Was denying my faith ok?

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Pearse

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I’m a 15 year old catholic who lives in a mainly Protestant area in Belfast which can be quite dangerous even today years after the troubles ended. I was out with 3 friends (a non-denomination Christian boy and 2 Protestant girls) and a group of about 20 18 year olds came up to us. They asked me “are youse taigs( a slur for catholic)” then asked “are you catholic” (this was to make us tell the truth as he too could be catholic if he first said that). I lied and said “no” and now I feel extremely guilty. I don’t doubt I would’ve been jumped along with my friends if I told them my faith but was I wrong in doing so?
 
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Don’t ever deny your faith. You didn’t have to say anything.
 
Please speak with your priest about this. You are still forming your conscience and in a very problematic area. There must be some sort of protocol in this situation.

We cannot tell you it’s wrong, we are not in a situation of being children confronted by a large group of adults looking to cause trouble.

Edited to say

You did not deny your faith in God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You did not do that.
 
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If I hadn’t said anything those men probably would’ve assumed I was catholic because if I wasn’t I would have told them immediately so not answering wasn’t an option
 
Talking to your priest the very best course of action. I assume that he’ll tell you that in a situation of immediate danger, you did the right thing. You can and should pray about it, though.
 
We do not live in those times. The troubles have left a lot of trouble in their wake.

We live in peaceful countries where we are not 15 and being confronted by 20 thugs .

We cannot say to this child that her answer is wrong. We only need look at ww11 and the hiding and smuggling of Jewish and others.

Let the Priest be her guide. This won’t be the last time she is confronted.

Peter denied Jesus, yet became the first Pope and the rock the Church was built on.
Peter and all the Apostles besides John, were afraid they would be arrested and killed too, they ran away when Jesus was crucified
 
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Totally.

This child did the right thing, outnumbered by physically superior forces and fifteen years old!
Speak to your priest but …

God bless you pearse. God knows your heart child.
 
This has really helped I’ll be sure to pray the rosary tonight and talk to my priest but I dont feel as ashamed. You’re all good people!
 
No reason to feel ashamed.

I was once in your shoes. I was raised atheist but I was baptized Catholic who lived in a Muslim majority country as a child.

Our Muslim neighbors were lovely people but unfortunately there were a small percentage that were thugs who went around threatening non-Muslims.
 
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I usually agree with Fr. Mike, but when 3 or 4 teenagers are likely to be attacked by a large crowd, s/he did the right thing, and as I said upthread, I’ll bet his/her priest will say s/he did the right thing.

God knows our hearts, we can talk to Him about anything including this, and between talking to God and the priest, I’m pretty sure s/he will feel even better.
 
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Don’t feel ashamed. You live in a country where issues around faith can be very volatile. Talk to your Priest about it, but don’t feel bad.
 
I would also like to say, you did not deny your faith in God, nor your faith in Jesus Christ.

You are in my prayers as are your friends. And your priest .
 
@alice24 @Hope1960

I can’t say what the Church’s teaching on this is.

But there is Apostle Peter and his denying of Christ.
Theres also -

Matthew 10:33 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

33 but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

By the way to the the original poster I’m not casting any stones to you. 💐🌻🌻🌷
 
I am from ireland too.

Other people on this website may not realise but Northern Ireland has had serious violence between protestants and catholics (including people being beaten to death, or being maimed for life, because of their religious beliefs).
The OP said it is still dangerous in Northern ireland to admit your religious denomination.

Fact: That large gang of young adults were on the lookout for a juvenile catholic, to physically assault, or worse.

During World war II, the jews were saved by people such as Schindler, by people who organised safe houses to hide people from the Nazis, and catholic priests went undercover in disguises. They lied about their identities to continue working as priests and avoid the Concentration camps, and in order to continue working to get Jews / catholics/ christians/ religious to safety. They were heroes. The kept their identity secret and lied about their identities in order to escape execution, and in order to keep doing Christ’s work as a catholic, in secret.

Is it always a mortal sin to lie? Even when that lie will save someone’s life?
 
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Quotes from the Catholic Catechism:
IV. RESPECT FOR THE TRUTH

2488 The right to the communication of the truth is not unconditional. Everyone must conform his life to the Gospel precept of fraternal love. This requires us in concrete situations to judge whether or not it is appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it.

2489 Charity and respect for the truth should dictate the response to every request for information or communication . _The good and safety of others, respect for privacy, and the common good are sufficient reasons for being silent about what ought not be known or for making use of a discreet language. The duty to avoid scandal often commands strict discretion. No one is bound to reveal the truth to someone who does not have the right to know it._283

2490 The secret of the sacrament of reconciliation is sacred, and cannot be violated under any pretext. "The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore, it is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word or in any other manner or for any reason."284

2491 Professional secrets - for example, those of political office holders, soldiers, physicians, and lawyers - or confidential information given under the seal of secrecy must be kept, save in exceptional cases where keeping the secret is bound to cause very grave harm to the one who confided it, to the one who received it or to a third party, and where the very grave harm can be avoided only by divulging the truth. Even if not confided under the seal of secrecy, private information prejudicial to another is not to be divulged without a grave and proportionate reason.

2492 Everyone should observe an appropriate reserve concerning persons’ private lives. Those in charge of communications should maintain a fair balance between the requirements of the common good and respect for individual rights. Interference by the media in the private lives of persons engaged in political or public activity is to be condemned to the extent that it infringes upon their privacy and freedom.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a8.htm

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09469a.htm

https://www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/S...67/ArticleID/495/A-Legitimate-Way-to-Lie.aspx
 
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