Teen Son Evangelism

[eucharisteo]

Last night we had a very revealing conversation with our oldest son. My wife thinks what we did was “good enough”. I on the other hand do not believe it’s enough. He told us about using God’s name in vain. Not only that but in front of a girl as school who is part of the church we used to belong to before converting to Catholicism. I want him to understand that being in sports does not give him license to use fowl language. In fact, because he is Christian he should always be on guard against doing such things. He wigs out when I try to talk to him. He acts really sporadic as if I were about the beat him or something. I backed off so that he didn’t overreact.

I’m thinking that maybe a good athletic retreat or camp would be a positive experience for him rather than me trying harder. I want to but I already teach my children. Any ideas that actually work.

 

[ljubim]

Hmm… well I’m a 17 year old girl and probably don’t know enough about guys to comment, but…

Perhaps point out that he owes his existence to God, he should at the very least be as respectful of Him as he is to you guys.

Tell him that real girls look very badly on guys who curse in any way. It makes them look immature, and the immature ones are more like friend-material, girls like guys who are more mature.

How about that since this is one of the 10 commandments, that it is on the same level as adultery. And that, more specifically, a sin against the Holy Spirit is unforgiveable… it’s just a little thing society has snuck in through the back door that is somewhat excepted and if we disagree with them on everything else, why should we fall prey to cursing in God’s name? It’s a big loss of freedom when you’re trapped in a state of mind where obscenities pop up every few seconds. Our minds should be free, not enslaved to sin, however seemingly insignificant he thinks it is.

 

[eucharisteo]

Hmm… well I’m a 17 year old girl and probably don’t know enough about guys to comment, but…

Perhaps point out that he owes his existence to God, he should at the very least be as respectful of Him as he is to you guys.

Tell him that real girls look very badly on guys who curse in any way. It makes them look immature, and the immature ones are more like friend-material, girls like guys who are more mature.

How about that since this is one of the 10 commandments, that it is on the same level as adultery. And that, more specifically, a sin against the Holy Spirit is unforgiveable… it’s just a little thing society has snuck in through the back door that is somewhat excepted and if we disagree with them on everything else, why should we fall prey to cursing in God’s name? It’s a big loss of freedom when you’re trapped in a state of mind where obscenities pop up every few seconds. Our minds should be free, not enslaved to sin, however seemingly insignificant he thinks it is.

Very good reply. But I do have to correct your on the sin against the Holy Spirit as not being forgiveable. That’s some confusing Protestant concept. The truth is pride is what keeps us from believing our sins are unforgiveable. check it out.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is essentially the willful rejection of God’s grace and forgiveness.

A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture explains, “Unlike other blasphemies or sins which might be partially excused by ignorance, passion or inadvertence, this was[/is] a sin of willful malice and blindness to the light. As long as such a mentality persists, pardon is impossible, not because of any limitation of God, but because those who are guilty of this sin refuse to respond to the promptings of grace” (p.912).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states, “There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss” (CCC 1864).

 

[ljubim]

Very good reply. But I do have to correct your on the sin against the Holy Spirit as not being forgiveable. That’s some confusing Protestant concept. The truth is pride is what keeps us from believing our sins are unforgiveable. check it out.

K thanks Like I said, I am only 17.

I wouldn’t be incredibly worried about this… I remember reading a thread earlier about a mother at her wit’s end with a son who virtually cannot stop maturbating and is an embarrassment to the family. I’m sure besides the cursing that your son’s a good guy.

And retreats, good ones!, really do change people.

I’m kind of dissapointed nobody else is responding to this thread There’s got to be somebody out there who has a good answer

 

[KathyA]

I would highly recommend two things. The first is the DVD, “Champions of Faith-Baseball”. What your son will see is a lot of professional baseball players and coaches demonstrating what it means to be Catholic AND an athlete. The second is the A & E series, “God or the Girl”. It is a 5 part series that also shows young men living very radically for Christ. I’ve used both with our high school youth group and they were well received.

Good luck and God bless!
Kathy

 

[FightingFat]

I read this book some years ago amazon.co.uk/Christian-Fatherhood-Commitments-Josephs-Covenant/dp/0965858200/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259088019&sr=8-3 in it, the author speaks of a teenage trip he took fishing with his dad. Then went out to a lake somewhere and caught pike from a boat, then camped by the lake shore and cooked the pike in butter and just hung out and talked about life. The author states this was the foremost formative experience of his life. Since I read it, I never shied from being a father who talks to my sons, or who spends lashings of time with them, doing stuff they want to do. While we’re doing the coolest stuff–stuff they want to do, I get to evangelise, by my actions and by my words and thus far, I am very proud of the decisions my boys make. Wish you luck!

 

[eucharisteo]

I read this book some years ago amazon.co.uk/Christian-Fatherhood-Commitments-Josephs-Covenant/dp/0965858200/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259088019&sr=8-3 in it, the author speaks of a teenage trip he took fishing with his dad. Then went out to a lake somewhere and caught pike from a boat, then camped by the lake shore and cooked the pike in butter and just hung out and talked about life. The author states this was the foremost formative experience of his life. Since I read it, I never shied from being a father who talks to my sons, or who spends lashings of time with them, doing stuff they want to do. While we’re doing the coolest stuff–stuff they want to do, I get to evangelise, by my actions and by my words and thus far, I am very proud of the decisions my boys make. Wish you luck!