Half my family and school against Catholicism

[omiegon]

Well to start off my family is “traditionally” catholic. My aunt is non-denominational my grandma is a cafeteria catholic and my mom is a practicing catholic but she doesn’t feel the faith most Catholics do. My step dad and his father are both very good Catholics. I have been pushed to Catholicism but for a few years went to a non denominational church. very recently is when I have discovered the truth that is the catholic church I have been overloading my brain with dogma and theology and such. I went on a chastity retreat and the people hosting it invited me to their group. I have a very big devotion to my faith so when I tried to convince my liberal( except for step dad) family not to vote for Obama because of the evil of advocating abortion .They simply tried telling me that abortion was not a big issue in the election and that no one has any right to say yes or no to the woman’s body. I argued with them saying the opposite. My aunt and my grandma went on saying about me judging them and that this would be between them and god. They also said that i was too mixing religion with politics. I told them that I trusted in god and in the church because the church is spirituality infallible. They only smirked and said he is just a kid he doesn’t understand. I could while talking to them excuses coming out of their mouths, pure excuses. now my school does not allow the wearing of rosary’s because now they are “gang” signs and will take them away on the spot. I live in North Carolina so protestant> Catholics , the S.R.O went on saying that he will treat them like bandannas and that saying that you are catholic is no excuse to wear prayer beads. in his ignorance he does not know that the rosary CAN be wore to feel closer to God and his mother. I felt so disrespected when I heard this rule at freshmen orientation. I feel as if I should talk to my administration about this because I feel less equal than other religiously.

 

[TriciaF]

It’s difficult and painful if family members don’t support and share your faith.
I think perhaps you need to ‘pick your fights’.
It is not an article of our faith to wear a rosary, and you’ll find nothing in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that instructs you to wear the rosary.
It is, however, a commandment of God not to kill, including unborn children, and that is of course an article of faith

 

[Myqyl]

I won’t address the political side of your post since it would certainly derail the thread… I’ll just say that you should cut your family some slack. They have lived through many elections and understand that the choices are rarely clear cut.

As to the wearing of the Rosary, perhaps you should contact the ACLU. While they often seem to some to have a left leaning agenda, they are very aggressive about defending constitutional rights, and the first amendment does state that you have the right to religious expression. If you feel strongly about it, then speak up. If your principle is calling the Catholic Church a “gang” then you have firm ground to stand on. However, if a street gang has been wearing Rosaries, it might be another story altogether.

God bless

 

[agnes_therese]

I think you’ll find that most people don’t take well to being chastised by those they consider children. You’d do better by just giving your thoughts in a calm, reasonable manner IF the subject comes up, and not telling them they’re just giving “excuses.”

If there have been issues with gangs, and one or more of the gangs are wearing rosaries, your school administration is completely within their rights to ban wearing them. There is nothing in the Catholic faith that says we are to wear our rosaries; many, if not most, Catholics do not wear them.

 

[Demetra2]

It is wonderful that as a young person you are so devoted to God and the Catholic Church. Your devotion probably irks your family as it exposes their lack of faith and probably makes them feel very uncomfortable. They have used that old excuse that it is “between them and God” and it is true but I wonder if they really understand that they will be judged by God and God does not want us to vote for a culture of death president. God is against murder and wants every baby conceived to be allowed to live and the justice of allowing someone to have a chance at life comes before social justice. Justice starts with allowing someone to live. Even our constitution speaks of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Life always proceeds everything else.

Actions speak louder than words so be respectful to your family and live your Catholic faith without arguing with them. You have planted a seed but now they must consider their motivations for wanting to vote for the wrong person. There is absolutely no excuse that will be sufficient when we stand before God and see how sad He is that we voted for a pro-abortion president. Pray for you family and remember that God is very pleased with you when you defend your faith and the unborn.

I do not have any strategy about wearing Rosary beads but it may not make sense to make an issue out of it. You could keep the beads in your backpack or pocket. Perhaps it would be more useful to start a Catholic youth group at your school. Good luck and keep the faith.

 

[bzkoss236]

I don’t have much experience in dealing with liberal Christians, especially not within my family (we are all quite conservative with the exception of one of my aunts who lives in Washington state). It is hard to evangelize to family, even in regards to doing the right thing in politics. Abortion is more than just the woman’s body, it also involves a baby’s body, even though it may not be fully developed, it is still a human body growing inside of a woman, and killing any human by another is murder. If killing someone for convenience were allowed, I’m sure there are a number of people in everyone’s lives they would have wanted dead, whether by anger or spite, that they should have been allowed to, because it was convenient to them. Or if this only applies to children, then why does it matter if a mother kills her children while having postpartum depression? Abortion is a big issue. It’s euthanasia and a type of genocide all in one.

In regards to the rosary, have you considered looking for a rosary ring? Preferably one that can be worn? Or would that still count as being a “gang sign”? Maybe ask your school if that is an acceptable alternative.

 

[teenphilo1]

As for the rosary, Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District. insta-win

If you feel it necessary, there are only 4 possibilities for abortion:

1. It is murder and we know it.
2. It is murder and we don’t know it.
3. It is not murder and we know it.
4. It is not murder and we don’t know it

In only one of the above cases is abortion OK.

(I should mention I got this from another poster here… I don’t know which.)

 

[bitznbitez]

HE is just a kid he doesn’t understand

Well on the abortion question thats your issue right there. Men are not allowed to have opinions on that topic… A picture of the argument, what we are debating about doing, put the whole thing in perspective to me and flipped me from “its ok” to “holy cow this is evil”. But in my experience many just get angry when confronted with that.

The best you can do is make your view known, done. Live rightly, ongoing, and pray constantly. Arguing with them won’t work. As a wise fellow once told me “Never try to use logic to talk a person out of a position they didn’t use logic to get themselves into in the first place.”

 

[theyoungmonk]

If you wish to wear a rosary tie it to youre belt and let it hang in youre pocket, that way it wont be obvious and will be obviously religious rather than fasion or gang style. Also maybe put a lotof medals etc on it so it becomes more obvious that it is a personal piece of faith not just something shop bought.

 

[aicirt]

Wearing the rosary like a necklace might be a cultural thing. Where they do it, I don’t know. It has not been a practice in the US. Carry it in your pocket.

If you want to make an impression on your prinicipal, don’t wear the rosary. He has his reasons. You are to obey the 5th commandment which means obeying your school superiors. He is not asking you to commit a sin against your religion. Feel free to wear many of the Catholic medals but not all of them.

Regarding abortion: you are right, your family is wrong. I see little difference than being forced to pay for abortions through my taxes than the Germans being forced to pay for the killings during the Holocaust. Pray for your family.

 

[robwar]

Well to start off my family is “traditionally” catholic. My aunt is non-denominational my grandma is a cafeteria catholic and my mom is a practicing catholic but she doesn’t feel the faith most Catholics do. My step dad and his father are both very good Catholics. I have been pushed to Catholicism but for a few years went to a non denominational church. very recently is when I have discovered the truth that is the catholic church I have been overloading my brain with dogma and theology and such. I went on a chastity retreat and the people hosting it invited me to their group. I have a very big devotion to my faith so when I tried to convince my liberal( except for step dad) family not to vote for Obama because of the evil of advocating abortion .They simply tried telling me that abortion was not a big issue in the election and that no one has any right to say yes or no to the woman’s body. I argued with them saying the opposite. My aunt and my grandma went on saying about me judging them and that this would be between them and god. They also said that i was too mixing religion with politics. I told them that I trusted in god and in the church because the church is spirituality infallible. They only smirked and said he is just a kid he doesn’t understand. I could while talking to them excuses coming out of their mouths, pure excuses. now my school does not allow the wearing of rosary’s because now they are “gang” signs and will take them away on the spot. I live in North Carolina so protestant> Catholics , the S.R.O went on saying that he will treat them like bandannas and that saying that you are catholic is no excuse to wear prayer beads. in his ignorance he does not know that the rosary CAN be wore to feel closer to God and his mother. I felt so disrespected when I heard this rule at freshmen orientation. I feel as if I should talk to my administration about this because I feel less equal than other religiously.

your school banned the rosaries because of abuse by gangs. If you want to wear the rosary, wear it under your clothes. You need to realize that you need to pick and choose your fights. While this is just my opinion, I am not in favor of wearing rosaries as a neckless due to the fact that it can be misunderstood by others. Either they might interpret that this is proper use or misinterpret it as gang related. While you might have the most pure motives and devotion, abuses by others has ruined it for people like you. The better emphasis is to focus on praying the rosary than wearing it as a neckless and demanding it as a right. If you speak to your school, you most likely will not win this fight because then banned them based on gang use. Maturity is learning when to fight and speak up and when to not to. This is not worth the fight, you won’t win.

 

[AnastasiaRomano]

About the Rosary – sadly, wearing the Rosary around one’s neck can be a symbol that one belongs to a certain gang. (Usually the color of the rosary is important too.) Obviously you aren’t wearing it for that purpose, but many schools are starting to ban the wearing of rosary beads as necklaces because of their abuse as gang symbols.

Now, you could try to challenge the school on this, if you’re so inclined, by contacting some legal advocacy groups. Or, you could put the Rosary in your pocket or backpack, or wear a Rosary ring. That way, you can pray the Rosary as much as your heart desires, without wearing it. It’s not really a necklace anyway, and you can definitely pray without wearing it.

 

[robwar]

I won’t address the political side of your post since it would certainly derail the thread… I’ll just say that you should cut your family some slack. They have lived through many elections and understand that the choices are rarely clear cut.

As to the wearing of the Rosary, perhaps you should contact the ACLU. While they often seem to some to have a left leaning agenda, they are very aggressive about defending constitutional rights, and the first amendment does state that you have the right to religious expression. If you feel strongly about it, then speak up. If your principle is calling the Catholic Church a “gang” then you have firm ground to stand on. However, if a street gang has been wearing Rosaries, it might be another story altogether.

God bless

Sadly, too many gangs use rosaries and if this school has had problems with gangs then they have the right to ban gang symbols which includes rosaries. It is sad that it has been abuse of wearing rosaries that have caused this. This is not about religious freedom because one can easily wear a rosary under your clothes or in your pocket. In general, wearing a rosary as a neckless is unwise. It send the wrong message to others, either it can be viewed as another piece of jewelry to those who have no understanding that is this a sacramental or it becomes abused by gangs and rock stars as another fashion piece.

 

[SuperLuigi]

Well to start off my family is “traditionally” catholic. My aunt is non-denominational my grandma is a cafeteria catholic and my mom is a practicing catholic but she doesn’t feel the faith most Catholics do. My step dad and his father are both very good Catholics. I have been pushed to Catholicism but for a few years went to a non denominational church. very recently is when I have discovered the truth that is the catholic church I have been overloading my brain with dogma and theology and such. I went on a chastity retreat and the people hosting it invited me to their group. I have a very big devotion to my faith so when I tried to convince my liberal( except for step dad) family not to vote for Obama because of the evil of advocating abortion .They simply tried telling me that abortion was not a big issue in the election and that no one has any right to say yes or no to the woman’s body. I argued with them saying the opposite. My aunt and my grandma went on saying about me judging them and that this would be between them and god. They also said that i was too mixing religion with politics. I told them that I trusted in god and in the church because the church is spirituality infallible. They only smirked and said he is just a kid he doesn’t understand. I could while talking to them excuses coming out of their mouths, pure excuses. now my school does not allow the wearing of rosary’s because now they are “gang” signs and will take them away on the spot. I live in North Carolina so protestant> Catholics , the S.R.O went on saying that he will treat them like bandannas and that saying that you are catholic is no excuse to wear prayer beads. in his ignorance he does not know that the rosary CAN be wore to feel closer to God and his mother. I felt so disrespected when I heard this rule at freshmen orientation. I feel as if I should talk to my administration about this because I feel less equal than other religiously.

I think that is a conservation you need to have. Just think if they had the same rules with the star of David, the crescent moon or “COEXIST” stickers.

The anti-defamation league, CAIR and the ACLU would be all over it.

As far as abortion goes, there is no such federal right to have one.

The demographics of North Carolina are changing.

Protestantism is decreasing in this country.

 

[Mayita30]

I don’t agree with wearing the rosary as a necklace. It is too sacred for that since it should be kept or placed in an alter and should be use for praying . I however use a rosary bracelet

 

[BlueEyedLady]

it.

As far as abortion goes, there is no such federal right to have one.

Legally, until Roe v. Wade is overturned, if it ever is, there is a right to an abortion that is recognized a the federal level.

As for the rosary, typically public schools can’t ban religious symbols worn by students UNLESS there is an overriding governmental interest. In the case of gangs that interest is keeping the school safe and having students be able to attend class without being afraid. If your rosary would cause other students to fear you or cause you to get hurt they do have a right to ban it.

As for your family, no one wants their teenage child/niece/nephew/grandchild/whatever lecturing them about how they vote. They have been around a lot longer than you have and have had decades to form their opinions. There is nothing that a teenager could say to change their minds and it is certainly not on you to lecture them about “excuses”.

 

[robwar]

I don’t agree with wearing the rosary as a necklace. It is too sacred for that since it should be kept or placed in an alter and should be use for praying . I however use a rosary bracelet

thank-you, I feel the same way. Overall just unwise for many reasons.