Quitting Catholicism
An analysis of the risks of failure in Catholic evangelization and education
Description
The way we teach or evangelize the Catholic faith today makes it seem so ridiculous that we practically invite people to quit it. I've spent 30 years in Catholic communications and education, and today I'm sharing three fundamental reasons why people leave the Catholic faith. First, we often teach a one-dimensional, fairy-tale version of Jesus. Second, we misrepresent God's love as being unconditional in a way that feels robotic and soulless. Lastly, we fail to provide a solid foundation for the doctrines we teach, leading to superficial understanding and eventual rejection. Join me as I unpack these issues and discuss how we can better present the true essence of Catholicism. Click like, subscribe, and share to help me spread the word. God bless you all.
There are three fundamental pillars that come crumbling down in a person’s faith formation and development when we aren’t teaching, preaching, or evangelizing effectively. This write-up is a rundown of everything I offered in the video
The Incomplete Image of Jesus
First, let's talk about Jesus. In many religious education programs, we're introduced to a partial image of Him. We learn about His love, mercy, and kindness, which are indeed integral parts of who He is. Yet, this portrayal can be misleadingly simplistic. Jesus is more than the gentle figure often depicted; He is also the one who separates the wheat from the chaff, who admonishes, and who calls us to live a life of greatness beyond our current selves. Sadly, this fuller image of Jesus isn’t always conveyed, leaving many unprepared for the reality of His teachings and expectations.
This half-Jesus is hard to get behind, hard to believe in, and very hard to take seriously. He doesn’t even appear to take himself seriously, the way we often portray him.
The Misconception of Unconditional Love
Next, there's the misunderstanding of God's love. We frequently hear about God's unconditional love, yet any true expression of love has conditions—it’s an action, not just a feeling. Love, to be meaningful, must be accompanied by purpose and intent, but we don’t speak of God’s love that way. My love for my children demands their presence and obedience to guide and protect them. Similarly, God's love calls us to respond and engage, rather than passively exist as if we're the beneficiaries of infinite, directionless affection. Portraying God’s love as something mindless, like AI, reduces its depth and dismisses the reality that we can indeed disappoint through our choices. It makes “God” look unrealistic and mythical—someone who either can’t be real, or whose “realness” is unimportant.
Facts Without Foundation
Finally, we face the issue of "facts without foundation." Many are taught the surface details of Catholicism without understanding their deeper meanings. This leads to a fragile faith, one easily dismissed or easily defeated when critically challenged, and one that is ultimately replaced by secular beliefs that are more comprehensible and relatable in the modern world. This superficial teaching fails to engage the intellect’s natural quest for truth, thus inviting people to drift away to more apparent truths found elsewhere.
Moving Forward
So, how do these elements push people away, or fail to hold on to them? When taught selectively, half-truths make the faith seem irrelevant or unconvincing; even ridiculous. We must strive to present Catholicism in its entirety—embracing its challenges and complexities, offering a faith that stimulates the intellect and spirit alike. We must teach the full, real, true Jesus Christ because he’s a tremendously energizing figure when we teach about him thoroughly, and a gutless, uninteresting person when we teach about him poorly. Ultimately we have to teach and evangelize a complete Catholic faith if we hope to evangelize complete persons. If all we do is “evangelize” their emotions, or confirm their misunderstanding of God, Jesus Christ, the Church, or the call to conversion and holiness, we shouldn’t be surprised when they stop practicing the faith.
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