What in the responses gave you that impressioin?
Hi 1ke,
Perhaps the response as quoted below:
1ke:
The priest and the kid are right about sacramental prep …
Perhaps what the class is telling their leaders is that they are bored because indeed they have heard this all before … Maybe it’s time to examine your program…And, what the heck is a small group leader? What do they do? … Also, can you give any specific behavior examples of students? “Bad attitude” is rather vague.
CDNowak:
A personal note, I sympathize very much with the know-it-all. I was homeschooled through seventh grade and knew as much as, if not more, than my teachers in CCD and eighth grade about Catholicism. I even had classes in seminary where I could have argued finer points with the professor.
In response to the first quote, I don’t agree that it’s correct, because they may be right about the intellectual level of the material, however the motivation or intent seems false and disingenuous regarding that 17 year-old. From the words and behaviour attributed to him, it sounds like he simply ‘doesn’t care’ to be quite frank, as his persistent apathetic, presumptuous, ignorant and uncharitable attitude seems to indicate that he’s not so much eager to seek a more intense learning experience, but rather determined to express his discontent of having to be in class. Meaning, it doesn’t look like he wants to learn, more or, at all.
Bad attitude is quite vague, however generally speaking, it refers to the stereotypical apathy and ignorance of the western pop-culture induced teenager. It’s pandemic, almost archetypal, and its a deadly persona so commonly assumed by the youth which involve a disproportionate amalgamation of ignorance, apathy, presumption, pride, envy, anger, sloth, lust, superficiality, insensitivity, disrespect, dishonour, blindness, crudeness, indifference, laziness, hate, half-heartedness, insolence, contempt and self righteousness (not excluding etc) all acting to kill off the Christian spirit in some way or another.
I think the point that Mamamarcie was trying to stress was that this 17 year old was being:
(1) Disrespectful - as she referenced the Fourth Commandment which the CCC explores quite beautifully.
(2) Uncooperative - regarding his concerns about the teaching material in which if his claims were indeed legitimate, then he went about dealing with it incorrectly. As his behaviour was detrimentally the reverse, not being eager, constructive or enthusiastic. By proclaiming to the few that he “knows it all”, he is putting himself in a position that says he doesn’t need any help, but rather that he can help himself.
(3) Proud - lacking the basic foundation on which the learning of God and the Catholic Faith must rest upon, being humility. There is no valid excuse to commit the sin of presumption or that of pride in self-knowledge. One never knows all, that’s impossible, as it admits a lie that one can reach a point or place where one cannot learn anything or any more. As learning is not always about the curriculum material, it always includes factors overlying this like the spiritual, the moral, the social, the pedagogical, philosophical, one’s character, the atmosphere and etc. For example, that 17 year old could have spent the time in class learning to be patient, humble, and using his competent learning in helping fellow students better learn. We should not have the attitude that we are above anything, nor that anything is beneath us, we may be overskilled but always learning, as from dust we have come so dust we shall return.
(4) Uncharitable - as love, charity, is fundamental to a Christian’s every thought, word and deed, so there is no place for heartlessness especially to the matter of studying about God, specifically the Holy Spirit.
(5) Unwilling - it seems his behaviour carries more of a hesitancy & unwillingness, than that of academic rigour or holy zeal.
On this note, it should be stressed, that whatever instance in life, whether you know better or not, its always key to exercise that virtue of humility. For example, I attended a friend’s prayer group, and the guest speaker gave a talk about the “Spiritual Battle” as referenced in the Letters of Saint Paul. I was tempted during the beginning of the talk, thinking I already know this, this is really for the others around me. But God granted that I sit through that one and a half hour talk and REALLY learn. And to my great surprise, I listened, I meditated on each point, expanding it deeper and deeper, got a lot of gems, and was caught up in the gift of wonder and awe. The talk in its simplicity helped me extra-ordinarily to become more patient. I was loving it. And everything the speaker talked about that I already knew inside out, helped me in humility, and to reaffirm it in my mind, helping me to remember it more sharply. Also, I immersed myself in the goodness of that atmosphere that was created by the gathering of Christians in holy faith and as a confirmation of faith. I bathed myself it in, and at the end I thanked the speaker, a seminarian, and commended him on his talk.
From all these good things and graces that I know was there to be received, it was only a small part of the bigger picture which we never really glimpse. But it all goes towards our spiritual edification and ascension in the love of God.
This post isn’t at all directed to the 17-year old, who among many like him we must work with and pray for - as it is especially difficult as with the circumstances of the western world today - but rather an example for the mature and older ones who may be tempted to validate or sympathize with such misbehaviour and bad attitudes or dispositions. A false compassion, as Archbishop Fulton so clearly describes it. Pity and prayers - yes, but validation - no.
), but it doesn’t help us much to have an opinion unless someone is going to consult us. They won’t.
)
