It’s a different world out there from when I grew up and if you’re over the age of 25, it’s different for you too. Witness the phenomenon of “friends with benefits.” Kids don’t date anymore, they “hook up” because then they can have sex without the messy emotional entanglements. And if they’re not “hooking up” then their parents worry that their kids aren’t popular. Experimental lesbianism is cool. Internet porn is widely available, the Internet circumvents parental involvement and allows teens (and adults) to descend into a narcissistic and de-personalized social life.
We have become a society (including those who lead our Church) who are absolutely AWOL as far as protecting our children from sexual sin, from sexual degradation and disease, and from the compromising of their souls. Sex has become nothing more than the stimulation of someone’s sexual organs (homosex, group sex, etc. etc. are all IN now – including in MIDDLE SCHOOL). STDs are soaring, divorce is soaring, adultery is far more commonplace, and kids are learning to assess each other purely out of lust. We are the porno country now, and 1/2 of all high school kids are now into hardcore computer porn. (Even if your child is protected, he/she’s goin’ to school with hard-core porn addicts…) The only thing that will put a brake on this complete slide into sexual degradation, disease, broken families, divorce, molestations, etc. etc. is to promote holiness and love of God. There is no other antidote. – And another thing – you know how many times the priests I know have brought up any of these topics in Church or with our youth? Zero. They are too afraid to deal with it, or to mention it, or to reach out to the young of our parish. They see what is happening, and they WILL NOT ADDRESS IT. As parents, we are effectively alone.
The main way to cut down on children’s misbehaviors in so many ways is parental supervision. My Ma stayed home with us until I was 13, and then her job let out just a little after I got out of school. Not much chance for too much hanky-panky at my house.
My own child is just a baby, but my husband is doing the stay-at-home duty, and our kids will not get their own TVs. Their own computers, sure – our Mac SE IIs, that won’t be hooked up to the Internet. Oh yeah, and we’ll homeschool. Parents who want to take responsibility for their cihldren can do it, if that’s a priority for them. You won’t be able to prevent every bad influence, but you can counteract it by the sheer quantity of supervision.
Yes, that’s possible, meep – but we have to release our children to what is rapidly becoming a pagan and vile and self-centered and sexually crazed culture (like Corinth, Sodom, etc.).. The Church should be leading the charge against such. Where is it?
The Church isn’t just bishops and priests. It’s also parents like meep raising their kids right and according to Catholic values. Don’t fall into a kind of clericalism that sees the Church and her work as the clergy and their preaching alone.
I don’t Dom. It’s my and my wife’s responsibility to raise our kids Catholic. But we thought we had an ally with regard to teaching our kids about, say, Catholic sexual morality. Our kids – as you point out yourself – are being inundated in a Brave New World culture. Around here, from the priests and the bishop, not a peep about it. Not a word. Not a homily. Not a workshop. Nothing at all to help them with this. It is not clericalism to want your priest and your bishop to help your kids through this sinful morass. But around here, they’re nowhere. I’m truly sorry to say that – but it’s just the case. (And the reasons why? 1) They’re too afraid; 2) They’re all hunkered down in the aftermath of the scandal. And then add to that our completely watered down and useless CCD classes – and we are left to basically teach our kids everything they need to know. In our teenage Confirmation class (no priests involved – only parents), the kids initially couldn’t name one parable or statement of Jesus Christ, couldn’t name more than two out of ten 10 Commandments, had never looked at a Bible and had no idea how to do so. And all of this, sadly, comes back to the bishops and those who lead this Church.
I hate to say this, but religious education is the primary responsibility of parents. Yes, priests and bishops should help, but there is plenty of blame to spread around.
“Yes, priests and bishops should help”
We would like that.
Well said, Christine K. I’m with you!
(And I also revere and admire Padre Pio, and have learnt much from him…)