Religion choice

[Devotedmom]

I’m writing my situation hoping I can get some help. My family is a devote catholic. My husband serves in church and my son used to be an altar server. We go to church every Sunday. We are a member of a religious organization. We pray the rosary together as a family. And few months ago me and my husband was shock to hear from our son that he is an atheist. It was a struggle for me every Sunday to convince him to attend mass and CCD. Until finally we cannot let him go to church with us and attend CCD for his confirmation. It really breaks my heart that this is happening to us and I can help but cry every time I think about it. The only thing I can do is to pray for him to go back to Jesus and make me and my husband strong and to continue loving him no matter what his preference is. I don’t know what to do anymore to bring him back like he was before. Did me and my husband miss teaching him about religion? I don’t know where did we go wrong in terms of instilling our son about Catholicism.

 

[Entwhistler]

Prayers going out to you! It can be a difficult situation. You seem to imply that your son is a teenager or getting there since he is getting close to confirmation age. Teenage years can be difficult and results in wanting to be your own person and rejecting whatever your parents do as “old-fashioned”. I wonder what makes him say he is an Atheist besides just wanting to go against the grain? Friends? Something he read? Maybe find some arguments for God and present it to him. Tell him there are robust arguments for God. I like St. Thomas Aquinas’ Argument from Motion. This podcast episode lays out the argument really well. Maybe listen to it before you give it to your son. The man is a Libertarian (but a Catholic) but he doesn’t make that a big deal in this particular episode if you don’t agree with him on economics. No, You're Not a Dummy for Believing in God | Tom Woods

But, as to going to Church. Your son is probably under 14 or around there. There is no excuse for him staying home while you go to Mass. He is not 18 yet. Not even 16 (which wouldn’t make any difference to me but…). You make him go to school, you make him eat certain things, you make him not watch certain movies. You can make him go to Church with you. He is part of the family, Church is a family thing, he goes to Church. He can just sit in the pew, but I think you should make him go to Church. Just tell him when he gets older he can make these decisions for himself. But he is not an adult yet.

Pray, pray and pray. And maybe ask him why he does not believe in God. That should get him thinking. The theologian Peter Kreeft has articles on his website with arguments for God. He is fun to read and witty. But whatever you do, get him to actually think about what he is doing.

God Bless!!!

 

[Devotedmom]

Thank you for your advise and I’ll try to apply it. Yes my son is a 14 yo kid who is smart and intelligent and into scientific evidence.

 

[ErraticFaith]

We live in the Information Age. Doubt and reason stand above everything and the world is a MUCH smaller place. Full of the collision of a billion different views and ideas.

In that space; people are going to be influenced by the weight of that now. There is no escaping it.

I sense that many have forgotten that free-will, is God’s primary gift to man. Not your particular religious branch.

And that is one thing that hasn’t changed.

People must find their own way. Not be guided, emotionally blackmailed or directed. No matter how hard it may be.

For freedom, is God willed. Not servitude without it.