Baby Boomers-Why So Poorly Catechized?

[DakiniArtist]

Forgive me if this is out of line or in the wrong place. I’m genuinely curious since I keep hearing this.

So, my parents-in-law are baby boomers, born in the the '50s. Since I began learning about the Church they have argued tooth and nail about even simple doctrine and theology. I don’t debate, that’s just not in my nature. They have said some of the most outlandish stuff. So over the last few years, I’ve read hear and other places, in books, and heard from others at my parish and other parishes, that this generation are very badly catechized.

What happened? Granted, there may not be a magical answer to my question. My sponsor may, in fact, have some insight as well (she’s an amazing, academic, awesome lady… but extremely busy).

Just curious. Part of me probably just wants to know what the break down was to maybe not do or say something to contribute to that anger/hurt that they have toward the Church and also, as the “next generation,” to add to that. “Those who do not know the past,” so to speak.

Thanks!

 

[27lw]

I don’t have a detailed answer, but as I understand it, during / after Vatican II the emphasis in the Church changed. More on love / gathering / spirit / spirit of the Council / “we are the body of Christ”, rather than teaching / truth / doctrine. Weird things happened in the name of the “spirit of Vatican II”. Some people are kind of stuck in that era of near-rebellion, anti-1950s spirit, I think.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

I dont think all of this can be laid at the feet of Vatican II. At least in the U.S. the better part of 2 generations became the victims of what I call the burlap-banner-and-coloring-book era of CCD. I’m not sure how that all came about, but it surely did.

 

[Irishmom2]

I don’t have a detailed answer, but as I understand it, during / after Vatican II the emphasis in the Church changed. More on love / gathering / spirit / spirit of the Council / “we are the body of Christ”, rather than teaching / truth / doctrine. Weird things happened in the name of the “spirit of Vatican II”. Some people are kind of stuck in that era of near-rebellion, anti-1950s spirit, I think.

This is what I think also. I made my First Holy Communion in the mid sixties, and this pretty much describes my Saturday or after school CCD classes at the time. From second grade on, there were no nuns, just parents who so kindly decided to volunteer to teach class.

My (10 year) older sister attended Catholic school and had a better understanding of Catholicism. She learned from the Baltimore catechism. I did not. I had the newer books being used. I distinctly remember in 6th grade spending time discussing the concept of “freedom.” It was defined as doing whatever you liked as long as it did not hurt anyone.

Looking back now…what was THAT all about? And that was the year I made my Confirmation.

I remember when my children were in Catholic school, and I would read their religion book to check their homework, every once in a while I would read something and say, oh! So that’s why we do that, or I didn’t know that!

 

[PJH_74]

Just a few thoughts, some people are Catholic by tradition. You see this often in the Jewish communities too, where people are Jewish by identity, but their faith isn’t all that much or non-existent.

Also they were raised by a generation that was probably had the highest rate of church attendance even in American history. This in my understanding was part of the WWII generation’s longing for “normalcy” and family values after 15 years of depression and 5 years of perhaps the most inhumane war ever fought. I think a higher percentage of this WWII generation attended church because it was socially important and less for faith than other generations. So you combine the 60’s rebellion of the baby boomers and the higher number of more superficial Christians that raised them and you might get a part of what we are seeing today in churches in general.

 

[Irish_Cabbie]

So, my parents-in-law are baby boomers, born in the the '50s. Since I began learning about the Church they have argued tooth and nail about even simple doctrine and theology. I don’t debate, that’s just not in my nature. They have said some of the most outlandish stuff.

Buy them a copy of Catholicism For Dummies. Ask them to do you a favor and read the book. Tell them that you want to know their opinion. Ask them if they think that book would be good to use in an adult RCIA program. If you get them to read that book, you will have begun to catechize them.

Please see:

amazon.com/Catholicism-Dummies-Rev-John-Trigilio/dp/1118077784/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428005549&sr=8-1&keywords=catholicism+for+dummies

 

[SMHW]

Forgive me if this is out of line or in the wrong place. I’m genuinely curious since I keep hearing this.

So, my parents-in-law are baby boomers, born in the the '50s. Since I began learning about the Church they have argued tooth and nail about even simple doctrine and theology. I don’t debate, that’s just not in my nature. They have said some of the most outlandish stuff. So over the last few years, I’ve read hear and other places, in books, and heard from others at my parish and other parishes, that this generation are very badly catechized.

What happened? Granted, there may not be a magical answer to my question. My sponsor may, in fact, have some insight as well (she’s an amazing, academic, awesome lady… but extremely busy).

Just curious. Part of me probably just wants to know what the break down was to maybe not do or say something to contribute to that anger/hurt that they have toward the Church and also, as the “next generation,” to add to that. “Those who do not know the past,” so to speak.

Thanks!

I grew up in the 1960s. What I saw was that those who attended Catholic schools in the 1950s and 1960s were actually fairly well catechized in their younger years. (Those who attended CCD were often treated like second class Catholics.) When Boomers got older, they head the message that “God truly loves you,” and somehow turned that into, “God loves you so let’s change anything that feels unloving because we baby boomers are the first generation in the history of the world who understand love.” And baby boomers sincerely thought they were the enlightened ones. Some still think that.

 

[Robyn_p]

I think the sexual revolution was a big factor. The whole “free love” do whatever you want, defy authority attitude did infect a lot of Catholics at the time. People had had enough of religious obligation and were more interested in feeling good about themselves. Makes sense that catechesis would have started to reflect that.

 

[tawny]

I grew up in the 50’s & was taught by the Nuns in both grammer & high school. Catechisis was strongly emphasied. Think we lost that when the Nuns were no longer available for teaching in the number they once were.

 

[tafan]

I think it is now safe to say most of all generations alive today are poorly catechized. Even my parents generation (late 70s early 80s). They had great teachers as kids, but they were very much ad versely affected by the 70s/80s (as much as any generation IMO). Probably because they were raised to think priests and nuns were always right, and when the priests and nuns started saying all sorts of wacko things in the 60s and 70s, they all fell right in-line.

If you are alive today and have a good knowledge of the Catholic faith, say many prayers of thanks to the Good Lord for that grace.

 

[grasscutter]

Parents that didn’t have an accurate understanding of Church teaching which was off-putting to baby boomers. For example, the heresy that only Catholics can go to Heaven. (Yes, I was actually taught that)

 

[marymary1975]

I dont think all of this can be laid at the feet of Vatican II. At least in the U.S. the better part of 2 generations became the victims of what I call the burlap-banner-and-coloring-book era of CCD. I’m not sure how that all came about, but it surely did.

I agree. I think one big issue is CCD, one problem is that people teaching CCD classes many times have no knowledge of church doctrine, they don’t really have qualifications to teach and it has all become book coloring.

My cousin in law got married to a non Catholic but they are raising the kids catholics and she complains that the kids are not learning anything about the catholic religion in CCD. I think she makes a very good point, but unfortunately I don’t think most catholics are aware of it.

 

[ForeverJoy]

I’ve been pretty amazed that I know more about Catholicism after 9 months of RCIA than my cradle-Catholic husband. He’s on the very, very tail end of the baby boom. However, his parents are both very knowledgeable about the Church. He went to Catholic school through 8th grade and was even an alter boy. I’m not sure what happened between their generation and his.

 

[SMHW]

I agree. I think one big issue is CCD, one problem is that people teaching CCD classes many times have no knowledge of church doctrine, they don’t really have qualifications to teach and it has all become book coloring.

My cousin in law got married to a non Catholic but they are raising the kids catholics and she complains that the kids are not learning anything about the catholic religion in CCD. I think she makes a very good point, but unfortunately I don’t think most catholics are aware of it.

I think a lot of the problem is that it is simply not possible to teach children all there is to know about the Faith in one hour a week (if that much) unless this same information is being used in the home. (This is also true for children attending Catholic school but there is a chance that Catholic school children will be expected to practice some of their book knowledge outside of religion class.)

Plenty of children attend school for 12 years and still don’t really know how to read or do math well. Why do we think they will learn the Faith if they are spending even less time on it than they are on other subjects?

It’s a rare child who can hear a lesson once and make sense of it. Most children need to hear things over and over again within a framework of that information being put into practice. (That’s true for all kinds of learning.)

 

[Brendan]

IWhen Boomers got older, they head the message that “God truly loves you,” and somehow turned that into, “God loves you so let’s change anything that feels unloving because we baby boomers are the first generation in the history of the world who understand love.” And baby boomers sincerely thought they were the enlightened ones. Some still think that.

I never really understood that philosophy. How can one love what they do not know. Theology is at the heart of loving God, as one comes to know what one loves.

 

[LittleFlower378]

Forgive me if this is out of line or in the wrong place. I’m genuinely curious since I keep hearing this.

So, my parents-in-law are baby boomers, born in the the '50s. Since I began learning about the Church they have argued tooth and nail about even simple doctrine and theology. I don’t debate, that’s just not in my nature. They have said some of the most outlandish stuff. So over the last few years, I’ve read hear and other places, in books, and heard from others at my parish and other parishes, that this generation are very badly catechized.

What happened? Granted, there may not be a magical answer to my question. My sponsor may, in fact, have some insight as well (she’s an amazing, academic, awesome lady… but extremely busy).

Just curious. Part of me probably just wants to know what the break down was to maybe not do or say something to contribute to that anger/hurt that they have toward the Church and also, as the “next generation,” to add to that. “Those who do not know the past,” so to speak.

Thanks!

Modern technology and more stuff?

 

[Jeanne_S]

Ongoing faith formation by way of bible study,specific faith building classes is a must for any Catholic regardless of age.I am a baby boomer,eight years of Catholic School.Raised in an actively Catholic home,yet it wasn’t until my husband entered the Church nine years ago that I really became desirous of learning and living my faith. I believe Pope Frances recognizes the need for ongoing adult religious education.He has as much as said this will be his focus.

 

[Cat]

I think another factor is the rise of the Evangelical Protestant churches during the 60s and 70s.

The Evangelical Protestants did a good job of reaching out to their friends and neighbors, and I think a lot of Catholics attended some of their exciting church activities, especially the Bible studies and prayer meetings, which were usually done in small groups of the same sex, with child-care provided, and were a discussion format where no one was forced to talk, but everyone was encouraged to make a comment and didn’t have to worry about being criticized.

Catholic churches didn’t offer anything like this, neither did they offer children’s club ministries (AWANAs, Pioneers, etc.), or big youth groups with lots of activities and service projects and music.

Evangelical Protestants also talked less about theology and more about everyday life and how God was in that life. This was very appealing for lots of people, including Catholics.

Many thousands of good books were published by Evangelical Protestants back then, most of which were light on theology and heavy on everyday life issues such as marriage, raising children, living victoriously during times of trial and illness, growing old and staying active, and especially SEX issues. I’m positive that a lot more Catholics back then were reading Billy Graham’s and Ann Kiemel’s books rather than classic Catholic tomes.

Also, never underestimate the power of good music. Back then, the Evangelical Protestants offered traditional hymns, gospel, and many of them were gradually bringing more and more pop/rock music into their churches, if not during the worship services, at least during the social times.

Also, of course, there was the rise of the charismatic movement, which I know attracted many Catholics as well as mainline Protestants.

All of this was so exciting, and I’m sure that many Catholics dabbled in it, and perhaps even dived right in. I would estimate that at least 1/4 of our church growing up consisted of Catholics who had converted to Evangelical Protestantism, and there were always Catholics involved with the weekly activities because, in their words, “They couldn’t get this at their church.”

 

[kozlosap]

Parents that didn’t have an accurate understanding of Church teaching which was off-putting to baby boomers. For example, the heresy that only Catholics can go to Heaven. (Yes, I was actually taught that)

I agree. I’m a boomer, and I think our CCD classes were excellent. What happened, IMHO, is that our world changed very quickly after the War both sociologically and tech wise. The assassinations and Vietnam jaded us. When Pope Paul did not take the recommendation of the council concerning ABC, many young people may have just turned off to any social teaching that the Church proclaimed. I remember pow wows in the dorm about the Church believing that using ABC and sleeping together without marriage was a mortal sin which equalled murdering someone. My generation could not, and from what I ascertain, still does not believe that scenario. Most of my friends remained Catholics and have raised their kids Catholic because they believe in the Holy Eucharist. Are they cafeteria Catholics? I don’t think so. They are good and honorable people who are educated and have well formed consciences. BTW, we boomers are also the pillars of our parishes!

 

[Avila123]

As part of the 1960’s baby boom, I simply was not catechized very much and the Catholic Schools I attended hired active atheists, taught every faith other than Catholicism or assumed you acquired the faith through osmosis. After I left, the schools started to wake up and over time became more faith-based.

After reverting 14 years ago, I was hungry to learn but very little was available, so it was a bit of a struggle. Then we were blessed with a new Bishop, who I suspect had a near-heart attack at how poorly catechized his flock was. The previous Bishop had started laying some foundations, but our current Bishop (he seems so quiet and non-assuming) set of a salvo. It started with some new appointments and then BOOM!! Adult Bible courses, guest speakers and talks, a vibrant set of children, teen and young adult activities and groups. There is an air of excitement amongst many of us and we are learning to understand, appreciate and hold fast to the mass, sacraments and traditions, whilst trying new things (okay, it is new to us, but not to the Church). As you can guess I am over-excited and thrilled. And as for the 50+ years of waiting, it is worth it, and God-willing, maybe I can be one of His instruments to help.