Why do some young people leave the Church? A new study investigates
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Xanthippe_Voorhees
Guest
So basically a complete failure of early CCD combined with a failure in parenting.
No surprise there.
No surprise there.
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Cruciferi
Guest
Precisely 
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pianistclare
Guest
Because their parents were never All In in the first place.
Parents are the first educators in the faith.
The Church is here to help, but we can’t do much if they don’t show up.
Parents used to give us all kinds of excuses why their kids were not in Faith Formation:
Parents are the first educators in the faith.
The Church is here to help, but we can’t do much if they don’t show up.
Parents used to give us all kinds of excuses why their kids were not in Faith Formation:
- he worked so hard last year (meaning had good attendance) during FHC prep
- I pay a lot of $$$ for competitive cheerleading and it’s on Sunday mornings
- weeknights are just too hard
- we’re going to Europe this summer on vacation and we feel like he will get all his religious ed sightseeing holy places
- It’s too long to sit still (meanwhile said kid is glued to his device)
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Lost_Sheep
Guest
I’ve had a lot of friends who have told me they left the Church because it has “too many rules.”
I’m tempted to ask: Is it really because of too many rules, or is it because you don’t like the rules and think that you will not longer be bound by those rules if you leave the Church.
I’m tempted to ask: Is it really because of too many rules, or is it because you don’t like the rules and think that you will not longer be bound by those rules if you leave the Church.
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JoshuaIsLord
Guest
hmmmmmmmm…
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Sy_Noe
Guest
Maybe they don’t believe in “the rules” and don’t believe they will be bound by them.
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Sy_Noe
Guest
Define “former Catholics” in the eyes of the Catholic Church or perhaps it was meant to read former practicing Catholics.
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pianistclare
Guest
Roles have reversed. Children now tell their parents what they will do and what they won’t do.
I’ve seen too many parents asking a child if they “want to go into the classroom”.
What?
People wouldn’t consider that in regular school. If it’s not a priority for the parents, the kids have no chance.
Kids don’t drive.
I’ve seen too many parents asking a child if they “want to go into the classroom”.
What?
People wouldn’t consider that in regular school. If it’s not a priority for the parents, the kids have no chance.
Kids don’t drive.
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Luke6_37
Guest
This is a well produced study. Perhaps folks should take the time to read the results before making up their mind about why the problem exists. Many thanks to _Abyssinia for posting this. The link below will take you to the study’s website:
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pianistclare
Guest
What makes you think we didn’t read it?
20 yr DRE here. I’ve seen it in real life.
20 yr DRE here. I’ve seen it in real life.
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Xanthippe_Voorhees
Guest
It still boils down to the factors we’re talking about. Solving the problem is complex but the issues are not.
- parents don’t really care
- the church won’t…and quite frankly can’t…do anything that gets those parents to care.
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Luke6_37
Guest
Only that your comments do not reflect the findings in the report. It may be how your perspective on the situation, but it’s not how the young people in the study see it. The whole point of this study is to understand their perspectives.
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Xanthippe_Voorhees
Guest
You are picking at nuances in the report. Just because young people come to a different conclusion about how they feel about their spiritual neglect by their parents and the church’s lack of providing genuine resources dosn’t mean that we can’t p(name removed by moderator)oint where the problem starts.pianistclare:
Only that your comments do not reflect the findings in the report. It may be how your perspective on the situation, but it’s not how the young people in the study see it. The whole point of this study is to understand their perspectives.
“It doesn’t matter that I wasn’t taught.”
“I don’t like the rules” (that they don’t understand)
“I don’t want to offend my friends”
“I think religion is fake”
And what would you like?
“More support for what I believe.”
What the heck do you think that would look like practically? I dunno–maybe having a childhood where you were educated in the basics as a young child, moved on to more complex matters as a teen and then had firm knowledge by adulthood that they could discuss, question and defend within their peer group and family?
The fact is that almost all these stories were rooted in a combination of bad parenting and bad CCD experiences with nothing for these young people to grasp on to. They can say that it didn’t matter that they weren’t educated all they want, but it’s clear where these issues stem from.
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Jared2914
Guest
Another factor, in America at least, is the secular culture we live in. Kids are bombarded with anti-religion stuff everywhere. Of course, parents can limit this when the kids are growing up, but eventually they are going to enter that hostile world. It’s really a systemic problem in all of society for the last 40 or 50 years. We are in a time of record atheism. A hundred years ago, kids grew up in a Christian culture, so even without good parenting, kids ended up Christian. Now, it’s all on the parents to keep them Catholic. Parents have to work a whole lot harder now.
One problem feeding this is the high cost of living in many parts of the country. The cost of healthcare, daycare, housing, and education is skyrocketing. Most households these days cannot afford Catholic school or homeschool. Kids are more exposed to secular culture. Most households require both parents working to pay the bills. The parents don’t have as much time with their kids, or they are exhausted when they get home. There’s a lot of things against Catholic parents these days. Parents on their own can’t fix these problems. The Church can help, but really we need conversion of the whole society back to the faith.
One problem feeding this is the high cost of living in many parts of the country. The cost of healthcare, daycare, housing, and education is skyrocketing. Most households these days cannot afford Catholic school or homeschool. Kids are more exposed to secular culture. Most households require both parents working to pay the bills. The parents don’t have as much time with their kids, or they are exhausted when they get home. There’s a lot of things against Catholic parents these days. Parents on their own can’t fix these problems. The Church can help, but really we need conversion of the whole society back to the faith.
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Xanthippe_Voorhees
Guest
Meh, I think the “time with kids” is a bit of a cop-out. Parents willingly put time into art and sports that they wouldn’t dream of putting into religious education. Studies show that parents actually have more time with their children 1:1 than any time in history.
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mythbuster1
Guest
Let them try those excuses on their public school teachers. They wouldn’t dare, because they know how important their studies are.
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Xanthippe_Voorhees
Guest
Exactly. Parents are not placing priority on religious education and the church has decided not to take a firm stance as any other institution of education would. Johnny is too busy for the past 2 years of Confirmation classes? Ok, have him write a note and we’ll Confirm him.
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Luke6_37
Guest
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit may just be what Johnny needs. My pastor thinks Confirmation should be pushed back to 8th grade in order to give the kids that extra grace needed to negotiate public high school. It would require a big change in our Religious Education program, but I don’t think what we are doing now is working very well anyway.mythbuster1:
Exactly. Parents are not placing priority on religious education and the church has decided not to take a firm stance as any other institution of education would. Johnny is too busy for the past 2 years of Confirmation classes? Ok, have him write a note and we’ll Confirm him.
The high school program could then focus on youth ministry rather than Confirmation prep.
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Xanthippe_Voorhees
Guest
We don’t do children any favors by allowing sacraments without education. Sure, have confirmation at a younger age. It dosn’t change the need for the child to be EDUCATED about what they are doing. Grace isn’t magical.Xanthippe_Voorhees:
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit may just be what Johnny needs. My pastor thinks Confirmation should be pushed back to 8th grade in order to give the kids that extra grace needed to negotiate public high school. It would require a big change in our Religious Education program, but I don’t think what we are doing now is working very well anyway.
The high school program could then focus on youth ministry rather than Confirmation prep.
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