Hiding religious actions

[RedDuke50]

Is it a sin to hide from other people your religious actions? Like listening to religious music or praying something. I am not fully sure why I hide it from my family members. Maybe it is because I don’t want them to think of me as a super religious person or to keep vanity and self love from coming in.
Thank you

 

[willofgods]

It could be helpful to get a spiritual director, or mention this kind of thing in your next confession, e.g., “Father, I’m not sure if this was a sin, and I want to know what the best thing to do in these situations would be” something like that.

I usually just do what feels hardest to do at the time: If I’m with my family and I get the urge to pray but I second-guess it because they are there, then I do. If I am with more religious persons, I will keep from saying a prayer first because then I would probably just be doing it to show them, “I’m holy too!”

In the end, pray to Mary that you have the grace to ‘Do whatever he tells you.’

 

[SecretaryMonday]

I think it depends on your motivation. If I’m listening to Christian radio in the truck, I have to turn up the volume because of road noise, and when I come to a stoplight I tend to automatically turn down the radio so it won’t “bother” other drivers or pedestrians. I have to check myself to see if I’m turning it down as a courtesy because its too loud in a stopped vehicle, or if its because I don’t want people to know I’m listening to Christian music. If its the latter I try to resist the urge…

Its hard for me to do “Christian-y” things around my family, too, even though they are religious. One day my mom asked me if Catholics ever sign themselves with the cross before they eat. “Yes, sometimes,” I said.
“I never see you do it,” she replied.
“I wait until you’re not looking,” I said, and she laughed.

 

[EviPolevhia]

RedDuke, sounds to me like you’re in good company. [BIBLEDRB]Matthew 6:5-6[/BIBLEDRB]