Being ignorant about anything can be the worst place anyone would want to find themselves and I guess that’s why there is this saying that “Knowledge is power”. It is because of the knowledge you have about something that makes you think you are better than someone else and that is because knowledge is an asset. In some cases, it is worth more than anything you can think of because it will help you navigate through situations that you never thought you could ever overcome even with all the money you have.
Based on this ideology about knowledge and ignorance, this is a bit similar in a situation when people tend to blame others for their actions rather than owning up to their actions. Because they lack the knowledge about something, those who are most times accused or blamed, due to their nature of being responsible for their actions, they accept the blame, little do they know that they are not the ones at fault. Most people like blaming others for things they know nothing of and that is because in their ignorance of that situation, they will barely know how to defend themselves.
In the case of parents, sometimes, some people believe that the children can be responsible for their parent’s sins, whether or not the child was aware of it. I have seen situations when children are asked to pay off debts their parents who are now dead couldn’t finish paying. According to them, it is the child’s responsibility to do so. In as much as it’s not completely out of place to pay up our parent’s debt, the problem with this situation is that, sometimes the person will make the money 2X or more higher than what the parents actually owe them.
In cases like that, you find out that the child or children will have to suffer a lot of things because the sin of the father is being placed on them. In even worse cases, the children might also be unable to pay off that debt and the circle continues. Well, the truth is, most people do these things obviously because they think they are wise but if you know, then it will be evident to you how myopic they are. A child will definitely want to either pay or run away from a debt he or she knows their parents borrowed but when they don’t know, most times they are compelled to payoff because they are ignorant.
The HL topic asks us to share our thoughts on what we think about a child paying for his or her father's sins, bearing in mind that, most children also enjoy the benefits if there are any left when their parents dies. As a parent, normally it is your duty to provide all that your child needs but I know that sometimes, situations are not as favorable as we thought they would be. So, if a parent leaves a good fortune for their children, it is nice but leaving a debt for their children? This is a lot more sensitive because it doesn’t only involve something among family but strangers too.
Whether the child pays up that debt or not, as long as he or she doesn’t know about it, that debt will only be settled with the person who actually borrowed it and couldn’t pay up, especially in the sight of God. But for man, some will see it as an opportunity to be a god over other’s lives. They will make sure that they get their full money and even more back not caring whether or not the child is capable. And even if the child is capable of paying, if they choose not to pay, they haven’t done anything wrong either.
A child is only allowed to bear the sin of the parents when they are aware of that sin and agreed with it. If not, everyone should bear their own cross. But then, that doesn’t mean that some children won’t get punished for their parents sins, they might because the truth is, sometimes we are just at the right place at the wrong time. So my advice will go to us as humans, no matter what happens, we should always remember to treat others the way we want to be treated. If you know that you won’t be happy if someone asks your child to pay off your debt, then you shouldn’t make other’s children do that too.
And as parents, always try as much as possible to avoid doing things that you know will be detrimental to your family because the world can be a cruel place. Because of you, your children can either be favored or hated by others. If God was the only judge, everyone will bear their cross but then, man is also a judge too and most times, they do things their own way and it might not be in your favor. Don’t make your children suffer for things they know nothing about, so make sure to lead a good life.
These are my thoughts on this. Thanks for stopping by. ❤️