In recent times several people have said that to me when explaining why they are opting out of this or that practice of religion.
So how can we respond to them? Because often we don't know what to say next.
Firstly we can all truthfully say that we are all hypocrites to a larger or lesser extent. What we do rarely matches up to what we say is important to us. Usually we don't live up to the standards we set ourselves, but that doesn't stop us trying and that shouldn't stop us from using those helps that have stood the test of time (going to church on Sundays, praying etc).
Young parents often respond with 'I don't want to be a hypocrite' when asked by a praying relative why they haven't had young Johnny or young Susie baptised.
To the initial response (above) we can add....
'You would agree with me, wouldn't you, that parents want to provide the best they can for their children. I know that you are trying to do that with young Johnny (or young Susie). The question you need to ask yourself goes like this, 'Is baptism good or bad?' To answer it properly, of course, you might need to find out what the Church claims baptism does.
If it is good, then denying young Johnny (or young Susie) something good won't be something you want to do.
If it is bad, then have nothing to do with it.
One could say that Napoleon was one of the greatest hypocrites of all. He persecuted the Church vigorously. But when it came to the education of his daughter he wanted her to have the best moral education possible. He wanted her to know right from wrong, to know the 10 commandments and the catechism - so he sent her to a convent school. What else was going to stop her behaving wantonly when she came of age? From being in the army he well knew how young women who acted like that ended up, and he didn't want that for his daughter.
So was he a good man? Probably not. Was he a good parent? I'd say, 'Yes'.
Please don't let feeling like a hypocrite stop you from being a good parent to young Johnny (or young Susie).'
So how can we respond to them? Because often we don't know what to say next.
Firstly we can all truthfully say that we are all hypocrites to a larger or lesser extent. What we do rarely matches up to what we say is important to us. Usually we don't live up to the standards we set ourselves, but that doesn't stop us trying and that shouldn't stop us from using those helps that have stood the test of time (going to church on Sundays, praying etc).
Young parents often respond with 'I don't want to be a hypocrite' when asked by a praying relative why they haven't had young Johnny or young Susie baptised.
To the initial response (above) we can add....
'You would agree with me, wouldn't you, that parents want to provide the best they can for their children. I know that you are trying to do that with young Johnny (or young Susie). The question you need to ask yourself goes like this, 'Is baptism good or bad?' To answer it properly, of course, you might need to find out what the Church claims baptism does.
If it is good, then denying young Johnny (or young Susie) something good won't be something you want to do.
If it is bad, then have nothing to do with it.
One could say that Napoleon was one of the greatest hypocrites of all. He persecuted the Church vigorously. But when it came to the education of his daughter he wanted her to have the best moral education possible. He wanted her to know right from wrong, to know the 10 commandments and the catechism - so he sent her to a convent school. What else was going to stop her behaving wantonly when she came of age? From being in the army he well knew how young women who acted like that ended up, and he didn't want that for his daughter.
So was he a good man? Probably not. Was he a good parent? I'd say, 'Yes'.
Please don't let feeling like a hypocrite stop you from being a good parent to young Johnny (or young Susie).'
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