Teenagers: seriously questioning their faith?

[Anonymous]

Has anyone gone through something like this?-- My two teenagers, a son and daughter both attend a Catholic Private High Schools. However, a they are both not interested in learning about God, and they have many issues with the church and its teachings. My DH and I trying very hard to bring them back to the faith. We live in a religious household- Mass every sunday, prayer, gospel reading, rosary. Has anyone gone through this before? How did it turn out? I would love to hear some feedback--just curious if this is a common attitude amongst teenagers now. TIA!
Rachel

[Anonymous]

They know whats up OP, they aren't coming back.

[Anonymous]

Don't be preachy, just stress how much God loves them and everyone. Make no divisions, as in "God hates people who do this or that" because He does not. Stress an inclusive love and a mission of serving others and bringing joy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They know whats up OP, they aren't coming back.

+1

The more you push OP, the further from the faith they will go. There may be hope that someday, when they have a family, they come back.

[Anonymous]

Take comfort in the evidence that you've raised people with brains. Congrats.

[Anonymous]

For goodness' sake, OP, let it go. Your kids were smart enough to figure out the truth and once you do, there's no going back.

It's good that they have issues with the church and its teachings. Rightfully so. Congratulate them on having the courage to stand up to their (excessively) religious parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take comfort in the evidence that you've raised people with brains. Congrats.

OP Here, thank you. My DH and I try to cultivate an enviroment of critical thinkers, however I am scared that they may have veered off too far without putting in the work to investigate the things that have issues with. I will love them unconditionally, but I do think that later in life they may find Jesus again.

[Anonymous]

Excessive? How so?

[Anonymous]

Wow. The people who are going in about how nonbelievers have brains are terribly condescending. I'll pray for them.

[Anonymous]

Going ON

[Anonymous]

This is a Religion board. Why do atheists insist on inserting themselves and their two cents everywhere?? Go away!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a Religion board. Why do atheists insist on inserting themselves and their two cents everywhere?? Go away!!

Seriously? So you want a space where you are free to discuss religion, but only the aspects of religion that appeal to you? Believe it or not, atheism actually falls under the umbrella term "religion". The greater context may be that we think it's a crock of shit, but that doesn't mean our opinions regarding religion are invalid.

[Anonymous]

It was common when I was a teenager. Some reunited with the faith, others (me) did not. The more you push, the further I suspect they will run. My parents raised three children Catholic and all three of us are no longer Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take comfort in the evidence that you've raised people with brains. Congrats.

OP Here, thank you. My DH and I try to cultivate an enviroment of critical thinkers, however I am scared that they may have veered off too far without putting in the work to investigate the things that have issues with. I will love them unconditionally, but I do think that later in life they may find Jesus again.

I think that a lot of the issues I had with Christianity as a young adult were because I thought it was mainly about rules (don't have sex, etc.) and political stances that I was coming to disagree with. God seemed very strict and angry. I think if church and religious ed had connected more with the emotional/experiential--aren't so many aspects of our lives amazing when we stop and appreciate our friends, family, and nature? Somehow finding hope when we despair? As a late teen, I thought that because I didn't literally hear God inside my head as some of my friends claimed, that there was no god.

I think you should try to have an open conversation with them and back off on trying to bring them around. How have you experienced God in your life? How have they experienced something big and amazing and beyond words in their lives (if they don't believe in God)?

I think you might want to find some books that your family could read and discuss together that focus more on the spiritual side of Christianity rather than the rules and the political--two I really liked as a questioning former Christian were Amazing Grace by Kathleen (?) somebody and Barbara Brown Taylor's An Altar in the World. Both of these authors are Christian, but not Catholic (Brown Taylor is Episcopal and the Amazing Grace author is not Catholic but frequents a monastery) and really not into dogma and doctrine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. The people who are going in about how nonbelievers have brains are terribly condescending. I'll pray for them.

LOL. Please do. What a great use of your time.