The Reason Youth Leave the Church
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- Опубліковано 17 тра 2018
- I remember, at certain intervals of my youth, that the thing my peers and I were all interested in would suddenly become obsolete and in such dramatic fashion that if you didn’t quickly catch up and denounce that silly thing for younger kids too, you’d also become the object of that contempt.
It could be a toy we all liked, or a movie, or a style of music, but once the early adopters of the herd had decided that we were too old for that kind of thing, you didn’t have much time to jump on the bandwagon before you were left behind.
Like my oldest daughters, for as long as they’ve been aware of it, have been in love with the movie Frozen. The number of Frozen emblazoned items in our household would make you think that we were preparing for a post apocalyptic world in which Frozen memorabilia is the only acceptable currency of trade.
Then, suddenly, about a week ago, my oldest daughter announces to me that she and her cousin have decided that they no longer like Frozen. And this, clearly, has nothing to do with whether or not they actually like it, but instead some adolescent revelation about being too old for Frozen. And so, over night, she’s become someone who wouldn’t be caught dead watching that movie. And now I’m using the Frozen branded electric toothbrush so that it doesn’t go to waste.
And, I think something like this happens with the faith that so many people inherit as children but don’t hold onto as they transition into young adulthood. This is the point my friend Hudson made in a conversation about it recently.
When we’re little we’re taught a version of Christianity that is fit for bedtime stories. Something simple, easy to understand, often heretical, but comforting. We paint a portrait of God and Jesus that has more in common with Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny than the incarnation of truth, goodness, and beauty.
And when I listen to pop atheist thinkers make comparisons of God to flying spaghetti monsters or claims that we worship an old man in the clouds, I’m reminded that they’re not really confronting or wrestling with the God of Thomas Aquinas or CS Lewis. Their denouncing a straw man Sunday school portrait of God.
And this is the risk we run when we blur the lines between Disney, the tooth fairy, and Jesus. When our kids are learning about their Christian heritage in a style that trivializes it by reducing it to that same level of sophistication.
When we make Christianity childish for the sake of children, we run the risk that they will reject it as a childish thing as they get older in the same way that they discard all those other things that they think themselves too mature for.
When I was a kid I had an illustrated children’s bible, but it had something that most of the stuff I’ve seen on my kid’s book shelf didn’t. It had an illustration of the crucifixion that didn’t shy away from including blood. I remember as a kid just staring at that page and wondering what it meant.
I remember thinking, this is different. This isn’t the same as the Easter bunny. This is mature, this is chilling. This is important. It’s not silly or trivial and I will never outgrow whatever this means.
St. Paul said, “We preach Christ crucified.” And I think it’s important that something of that quality is preserved in the way we hand on the faith to our children. We should never water down the parts that are troubling. They can handle it and it is, after all, an essential part of the gospel.
The other thing we have to do as a Church and as parents is ensure that when they are ready, they will encounter a mature presentation of our faith. They need to discover the faith of Lewis and Chesterton; of Paschal and Aquinas; of William of Ockham and Augustine.
And if you feel inadequate in transmitting that caliber of understanding, then I’d say it’s time to grow up in your own faith. You can’t ride the crest of Sunday school formation your entire life. At some point, you need to go deeper yourself.
When kids grow into adulthood, they’re going to discover opposition to their faith, and that’s probably a good thing. But if that is the first time they encounter a sophisticated treatment of the topic and it’s exclusively in favor of an atheistic conclusion, then their juvenile faith isn’t going to survive. They need to have inherited something with some meat on it and it’s up to us to make sure that happens.
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During my Confirmation classes: (my pastor) "Today you will all go to Confession. I know it's annoying, but it's expected that you do it before you receive the sacrament. If you don't want to, just tell us a story from your life, or we might even have a nice little chat. So that it looks like we are busy. *chuckles* And you can also go to Father Ian, he doesn't speak our language, and he probably won't understand what you are saying anyways. Just get it over with, and then you are all done and ready."
Need I say anything more?
Erik, I think that's a very personal question. Everyone has to answer it for himself. Maybe it is an unidentifiable feeling of being called. If you meet a woman, or a man, and you fall in love, you stay with them for a time, and then you feel you want this time to be lifelong, then you probably want to marry them. You could marry that someone for the financial boni, but that's not the essence of marriage, is it? The reason why you marry someone is because you love them. Love cannot be planned, and neither can a marriage. But it's still real. And I feel like it's the same with the priesthood. You fall in love with Holy Mass, with HMC, with God Himself. You want to do that. You will never get a definitive answer whether this path was the right one, and whether your choice was the right one. But it is the only thing you want to do. You want to marry this one person, because you love them, and there is no one else in the entire world you love as much.
Sure, becoming a priest means sacrificing. You give up marrying, having a family, having a "normal" life, and when you are old, you will not see your grandchildren play on the grass before the home you built with your two hands. But being a priest gives you something else, something a married man could never experience. It's an intimate relationship with Christ. You literally become an "other Christ", your whole being is transformed, you are not simply a man anymore. Your soul is transformed. When you offer Holy Mass, you ARE Christ. You follow Him in a very special way.
Oh okay, that's awkward now.
Yeah well, to destroy the Church from within, of course. I have no clue what their motivation is, but even if I knew, I wouldn't understand. It is very common, unfortunately, to have priests who absolutely hate the Church. Look at Hans Küng - a priest.
I'm not even Catholic, and this makes me sad.
Just smh...😔
Priests and Ministers who are Liberal are just Atheists in disguise. Very effective secret agents too. Why would a honoured elder of the Church toy with the Sacraments
You, the christian highlander! You are the best
As an atheist, I really appreciate this perspective. My worldview is based in large part of what I find in reality and science. None of this is in a child's version of reality, the world is harsh and simplistic explanations are almost always discarded unless they are needed to woo the masses for PR.
I have been to a couple Latin Masses to see it (only ever as an observer!), but I have also seen the more common mass. The difference in seriousness of easily visible. The more traditional is much more convincing* than any Protestant and common language mass for the same reason I think.
* Convincing in that it was more than just going through the motions.
Your videos are always interesting, I do appreciate the care that is put into their production.
As a recent convert to the Catholic Church, I’m excited for my kids to experience the gross majority of their faith formation from the Catholic perspective. Of course, I’m not expecting it to be easier for me, and I’m totally aware that youth fall away from the Catholic Church too, but I think the Catholic liturgies (and others of the more traditional forms of Christianity) tend do a much better job of showing the profundity of the Passion and the enormity of the sacrifice made.
Levi Breederland welcome home!
Please be careful. I've pulled my kids out of two local high school youth formation because they insist on the what I call "Teddy Bear" Christianity. I will not give my children the impression that to be a Catholic is to sit through hours of what I call "Up With People" programming. Watch what they are teaching and give them the grown up version yourself if you have to. We are keeping our kids right now at a far worse rate than in the Baltimore Catechism era. :(
Levi - also a convert and my son was raised as a cradle Catholic. If I may, I have two pieces of advice (the two things I wish someone had told me). First, while the parish is a great resource, it is your job to raise your kids in the faith. Make sure they know that Church isn't just a building to go to on Sundays. Let them see your faith at home. But, and this gets into the second piece of advice, let them set their level of participation for things you are doing beyond the home rules you set for them (typically grace and evening prayers). They are still kids.
Levi Breederland
I'll take Father McKenzie over Pastor Hagee any day.
If that's the case, what is the downside to me being Catholic?
Great insight!
I remember as a child having some really deep thoughts, and the adults around me were unable to answer them to my satisfaction. Lol.
I truly believe as our education system has left the normal progression of learning we see in the classical approach, children learn how to be bulimic students, binge And then purge on tests with no absorption of the facts or the application in life.
When these facts are given at a young age...and an environment set up to where they can really enjoy this food and allow it to sustain their hearts and minds, they are able to behold the mystery and experience them.
Absolutely right! It also doesn't help that every year, there's a new education programme. Oh, what we did last year doesn't work. Novelty, novelty, novelty. It all really came about with the 68 cultural revolution. But now everything is based on false psychological and pedagogical principles some "experts" have dreamed up, who are not only completely out of touch with actual children, and their parents, and our culture in general, but they also don't know it better. They come up with some ideas, make of them a theory, and then force that onto society, their profane, stupid, thoughtless ideas. It's really like blind people in a dark room catching a black cat.
Tim, it seems to me that you have never heard of the Church Fathers. Just read one of them. And it absolutely does not matter which one. Pick one. It could be Augustine, it could be Jerome, it could be Ambrose, or Gregory Nazianzen. Chose one, read his works. Then come back.
May God guide you with his light and truth.
EDIT: What is even your argument with "AFTER Pentecost"? Pentecost is the birthday of HMC. At that point, she first went out into the world to openly proclaim the Holy Gospel of our Lord and God Jesus Christ. She was given the Spiritus veritatis, the Spirit of Truth. But nonetheless, she was established/founded at the Last Supper, where Our Lord and God instituted the Most August Sacrament of the Eucharist, and conferred His eternal and supreme Priesthood to the Apostles as priests of the New Covenant. The Church Fathers talk about the Church as being a pre-existent reality as Our Lord and God Himself. She is His Body, so she existed from the beginning of the world, and all the Prophets and Just of the Old Covenant are her members. There was and is no other Church instituted by Our Lord and God other than THE ONE Church. Pentecost was not the date our HMC was created, or where she succeeded some other church, but it's the day where she was confirmed by the Holy Spirit to begin her public salvation work.
Hi Tim, I used to be an anti catholic protestant using your arguments. Now I'm not. I know your curremt MO and it isnt one to hear people and digest what is shared. Good and fruitful dialogue begins with being open to hear what any catholic has to say that differs from you. Hearing both sides and being Aquinas about it. You aren't there, so the amount of time I need to take away from my duties as wife and mother of 8 children is not yet worth it. Let me know if you think my time is worth it. Take care Tim!
Jennifer: I agree. Please see my post, above.
Guys, Tim makes these same statements all the time, He has been answered. He just chooses to not follow through. Tim, I will continue to pray for your heart and mind to be opened. God love you.
I remember one day my mother sayed to me "the closer you get to God the more the devil wants to get you" I remember I hadn't really understood at that time but I knew that she was introducing me to something important.
The devil was your mom
That's very true. Also, parents themselves need to show their kids that they take the faith seriously.
Brian - thank you. Really excellent video. You summed up one of the reasons why I left. I even bringing up in my first Confession back.
I know what this is like. I grew up with children’s illustrated Bibles, and they DID help me in my faith, but I never understood one thing: how Jesus dying took away our sins. I never fully understood that until I was about 13 or 14 years old, and I did ask, but I always found others’s explanations to be not complete, childish, and confusing, like I was still that 6 year old. The only one who helped me understand that was my mother, who practically taught me everything I know about the faith anyway along with my uncle. I do get it, and it’s REALLY frustrating.
You bring up a point which I see happen all too often: when skeptics and atheists criticize Christianity, they are not criticizing true Christian theology as taught in the Bible, but instead they are criticizing the cartoon caricature version of Christianity which they have absorbed while growing up and which they think is the real thing.
Very interesting view of early relion classes. When I look back you are right. Now as a senior I appreciate my religion more than ever. Thank you
I first rejected Christianity to some degree at age sixteen, fortunately by age seventeen I was reading the Bible daily, and praying.
I agree with you. I have a video about this argument on my channel in Spanish. God bless you!
That, and when they grow up they'll feel they were lied to, especially once they find out about the parts of the faith that are harder to sugarcoat.
Always a great insight, even when I quibble about details. That's a the mark of a great video. Thanks for the content, 👍
Will pass this for my children to watch so that my grandchildren will keep the faith throughout their lives
One thing I absolutely loathe are "Children Masses", which are Holy Masses with texts especially "suited" for children. The Canon is reduced to "God is sooooo nice, and he reaaaaally likes all of you". And all of this because we can't confront children with truth. We must dumb down everything. In reality, children from the very beginning of the Church, have always been confronted with things like Jesus' gruesome death on the Cross for our redemption's sake, the transsubstantiation of bread and wine into Body and Blood of our Lord, the causes and effects of sin etc.
But because since the 68's everything regarding education has changed, children are now seen as little imbeciles.
Of course, those "Children Masses" are not solely offered for children. When an adult attends, he must think: "Oh, they speak of the nice Sky Fairy again, how lovely."
Randolph Crane that comment nailed it. I see a bunch of people like us always complaining in the comments. If only we could be more organized then we could have a more significant impact on fixing the Church. Instead of being few and far between folk who bump elbows every Sunday but are strangers
Yes, I absolutely agree with you. I personally think it's a shame that we have so many TLM parishes and Mass locations now, but there is no sense of community. My NO parish is absolutely ridiculous when it comes to the Sacraments. We have one orthodox priest and 3 or 4 Liberal Hippie Priests, and the faithful among themselves fight wars over things that aren't even worth a mention. But! They still are a community. A deeply flawed one, based on false principles, but a community nonetheless. In every TLM Church I attended Mass, it was a bunch of strangers, not even talking to one another, nothing. If we can somehow foster a sense of community and belonging, our mission would be much more effective and convincing. People probably aren't won over by a Church full of "Lone Rangers", but if we could establish a (normal!) parish life, that would be great. The problem is, however, that most people who attend the TLM, aren't from this particular parish. I for one have to travel half an hour to attend a TLM, and many other people are also travelers. I go there for Holy Mass, but my social community is somewhere else.
Randolph Crane you're right about the whole sense of community aspect. There was only one time where our super traditionalist parochial vicar at my home NO parish said a TL Low Mass, but it was done super low key because the pastor was against it. So the PV had a secret email list and he would shoot out an email every time the planets aligned for him to say a mass in Latin with the least amount of problems. But the other four times I've been to the TLM, I've had to make an actual pilgrimage to the opposite side of the archdiocese to the only parish that says it prolificly. I think I wasn't only one either. Because I even recall over hearing a Presbyterian telling one of the parishioners there that he had come there considering converting. But the original point I was trying to make was that because traditionalists tend to be more reserved and contemplative ( that's why we love the TLM) we wouldn't know where to find each other within our own NO parishes. That's why the parrochial vicar had to remember every individual he talked to with a trad mindset. Getting to know people in different parish groups could help find people like us, like Rosary confraternities or the K of C. But if all the trads in a NO parish knew each other, they could all make a difference in ending weekly abuses in the mass. That would be more effective than one of them reprimanding his/her priest, who would probably just laugh it off because it's no big deal to them.
So many times, I figure out something to be true- yet I am unable to articulate it until months later when I hear somebody put it into perfect perspective. This is one of those occasions
man, that’s one spot on reflection
Brian: I suspect there could be things we see differently - that would neither surprise me nor bother me. Good, now that I've gotten the caveat out of the way: please receive my compliment with the best of intention behind it, that you should see your common-sense analysis of many matters is certainly not common. On this one specifically, I grew up with stories configured for the young mind, and some of the harder truths of the Bible were glossed over, not with any intention of keeping from me the severity of some of its content, but to dish out (if you will) spiritual understanding in servings I could chew, swallow and digest, until I was more grown to take on those matters. But I am sure you were in your way presenting similar thoughts, so I will move on, as we all must. Now I am 60, and a self-motivated interest in learning the full scope of the history and doctrine have brought me the wealth of God's word, and I still learn every day. Keep up the good work.
Some great thoughts! It's an enlightening perspective to think that it may be our understanding (or lack thereof) of God that allows people to so easily lose faith.
I have to say Brian, that your challenge to us parents to expose our kids to tough faith issues during the process of us raising them is spot on. I think your diagnosis of why kids jettison their faith during their teenage years aligns with common sense. Teenagers and post-high schoolers are in that exploratory phase, trying to find out for themselves what reality is all about, independent of mom and dad. If mom and dad have taught them fairy tales, and have not walked with them discovering the distinction between such fairy tales and biblical claims, then why wouldn't a teenager lump the miraculous bible stories in with fanciful children's stories? This is what I see happening in a young college student I know who is "deconstructing" his faith. We parents need to follow your advice, and at a younger age than we commonly think our kids can handle. They won't develop resilient, well-grounded faith if we don't train them ahead of time about the real battles and challenges they are going to face. The next question, like you said is, "How about us parents? Are we solid in knowing and giving reasons for the biblical worldview?" If not, we need to step it up and invest the time and effort.
This is excellent, Brian! Thank you, and God bless you to continue helping others with such refreshingly down to earth maturational reflection! St. Irenaeus of Lyon wrote only a little over 100 years after Christ's Ascension, "...we believe in what is really real, just as it is; and believing what really is as it is, [we shall] keep a firm hold on our assent to it forever."
I remember being a kid and seeing a part of The Passion of the Christ on tv. Needless to say for my little kid mind is was quite dark (and still is), but nonetheless something about Christ's suffering was so vivid to me that at a subconscious level i could never get those images out of my head. They captured me with awe
Hello Brian,
While I completely agree with your conclusion as to why so many Youth leave the Church,
It’s always amazed me that in every other aspect of life, whether it be work, a hobby or even something as simple as traveling, as adults we do our homework!
We read up on things. We ask questions and we find the answers. We don’t seem expect someone to teach us every aspect of the things we are interested in.
But for some strange reason, we expect to be taught everything we need to know about our faith by someone and if no one does, forget it!
Even if someone attends Catholic schools all their young life, it would be nearly impossible for them to be taught the faith by priests and teachers.
As you’ve alluded to, that is the responsibility of parents and family. Not only to teach by words, but by truly living the Catholic Faith.
So yes, a truthful account of the Catholic Christian Faith must be taught to pre-teen kids. And they must be taught why we believe what we believe and do the things we do.
I’m fully aware that there are kids who’s parents don’t live or understand their Catholic faith.
But at some point we all become adults and and we should take the meaning of life at least as seriously as we do our hobbies.
So, for all you fallen away Catholics, take the scales from your eyes, soften your hearts and learn the faith.
If you believe there is good and evil in the world, there has to be a God.
If there is a God, He would have revealed himself to us.
Of all the Faiths throughout history, there is only one that God directly revealed himself to with a covenant, the Jews.
And with the Jews and the gentiles, he made a new covenant through his Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
And Jesus Christ did not leave us orphaned, he left us a visible Church, a lamp to be seen, not hidden under a bushel. The pillar and foundation of the truth!..... Go find that Church!
Read all the Catholic bashing books you wish. Read what they think we believe.
But then, read the Catechism of the Catholic Church and find out what we really believe.
Read the letters of the early Church Fathers to see what they believed and how they worshipped as Christians.
And finally, read the Bible with a proper understanding of Christianity.
You’ll be amazed at how “Catholic” the Bible really is!.....
Come back to the Holy Eucharist, He’s patiently waiting.
Thanks Brian,
Even though no one is good but God alone,
for a fallen creature (and a Canadian😉), you’re a good guy!
Keep up the good work.
Cesare Tomasello Great points. Thanks for that.
Dude you are super insightful and are hitting the nail right on the proverbial head. I am gonna have to watch all your videos. I also think the church has not done a great job in teaching about Pentecost. Most people's knowledge of Christianity seems to end at Easter Sunday. The next 50 days are crucial in not only understanding the faith but in seeing it in the world today. I'd love to see you do a video on that. God Bless.
Good job, Brian. Ive been trying to tell my family this for years.
VERY interesting and reflective of some of the same sorts of arguments church musicians have about music in worship.
The main reason for youths leaving the church is because of us. We compromised our faith for others. This was the failure of Church. Thus most of us violated the first commandment of God.
And to ice the cake or churches have been deemed non essential and it was the RARE clergy that even made a whimper.
I'm open with my friends and classmates about my faith and they accept it and I bring my bible every Wednesday and they don't mind, once in a while there is a debate but it's always respectful
Great videos brother
we do share similar faith past and present and we have really similar understanding and views on things
And my opinion on why anyone really leave Church is
1. “ME” as a Catholic
What I have done for me and everyone around me to understand learn and show everyone that I’m Catholic of course I humble way
2.. many “me” done same same mistake, life as a Catholic cease to exist we become lukewarm, busy and all those things you have said that society and we do by minimising importance of Jesus gospel Church mass Eucharist etc
3. Apart from Africa Catholic Church stoped, not only to evangelise but everything
America is waking up slowly but Europe Australia are still sleeping
And once fires of God and good stop evil prevail because it’s roaring lion, never sleeps never stops
4. Devil causing disunity among Christians making them believe that Catholic Church is evil not God’s body and together with all from above and many of your comments and examples of priests, they leave BUT MAIN REASON IS THE DONT UNDERSTAND CHURCH AND THAT YOU CAN NOT LEAVE CHURCH BECAUSE YOU ARE LEAVING JESUS BODY
You gave good example in video about Catholic and orthodox, so I was expecting same results in Protestantism, they do everything like Catholics but they have more faith more fruits more love but they destroyed everything, and can’t agree on anything but Bible which is ok in that sense but wrong because someone of them doesn’t believe Jesus is god but does that bible is only authority which contradicts that same bible
That is different subject so brother God bless and continue good work
I completely agree with children and teens being taught more of the questions they will face in life and by other people. Like I once asked what the Holy Spirit is and I still don't understand fully. I think much more study of the Bible, the history, how to find answers to our questions, and the importance of mass would have made me continue going to church. I was always shy so large study groups deterred me.
I still consider myself Catholic and was very into Catholicism and God at one point (mostly during the time I went through confession). I've just been too lazy to study something I know I love and am interested in.
I am going to share this video with our deacon who is in charge of our religious education program. He needs to hear what you said.
Very good idea!
Wow, as a parent of young children who are quite sensitive to violent content, this was a very thought provoking video. Thank you.
Gosh, you're good. Really good.
I believe in the energy cycle
They leave because faith is unbelievable. One by one we walk out never to return.
The phenomenon he describes in the beginning reminds me a great deal of meme culture
I was really blessed because my home church taught us the good and the bad in the Bible. Not everyone in the Bible was moral, just, fair, etc. (King David perfect example). When I hit the world my vision was grounded in reality.
Thanks for this video. I wonder about this a lot. As a young adult, I left the church because it was just empty habits in my family growing up, and my only exposure to the faith was CCD, which wasn't great. It has made me realize now as a parent that I need to work pretty hard at modeling behaviors and teaching. My daughter is not keen on mass, but she'll happily pray a rosary with me or listen with interest if I talk about something Catholic. I appreciate the RE in my parish, but my feel is that it will probably me that makes or breaks getting her faith deep-rooted.
I'm glad more people are leaving the church and religion. Believers, as I was once, need to understand that no matter how strong your faith is, doubt will always surface. But this doubt is not because your faith is weak or you are being tempted by "the devil". It's because the truth wants to come out. This is good. It took me a few years to realize and understand that, no matter how religious my parents were and taught me to be, they were very wrong. No matter how you view religion or if you see it with the "faith of Lewis and Chesterton; of Paschal and Aquinas; of William of Ockham and Augustine," it all boils down to the supernatural bs. The more one embraces the truth, the easier it is to leave religion behind and be much happier.
Thanks for sharing this
I suggest anyone with children to find the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program near you. The catechists present the Catholic faith in the Montessori way - a way understood by the child but always using the words of the Bible as written (not childish), the terminology of the Mass as an adult would hear, read and participate in. There are theee levels which grow and expand appropriate to the age of the child. In all, the catechists, through the work of the Holy Spirit, strive to help the child fall in love with the Good Shepherd, develop a personal relationship with Him and come to understand and know the Mass. The children who have been in this International program come to know their faith perhaps more than most adults and LOVE IT! Our children are the future of the church, they need to know the real Good Shepherd who lived on this earth, was crucified and rose again and develop a real relationship with Him which needs to begin when a child is 3 years old!
Mary Jane Mrazik I really don’t think people need to indoctrinate kids before they’re allowed to think for themselves
AGREED! Completely!!!
I had to use my daughters toothbrush because it wasn't pink - i feel your feels - and in the context of passing on our faith to the next generation i love the phrase... "it's time to grow up in your own faith"
I'm Pentecostal, but I like what you're putting down. What a lot of youth groups do wrong is try to compete with the world and make youth group fun. Which is a terrible idea, most people will find sin is more fun. What my youth did was it stopped callings us kids. We were young men and young women. We were told the seriousness of Jesus' sacrifice. As we were becoming young men and women the stories of the Bible were told as they were went to be.We were given plenty of opportunities to serve both in the church and in the community (especially the rougher areas). Instead of trying to sell fun or pleasure or false promises of an easier life. We need to give responsibilities, a sense of duty, and of course that Jesus isn't just a nice guy.
Dude, this is a wonderfully stated opinion.
Great message.
Thanks for the good parenting tips.
YES! I agree! Give them SUBSTANCE. Not only will it resonate a lot more with them (children have a lot more going on inside of them than we give them credit for), but they will also carry it into adulthood with a much greater likelihood of being able to stand up against ignorant anti-religious speech.
Yup!
I agree with this 100%.
That was a good one Brian!
Part two of that would be the Churches teaching on sexual morality in an age of contraception.
Yes! For instance, I never knew the church seriously taught sex is for married life until I did RCIA. I thought it was some high ideal no one but priests lived up to. Parents and the Church must teach and explain this better, otherwise the constant messages from our culture take over.
Agreed 👍
Good point!
good job !
Nice one
good point!
Spot on.
Maybe this is why I never really believed in God. The only moment I ever believed in God when I still believed in fairytales. For me the stories in the bibles where always like fairytales and the older I got the more boring it got to hear them every year again around Christmas and Easter and to go to church with school. I've also never had a need for religion in my life and it always seemed so ridiculous to me, but the last few months I've developped a strange interest in catholicism for no particular reason and I don't know what to with it.
Lise B it is only possible for Catholicism to be entirely true or entirely false. It puts out a very objective list of beliefs that you can only be taken 100% or completely disregarded. Don't put yourself in the middle by concluding "oh, it's probably not true, but it's nice that they help homeless people and they had a significant role in World history." If it's the true religion, it's the most wonderful thing on Earth because it's the best tool kit for humans to reach the Son of God and therefore attain Salvation. If it's just a scam, like all other religions, it's deceived billions of people over two millennia and millions of its martyrs have died in vain defending it. It can only be one way or the other. If you were interested enough to research it deeply, it would lead down a long rabbit hole where you would learn things the average non Catholic will never consider. It's worth it if you really want to figure out if it's valid or not. It ultimately led me to believing it, after contemplating a lot with skepticism taken into account. So I wish you good luck friend :)
I'm a little late to the discussion, Lise B. If you are still interested in the Catholic Church (and I pray you are), and if you still are not quite sure where to go from here, I make three suggestions. 1. Check out good Catholic books and videos, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Bishop Robert Barron, Matt Fradd, there are many more. 2. Talk to faithful, engaged Catholics. 3. Find a Catholic parish, go to Mass, and make an appointment either with a priest or the faith formation director and just have a conversation. The next step might be RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults).
You might check out Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's series "Life is Worth Living". He made a series of 24 recordings on how one might go from atheism to understanding there is something more, to the claims of Christ, and then more deeply into the claims of the Catholic Church. It's full of interesting little anecdotes, which I think he hopes serves to get across that Catholicism can be known, and can be experienced, and can be loved. It's a classic. Lots of Catholics know about it.
Just remember the pedo priests and RUN.
You want a sense of structure, and the Catholic church presents itself as perfect order dating back to the time of Yeshua. Read the bible in full, on your own, do not engage in a Bible study with a group, then decide what church you want to join, if you still even want to after you read what Lot did.
As a catechist for my rural parish for 8 years, I can tell you for one, their is limited resources that are available. Now I don't mean resources in the sense that material is unavailable, but rather financial and human resources available. Small parishes do not have the means necessarily to purchase whole packaged teaching plans/lessons to catechize their youth when just a handful of students show up to their Wednesday CCD (faith formation) programs. These programs cost $$$ and become obsolete quickly when there are differences of opinions from one priest to another as to what program to use, which can be costly. Not to mention, that parishes struggle with getting volunteers to teach. And those that do, the vast majority are poorly catechized, especially many cradle Catholics who grew up on the Baltimore Catechism. You knew your catechism, but one was never exposed to scripture. Our priest said to our parish leadership, that only about 2% of the parish membership know the true teachings of the Church!!! Two percent!!! That means we have a long ways to go. And it doesn't help when many Catholics look at confirmation like a graduation and think they don't have to learn any more about their faith. "That's the priests job to educate me in the faith," I hear so much. Truth be known, we are all called by our baptism to be intentional disciples because it was another disciple who lead us to our faith to begin with. Therefore, it is our responsibility and we have an obligation to pass our faith to the next generation so that they are properly equipped to not only to defend and practice their faith, especially in these times where Christians are no longer welcome to practice their faith in the public square, but also to be alive in their faith by cultivating a relationship with the one true God. This can only happen if the faith is presented in a manner that allows one to not only know God, but also presented in a manner that makes our loving God not far within our reach, but truly present in our ever day lives. That is what good catechisis should and ought to do in my opinion. I was taught in my youth about God, but it wasn't until my mid 40s that I had an encounter with Christ and that I was allowed or permitted to have a relationship with the resurrected God-man (Christ). This was so foreign and new to me. This is how I now teach my faith formation classes to the 4th and 5th graders of my parish that I have been entrusted to teach the Good News to. It's all about the relationship and less emphasis on memorization of prayers. I teach the kids why we believe the way we do rather than simply memorizing the prayer...Apostles Creed for example. I have found kids are hungry for the truth. They are like sponges and will hold on to every word you say. So if you want to keep them from leaving the Church and engaged, they have to be exposed to the truth. And most importantly, it starts at the domestic church (aka...the home). Mom and dad are the child's first and foremost teacher of the faith, not the CCD teacher. They simply supplement what is already being taught at home; however, we are finding that a vast majority of parents dump the education of the faith in the laps of Catholic schools and CCD teachers. The responsibility squarely rests on the parents and God-parents of the baptized child. This is a serious issue in the Church as I see it. Its the #1 reason why children abandon their faith. If the parents don't practice their faith that was taught to them, then you can't fault the children for leaving the Church. Our actions speak louder than words.
Yep well said.
I am an atheist. I was born one and have never believed in any religion or even a god. Having said that, I think the point you make in this video is an excellent one. I often debate believers. I find, almost without exception, not only do they have weak arguments for the existence of a god, they haven't even through through those weak arguments to their conclusion. You are spot on in equating the teachings of religion with that of a Disney film or Father Christmas. As an atheist, I am bound to say: Long may it stay that way. Not that a more skilled debater would be something I would be concerned about; it would just make the debate that little bit longer.
Thanks for watching. I would caution you about your confidence in the high ground. If we convince ourselves that our interlocutors are merely possessed by juvenile fixations, it becomes easy to dismiss their arguments without ever really understanding them, thus keeping us trapped in our own assumptions. For my part, I'm yet to hear a reply to the moral argument as rendered by CS Lewis in Mere Christianity that appreciates what the claim is and adequately responds to the rigorous and thorough documentation he provides in support of it. I made a video of my own outlining a version of it and in spite of hundreds of opposing replies from puffed up chests, not one seems to demonstrate an appreciation for what the argument actually presents. I'd encourage you to take an honest look at it.
@@BrianHoldsworth Thanks for getting back to me. I would caution you about your confidence in the assumption I have convinced ourselves that my interlocutors are merely possessed by juvenile fixations.
Send me the link to your video and I shall watch it.
Goood job man
agreed
This here is serious serious business
I did this with Thomas the Train lol
I left the church because I never sow the real connection with God in the lives of my parents fellow Christians in the church and so on.. All of them pray and read the bible and preach and so on.. and yet God never answered a prayer or I never sow them being led by the holy spirit.. HAVE A REAL CONNECTION WITH GOD SO THAT YOUR KIDS CAN SEE THAT HE IS REAL AND WORKS IN YOUR LIFE that's how they will never leave.
Skepticism, the information age, exposure to a huge diversity in beliefs and the internet have created a playing field of ideas that Christianity has trouble competing with.
It’s easier to become distracted by worldly pleasures than ever before. I’m not saying the church needs to become anti-tech or anything like that, but people need to do a better job of raising their kids.
It's a problem of culture, aesthetics and beauty, that's why the Latin Mass is so powerful, it has all of those things, although doesn't quite suffice on its own, it's a very useful first step into something more.
Mr. Holdsworth, do you mind if I show this in my youth group? God bless.
Of course not. I make these videos so that they can be shared publicly.
@@BrianHoldsworth thanks, bro.
There are many "Micky Mouse" parishes out there...:(
Great video and I think it addresses a large root reason for why many youth leave the religion of their childhood, but I think you have a slight misunderstanding of the nature of how "pop atheists" (who I'm assuming are of the likes of Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris) debate. The majority of their televised or recorded content would, from a Catholic perspective, seem to be tearing down strawmen of Christian faith, but it's because that content is intended to address the (non-trivial) fundamentalist denominations that they see as most abhorrent because of their ability to influence American laws and public education. I think you might've conflated this most reported/most vocal part of their works as the entirety of their works, because many "pop atheists" address the arguments of the intellectual Christian apologists you've mentioned in books and longer-style UA-cam videos. Personally I can attest to the crux of your argument, though, because, while I wasn't raised Christian, I was heavily critical of "Sunday School Christianity" in elementary school because it was the only variety I'd been exposed to. However, after some years at a Catholic high school with a more in-depth theology program, I've been exposed to a more respectable portrayal of Christian thought that one can understand without necessarily believing in.
Confirmation is the sacrament of exit. Many young people exit after this rite of passage. Evangelical Protestant churches have a retention rate of 50% for their youth because they engage them in their faith and into service. They also hold steadfast to the scriptures. The Catholic Church could learn from them.
You have all the answers! Wow! And in case you don’t get it, yes that was meant to be sarcastic.
Every from new generation should see it
Know your creator in your youth,
Motto of Jesus youth, A movement from catholic youth,Be part of it
More interesting/revealing question: Why do youth leave the Catholic Church . . . and then become Hare Krishnas . . . Buddhists . . . Pentecostals . . . Moonies . . . (?)
The paradox of 1 Peter 3:15. Contemporary churches fear an academic understanding of the origins of their religions and the apoligies for their faith.
Proud Catholic gen z here, I will never leave the Church even if the devil himself tries to drag me to hell via his other gen z minions
Even if there are more cases of child abuse?
How did your parents raise and help you in keeping your faith? It seems like parents are either too soft and don’t help their kids practice the faith, and the children don’t feel the need to stay Catholic, or the parents are too strict and cause their kids to rebel and abandon the faith. Just wanted to get a young persons perspective as a millennial soon to be parent.
@@justincarrillo226 I found the faith myself
There is unlikely to be one reason for people leaving Christianity in general or the Catholic Church in particular and, in any case, and answer has to be somewhat speculative.
It is clear that in regions where education levels are higher, religiosity is much lower, and that university graduates are far less likely to maintain their childhood faith than people who only finished high school. So, one important reason is that knowledge and the ability to think clearly about complex issues lead to a loss of religious faith.
No doubt the scandals that have enveloped the Catholic Church almost regularly also contribute to the Church’s loss of adherents. People either reevaluate their faith and realize they do not really believe in any organized religion, or they transfer allegiance to another Christian church.
The rapid loss of priests in many areas, and the consequent closure of churches and merger of parishes make regular attendance at mass more difficult, especially as church attendees tend to be among the older generations in most Western countries.
I study history as an amateur, but don't let the word amateur fool you. I knows my history, and I have bothered to do the research. As a rationalist, I believe strongly that people should do all they can to put emotion, wishful thinking and ideology aside when examining any subject and that they should acquaint themselves as thoroughly as possible with the relevant scholarship and take account of any consensus of experts in any field before taking a position. Through my biblical studies, which draws on disciplines ranging from archaeology, ancient history, cultural backgrounds, textual criticism, literary criticism, historical backgrounds, philology, and social science, I came to the conclusion that Christianity isn't true and the same goes for many other religions, which is why I'm no longer a cradle catholic but instead I'm a nonreligious skeptic. I have no use for comfort so it was through my education and intellectual pursuit for truth, I lost my faith completely. Let me make it clear, I'm not an atheist but I consider all religions to be wrong, with regards to their extraordinary claims, such as the assertion of many religions of originating from divine revelation(e.g. Abrahamic religions).
6 people think everything is great and youth love church as it is
The same reason tim / dim spangler left the church.
damn
Hey! Just your average Baptist guy here..how are you and should I become Orthodox? I dont wanna though cause the whole thing of Saints seems like heresy ;-;
I can understand where you're coming from. I recently joined the Catholic Church, but was raised in a pretty Baptist-esque church (and my mom was originally Baptist). When I first started exploring Catholicism (which started as a desire to fully understand what I say I believe, and ended up with me deciding that to have the closest possible relationship with God, I should become Catholic, but that's another story), the Catholic view of Saints seemed very strange. I ended up compiling a whole list of every reason I could find why we shouldn't pray to Saints, and going through them one-by-one. I ended up coming to the conclusion that there's no reason we can't pray to the Saints. I documented that process here: levisan.me/blog/why-can-t-we-pray-to-mary-and-the-saints
I'm no expert or theologian, but if you have questions about Catholicism, I can at least point you in the direction of places to get solid answers.
Levi Breederland Yes but the Bible says in Deuteronomy. "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer."
Deuteronomy 18:10-11 KJV
It says *familiar spirits* as in dead people. Is not praying to Saints talking to the dead? I am so spooked 😓
Like I said in my blog post, the practices decried in Deuteronomy are the act of trying to communicate with a dead person using divination and the like, whereas asking the Saints for prayer is communicating with the "great cloud of witnesses" talked about Revelation, who are not dead, but alive in Christ.
I would recommend not to become "Orthodox", but Catholic. It's the only true Church. The Eastern Churches are in the state of schism and heresy, and joining them would mean mortal sin. If you are drawn towards the Byzantine Liturgy, there are many Catholic parishes of Eastern Rites (Greek-Catholic communities e. g.).
Randolph Crane Oh man Im sorry I became Orthodox..I honestly couldn't become Catholic I tried but just couldn't the idea of a Infallible Pope just I cant accept. I do hope one day our churches may join as they once where God bless you and may you live a awesome life with God in your life
Very good, your inspiration and encouragement is helping me keep the "faith" and to be a Catholic person of Christ.
I think people like you will save the church.
I half-agree/half-disagree with you, and I see your perspective. I think the bigger reasons why young adults leave their faiths are 1) they don't see how it applies to their own lives and how they navigate them 2) they start to see that many members of their faith community are terrible examples. I myself grew up with an adult version of Christianity. My dad was a lay theologian, and I learned from him because none of my siblings cared to. I was a teenager reading books on apologetics and theology, read through the whole Bible several times, memorized hundreds of passages, frequently debated my father, and was actively involved with evangelizing. Between 17 and 20, as I researched the historical roots of Christianity, and also researched other varieties of Christianity, I started to doubt, and eventually, I couldn't sincerely say that I believed anymore. Now, decades later, I respect for and appreciate the history and cultural and theological development of Christianity from an academic standpoint, but I cannot much tolerate the presence of most Christians personally, for a variety of reasons. Overall, I think you need to expand your perspective about why people leave their faiths. It's actually a difficult thing to do, especially if you were planted deep in it. You trivialize the process by reducing it to following cool trends.
That is what made go to paganism for a short phase until I went to a unfuzzy stories sunday service.
That truth becomes relative and God is lost to us, through watering down. It has happened and almost destroyed the religion I was born into, and now sadly Christianity.
"often heretical" lol...i never thought about heresies in children's books... Probably because I have no children yet
A lot of it has to do with hateful anti-Catholic propaganda in the media and among "comedians." A lot of it also has to do with lousy catechesis.
To me it was a few things, including finding out the real church teaching on limbo and that those who die unbaptized and are not of age are lost from salvation through no fault of their own. That and things like the contradictory teachings condemning methods of contraception while also saying NFP is okay.
To sum it up; my intellectual honesty lead me away.
Unclenate1000 That's too bad because the Church doesn't teach that...
We do not know what happens with unbaptized children. They have no actual sin, but they still have original sin. In an adult, this would lead to damnation. But since children cannot be held accountable for not being baptized, the Church has used the image of a Limbo as a place where those children go. They cannot obtain the beatific vision that the Saints enjoy, because with original sin it is impossible to become holy. However, they also do not have to endure the pains of Hell. Most probably, they enjoy natural happiness. But all those are just speculations. Ultimately, we have to trust in God's mercy and justice.
they are leaving because their butts are in mortal danger
Hi dude why catholic pray to mary?
Because she's a powerful intercessor.
And in reality the youth leaves the church because they don’t think that the claims of Christianity are true.
You can teach them the arguments for Christianity... but you also have to teach them about the best objections to those arguments or else they will get dominated by the first Atheist they meet.😂
Yeah ... the question always needs to be asked: _Is it actually true?_
Which naturally leads to asking: _How do you know the story is actually true?_
I'm an atheist simply because there is no good reason to believe that the claim that a god resurrected Jesus is actually true.
Not to mention ... for the claim that a god spoke to Muhammad via an angel - there is no good reason to believe that that story is actually true either.
I've never heard any god-story that comes with any good reason to believe that it's actually a true story.
Amen brother!!! I've been saying for years since my reversion over a decade ago that when we try to protect kids from the truth we are instead keeping them from Christ, who is the way, the TRUTH, and the life. Thanks for the reinforcement. In Christ, Andrew
No one wants to talk about the elephant in the room?
The youth would like to be able to take solace and inspiration from a sacred service, not a mini-Woodstock Festival, complete with folk singers and dancing.