Baffled and Amazed!

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tkdnick

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So last night the high school youth group at my church had a discussion over the Voter’s Guide for Serious Catholics (by Catholic Answers) and I was utterly amazed, baffled, frustrated in that most of the teens disagreed with the Catholic church on some point or another of almost every issue. Totally flabberghasted!!! What are we teaching, or not teaching, that the majority of our teens disagree with the Catholic church on abortion, cloning, embryonic stem cells, euthanasia, and homosexual marriage???

And I, as one of the adult advisors, should have stepped in and explained The Church’s position. Yet there I sat unable to bring myself to speak out.

It was a very frustrating night for me.
 
I’m sorry :(. Unfortunately, most teens say what they hear from their own parents or others who influence them a lot. It angers me to see Rock the Vote because it’s not about getting EVERYONE out there to vote - it’s about getting all the flaming liberals out there to vote.

I get frustrated hearing my own co-workers twisted views of everything and refuse to take part in most political conversation because most of them already have made up their minds and their twisted logic is the only thing that makes sense to them.

Pray :).
 
That is a very sad state of affairs we have when teens believe this rubbish.
 
People often worry reasonably as far as it goes, about the Church going to a fortress mentality, but frankly as we see assaults on the faith not just from outsiders but also scoffing Catholics, it seems to be the case not of our choosing. Hillare Belloc remarked in *The Great Heresies *that the Modern attack is unlike other heresies in that older heresies just wanted to destroy certain aspects of the faith, the modern wants to destroy the faith entire. He saw two possiblities–the Church becoming like an ark as the flood of evil continues to rise, or the Church regaining much of its lost stature in the world. I can’t help but think it is the former.
 
tkdnick said:
What are we teaching, or not teaching, that the majority of our teens disagree with the Catholic church on abortion, cloning, embryonic stem cells, euthanasia, and homosexual marriage???

.
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what we are teaching or not teaching to youth in parish programs is limited to 90 minutes or less of classtime for 6 months or less. What they are learning from their parents, peers and school takes up the rest of the time. As long as we do speak up and speak the truth when we have the floor we have done our job to the best of our ability. The rest of the time we will be teaching by the way we live. Are we giving evidence of obedience to Christ’s commandments in our own lives? Every year I listen to adult sponsors and mentors who patiently explain the reasons for Church teaching, yet can be heard joking in private conversation with other adults about their use of contraception, acceptance of their own children cohabiting and/or contracepting, and so forth.
 
tkdnick said:
So last night the high school youth group at my church had a discussion over the Voter’s Guide for Serious Catholics (by Catholic Answers) and I was utterly amazed, baffled, frustrated in that most of the teens disagreed with the Catholic church on some point or another of almost every issue. Totally flabberghasted!!! What are we teaching, or not teaching, that the majority of our teens disagree with the Catholic church on abortion, cloning, embryonic stem cells, euthanasia, and homosexual marriage???

And I, as one of the adult advisors, should have stepped in and explained The Church’s position. Yet there I sat unable to bring myself to speak out.

It was a very frustrating night for me.
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What is just as sad is you seem the same attitude from many of the Adult “Catholics” in these forums.
 
tkdnick said:
Huh? You got me confused there.
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I think my typo confused you. It should have said:

What is just as sad is you see the same attitude from many of the Adult “Catholics” in these forums.

Many catholics in these forums proudly announce they will ignore the Catholic Voting Guide because it clashes with their political views.
 
estesbob said:
I think my typo confused you. It should have said:

What is just as sad is you see the same attitude from many of the Adult “Catholics” in these forums.

Many catholics in these forums proudly announce they will ignore the Catholic Voting Guide because it clashes with their political views.
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Ok got it! Phew!
 
Wow…I am utterly shocked…My son and daughter seem to be more conservative about Catholic issues than I am…and I consider myself pretty conservative. My other son is still discerning what he believes as far as modern issues…and he likes to jerk my chain so he comes up with some doozies. My daughter frantically was searching for her rosary the other day and my oldest was telling me about mass at the Neuman center on his days off of work…and how he enjoys them. I really credit the High School for the way they are turning out…my discerning son is going to public school because of his learning disability…he actually asked me about transfering to the Catholic HS. I thought all Catholic Schools and programs were swinging more toward the conservative side…guess I am just very Blest!
 
tkdnick–I have had similar experiences though with Catholic adults. I often freeze up because so many Catholics will twist Catholic teaching and criticize the Church or anyone who supports the Church. But more recently, I try to say something to address the heresy being discussed. I try to say just enough that it gives them pause to consider another side and so that they know that I am not in agreement. Over time, I have learned not to come on too strong and to feel more self-confident about “correcting” such misguided (and often anti-Catholic) views. What is the quote to the effect that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing…
 
I have to say as a new Catholic, I have been Baffled and Amazed myself at the views of the Catholics in my life that have no problem at all disagreeing with Church teaching on most moral issues, which flows over into their politics. Considering that the Catholic Church was the first to raise the alarm about abortion and such, it seems that I had more in common with my Evangelical brothers and sisters when it came to conservative moral teaching and the political scene.

Right now, I’m starting with one person at a time. I’ve decided that as a Catholic, I have every right to challenge a fellow Catholic about their anti-Church beliefs and at least let them know when their beliefs are opposite of the Church and what it means to them spiritually and what the ramifications are to our society when we don’t take life and moral issues to heart. Do they like this? Well, let’s just say that I have become a thorn in their side, but se la vi. Someday they may remember our conversations and have a change of heart. It’s not up to us to change them, just to plant the seeds, the Holy Spirit has to do the rest.

One person at a time. Sometimes that’s all we can do.
 
ReginaNova said:
I try to say just enough that it gives them pause to consider another side and so that they know that I am not in agreement. Over time, I have learned not to come on too strong
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That would be a problem I know I have. My professor of catechetics told me that my presentations were like getting socked in the gut, so I am always wary of how I present things, when, and why.
 
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