When Children Doubt Religious Truths ~ Catholic Family Handbook

by Rev. Fr. George A. Kelly, The Catholic Family Handbook

While your children are in elementary school, they probably will accept without question what you teach about religion and morality. For example, the nine-year-old will accept your explanation of why he must abstain from meat on Friday, and will not question whether these regulations are entirely proper or within the jurisdiction of the Church to make.

He will accept, without doubting their truth, the Old Testament stories of the Tower of Babel, of Jonah, of Noah’s Ark, and others.

When he reaches adolescence, however, you may be shocked at a change which may come over him. He may now be aware that other people do not believe as we do, that some deny the existence of God, others do not accept the trueness of the Church or the divinity of Our Lord, and still others doubt the truth of many incidents recounted in the Old Testament.

Your child may quote these nonbelievers in questioning you about Catholic doctrines. Sometimes he may even give the impression that he fully accepts their errors.

It is probably unwise to betray suspicion that he is losing his faith simply because he sharply questions Church teaching.

In order to understand completely why the Church holds as she does on matters of faith and morals, every adult must understand the basic principles upon which the doctrines rest. Only by examining various arguments for the Church’s position can a young person truly appreciate that her teachings are based upon historical and logical truths.

Some parents show visible annoyance when their children question various Church doctrines.

This reaction often results from the fact that the parent lacks enough knowledge to refute the adolescent’s arguments.

Obviously, the Church would be in a sad position if she could not stand up against questions raised by teen-agers.

The facts are that Church teaching is supported upon a bedrock of logic and that many of the foremost thinkers throughout history have found her doctrines unassailable. Therefore if you yourself cannot cope with your adolescent’s arguments, you can refer him to Catholic books, literature, and other sources of information.

Do not expect your child to accept a religious teaching simply and solely because the Church says it is so. As an individual with a growing intellectual capacity of his own, he has a legitimate right to know why the Church maintains a certain position.

When helped in a friendly way to understand that position, he will become a stronger Catholic as a result.

“We can change the world within our own families. We do not need heroic deeds, exceptional intelligence or extraordinary talents. Every day, our daily duties, our interactions with our family, our living out the Faith in the small ordinary things, will be the thread that weaves the beautiful rug that future generations will be walking upon and building upon….” Finer Femininity

❤️🌹Our first line of defense is the bond we must have with our husband. Besides our spiritual life, which gives us the grace to do so, we must put our relationship with our husband first. It is something we work on each day.

 

How do we do this? Many times it is just by a tweaking of the attitude, seeing things from a different perspective. It is by practicing the virtues….self-sacrifice, submission, thankfulness, kindness, graciousness, etc.

 

The articles in this maglet will help you with these things. They are written by authors that are solid Catholics, as well as authors with old-fashioned values….

Available here.

Pkg Deal on Catholic Wife’s Maglet and Catholic Young Lady’s Maglet.

Available here.

The St. Francis de Sales Signature Set! Available here.

The St. Francis de Sales Signature Set is representative of why St. Francis was so well-received during the Counter-Reformation, and indeed, throughout history since. One can easily see why he received the title “Doctor of Charity” from the works included (Introduction to the Devout Life, Consoling Thoughts, Sermons, and The Catholic Controversy), as each evidences his outpouring of love for all souls:

Introduction to the Devout Life showcases his efforts to help other souls love God like he did

Consoling Thoughts expresses his love for suffering souls in giving them solace and the exhortation to continue

His Sermons relay his daily care for his flock, preaching to them about the different aspects God’s love

And finally, The Catholic Controversy demonstrates his apologetical love, exerting effort to win souls back to the Church

Perhaps more than any other saint, St. Francis preached the truth with love. His teachings, his works, and his very presence were consoling to those 72,000 lost souls of Switzerland and to millions more over the centuries. Now, with these four beautiful, hardbound, embossed volumes, it is our hope that they will offer hope and consolation to a new generation of Catholics and spur on greater love of God and neighbor.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support.