Winning the “Nones” Roman Catholic Style
You want to win the nones? Treat ‘em rough.
That is word for word the final conclusion of H.W. Crocker, a Catholic historian and novelist, in an article published in Crisis Magazine on November 28, 2028. And he means it. Consider his statement.
Too often I hear: “Thank you, sir, but I’ll cast my lot with the satanic forces of darkness—they’re not so bad.” To which I reply, “Then God go with you—you idiot. “You idiot” is crucial to that exchange. It is, I believe, one of the most useful but neglected phrases in any effective evangelical strategy.
Without context, this statement sounds shocking given the historical reputation of the Catholic Church. However, it is not so shocking given his argument. Remember, this is a Roman Catholic perspective.
He explores why young people are leaving the Catholic Church. It’s not because of a lack of Catholic Apologetics or just even good solid exposition. The reason is that Catholics are losing their faith long before college and early adulthood—an age where apologetics would have a significant impact. They are abandoning their faith in their early and mid-teen years.
Again quoting,
No, it is instead the result of young people cultivating shallowness, superficiality, and solipsism as a philosophy of life—and from a very early age.
A recent, fascinating report from Lyman Stone at the Institute for Family Studies shows that the recent sharp drop in religious affiliation in the United States comes not from adults losing their faith but from children losing their faith far earlier than parents realize. The risk is less that a young person will lose his faith in college than that he lost his faith before he was fifteen, when he accepted that social media, online computer games, pop culture, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe constituted all the philosophy he needed; religion was irrelevant.
These young people were raised on superficiality and allowed by their parents to believe that they can dictate their own reality—their own truth–which is based upon social media relationships and the entertainment industry.
They have grown into adults with great fears.
As it is, they fear “missing out” if they don’t conform to the world, they fear the eye-rolling scorn of their peers, they fear the wokester’s lash (which is why they so cherish speech restrictions—so they can stay on the right side of the commissars).
This condition is not exclusive to Catholic kids, it is the plight of kids in general in our culture, regardless of denominational affiliation.
So, Crocker’s Catholic solution is, instead of reasoning with them, mock them. Make them fear the derision of the faithful. Again, here is what he says.
But what they really need to fear is our mockery, our derision of their juvenile prejudices, our contempt for their puerility.
Until that is achieved, arguments about truth will miss the mark. Christian humility, charity, and generosity will not move them. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of Lord; and as we know down in Mississippi, that often begins with fearing what daddy might think if we don’t uphold the family name and walk straight in the ways of God.
It is likely true that Crocker’s argument about why many are leaving the faith holds water. We have raised a generation of self-absorbed, narcissists, who oddly have become slaves to the social strata in which they baptize themselves every day.
However, there also might be other things at play, such as the ongoing abuse issues within the Catholic Church and its incessant presence in the news media. It also might be that it is a faith that is based upon a faulty works-based theology and if genuinely believed is incapable of providing a real and vibrant relationship with Christ.
We must think differently about our own children.
Our young people face the same problems as the Catholic kids, but we must think differently about our kids. Bible-believing churches do not really lose their young people. They fail to reach them. If you abandon your faith, you never really had it. And if you never really had it, you didn’t leave it.
So why is it that we often fail to reach our own children with the gospel? I will give several reasons that I see.
We assume they have it and fail to win them. We convince children to make professions and baptisms at an early age and then abandon our mission, expecting that attending church half-heartedly and praying at meals will be enough.
We do not cultivate in them a spirit of curiosity about the faith, encourage them to ask questions, and research to answer the questions. Parents have to figure out a way to talk about important things—especially their faith—with their children. They will have those serious conversations someday with someone. Make sure it is you first.
Of course, to do that, you actually have to be interested in your own faith and you have to take the time to talk with your children about it. Talk about what you read in scripture. Pray together as a family. Rejoice together in answered prayer. Be real.
Parents distracted by the frivolity of the world will raise children who worship that frivolity. They learn it from you. You do not have to treat the frivolity of the world like it is the plague, you just have to be passionate about more important things. Your kids will catch what is important from you.
Certainly, parents need to raise kids with proper discipline and the fear of the Lord. But just that is insufficient to cultivate in them true salvation or a relationship with their Lord. They need to catch their faith from you.
It is often the greatest trials of life that communicate the reality of Christianity from one generation to the next. I caught my faith from my parents. They lived consistent godly lives. But it was when I was ten years old that the reality of their faith made an indelible impression on me. My 18-month-old brother died of cancer. I watch my parents grieve—but grief in faith, trusting their loving heavenly father to guide them through one of life’s greatest difficulties. If it were not for their faithful response to that trial, I would not be what I am today.
And this is not just my opinion. The Apostle Paul said it long before I did.
when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. (2 Timothy 1:5)
But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:10-15)
Thanks, I am sharing this with the parents of my grandchildren.