We are very happy to be here again with a wonderful programme for you. Dear youth, our topic for this programme is about respecting parents and other family members in youth. This is a topic that is moral, cultural, and spiritual. Yes, dear youth, as always, we have our dear collaborator Faiz with us. Faiz, hello, and welcome to the programme. I greet you, Nargis, and all the dear listeners wherever they are hearing our voice. Nargis, the respect for parents and other family members during youth is one of the important issues in our society, especially in the society we live in here in Afghanistan. It is very important how we can show respect to our parents and other family members, such as older brothers, older sisters, and uncles or aunts. How can we show them respect and value?

So, we see, Nargis, this is a very good topic and an excellent choice that we need to discuss today. Yes, dear listeners, youth is a time when young people are more in search of independence and making decisions and new experiences. However, if they forget to respect their family alongside this, they weaken their roots. So, let's ask our dear collaborator what respect means. What is respect, and what problems and consequences arise if there is no respect in a family? Yes, Nargis, let's explore this before we discuss respect. There are some interesting and scientific points I want to share with you and your esteemed listeners to see what this scientific point discusses. Nargis, the topic of respect for parents is one of the most beautiful yet complex ethical, social, and cultural discussions. Today, we will examine this topic from various angles to understand its significance.

Let me share an interesting scientific point with you, Nargis. From a developmental psychology perspective, our relationship with our parents forms the foundation of our relational model in adulthood. What does this mean? This means it affects our brain. Scientists have discovered that respect and a positive emotional bond with parents strengthen areas of the brain responsible for emotional regulation and empathy. The same part of the brain, Nargis. Furthermore, there has been a remarkable scientific discovery that we should discuss regarding relationships. It is interesting to note that how we treat our parents directly affects our biological stress levels. Dear youth and respected listeners, if we understand what this biological stress does, if we don't pay attention, it can lead us to many problems. Try to maintain good communication with your parents, as this biological stress regulates itself.

Therefore, dear youth and respected listeners, as I mentioned, research shows that young people who consciously strive to maintain respect for their parents, even during disagreements—for instance, when a parent says one thing and the youth has a different opinion—if they maintain their respect, cortisol levels, the stress hormone, are lower in their blood. In reality, respecting parents is like an investment in your own nervous system's peace. If you show respect to your parents, you also find peace; your thoughts become calm. An interesting topic I want to share with you today, dear youth and respected listeners, is that the phenomenon of the technological gap is the biggest challenge to respecting parents. What does this mean? It refers to the situation where young people, due to their greater knowledge in technology or computing, sometimes feel a false sense of superiority over their parents, leading to a decrease in respect. They might think, "I understand computers better than my father; he doesn't know how to use a computer or artificial intelligence."

So, my father can't do this, and I have an advantage over him. What does this false sense of superiority do? It leads to a decrease in respect. Nargis, today we are seeing a phenomenon of young people feeling a sense of superiority in technology, which often reduces their respect. They think that while their parents might be less knowledgeable in technology, they have rich life experience and intuition. They have lived decades longer than us, and their intuition is very high. If we consider this, they analyse and assess situations very well. How does this help us? Dear listeners and youth, respecting parents is a tool for personal growth and blessings in life. Strive to never lose respect for your parents, as losing it means losing life's blessings.

Dear youth, respect does not mean blind obedience. Set that aside, dear youth. Respect means preserving their dignity and value by what we do. We should maintain their dignity and value even when we disagree with them. You can be independent, but still, engage in respectful conversations with them. Another important aspect is the power of prayer and goodwill. From a spiritual and psychological standpoint, parents' satisfaction creates a strong emotional anchor for young people. We have heard that a person's prayers—especially those of their parents—what does this goodwill do? It creates an emotional anchor and a sense of satisfaction for young people. Scientific advice for young people is to demonstrate respect through small actions for their parents.

The most valuable form of respect a modern youth can show to their parents is to listen to them and obey them while valuing their dignity. Nargis, you asked, "What does respect for parents entail?" Respect for parents is a very important and sensitive subject. Respect is not just about not raising your voice or saying "yes" or "okay." Respect means appreciating the hard work that parents have done, being patient listeners, helping out in the family, seeking advice, and even when there are disagreements, speaking politely and respectfully. This is what respect for parents means, Nargis, and it is a very important and sensitive topic. Yes, exactly, dear collaborator and esteemed listeners, let's see what the Holy Book says regarding this topic.

God tells us in Exodus 20:12 of the Holy Book to honour your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Dear youth, does this not tell us that respecting our parents is not just a moral recommendation but a divine command accompanied by a promise of blessings from God? However, dear listeners, in this part of the programme, we will listen to a beautiful song together, and after the song, we will welcome you back to continue the programme.

Yes, dear listeners, that was a beautiful song we listened to together, and the topic of our programme was about respecting parents and family members. Our dear collaborator Faiz shared valuable insights about respect, and he explained some very good scientific points. Faiz, could you tell us what problems arise when there is no respect within a family and why respect tends to be more visible in youth? Yes, Nargis, that's a very important question. What are the consequences of disrespect in youth?

Nargis, if we strive to understand, the first problem is breaking the hearts of parents. As I mentioned at the beginning of the programme, young people might think that harsh words are not important, but this is a very serious matter. We should never raise our voices against our parents, as they have raised us. They remember the time when we didn't know anything, and they taught us how to speak and behave respectfully towards others. If we raise our voices against them or speak in a harsh tone, we gradually hurt their hearts. This deprivation has serious consequences, Nargis.

If a young person speaks loudly to their parents, it increases emotional distance at home, reduces trust among family members, leads to hasty decisions being made without consultation, and even creates feelings of regret in the future. We have seen many individuals who have acted against their parents' wishes and later regretted their actions. This issue causes emotional distance and feelings of regret for young people and respected listeners. Nargis asked why respect tends to be more visible in youth. This is a very important question because young people are in a stage where they seek independence; they want to be free. This phase often brings a sense of false pride, which increases emotional distance within the family and decreases trust among family members, leading to impulsive decisions without consultation and feelings of regret later on.

This is why we see more visible disrespect among youth. Let's work together, Nargis. Of course, we need to address many problems. Thousands of issues arise, so it's essential to find ways to strengthen respect. This is a crucial and sensitive topic we must discuss, and we should tell young people why and how to strengthen respect. Both are important topics. The first is to practice gratitude. Regularly express to your parents, "Thank you, Dad," and acknowledge all the good things they have done for you. Tell them that without them, these things would not have been possible. This practice of gratitude makes parents feel appreciated and happy.

If you recall, I mentioned earlier that the goodwill of parents is a blessing that supports us. The second aspect is active listening. When parents speak, put aside everything else and focus on them. Some people say, "Bring your arrow," meaning pay attention to them. Be aware, Nargis, if a parent is speaking to you, you should set aside what you're doing and actively engage with them. This is a very important matter.

The third topic for young people is that those who participate in household chores are more responsible and show greater respect to their parents. It helps relieve the burden of heavy responsibilities from their parents' shoulders. Strive to assist your parents in their work, and gradually, you will earn their respect. The fourth point is managing anger. If an issue arises that makes you angry, how should you respond? Raising your voice in anger only demonstrates disrespect. Work to manage your anger, as it is important.

Finally, the fifth aspect is prayer and a relationship with God. Dear youth, when our relationship with God is strong, He teaches us to be humble and grateful. Prayer and connection with God help us understand that we need to cultivate a good relationship with our parents and should not raise our voices against them. If we incorporate the Holy Book into our lives, it will automatically shape our character.

The Holy Book teaches us honesty and shows us how to be good people. This will gradually improve our relationship with God and with our parents. Nargis, exactly, dear collaborator, thank you for your insightful contributions. Dear youth, from this programme, we conclude that respect for parents and family members is not merely a superficial behaviour but a sign of mature faith and a healthy character. A young person who respects their family will shine in society.

So, let us understand the value of moments before it is too late. Let us always respect our parents, for they may not always be by our side, but our memories of how we treated them will always remain in their hearts. Let us decide from today to fill our home with respect and love through kind words, attentive listening, and sincere help. Remember that respect costs nothing, but its value is immeasurable. Yes, dear listeners, that was our programme for this time. Until the next programme, may God be with you.