A recent Facebook post about a Christian pastor is rather heartbreaking. The pastor’s son, who had always been a faithful Christian youth, knew his Bible inside and out, had memorized Scripture and went to a Christian college, suddenly told his father: “Faith is intellectually dishonest.” He had become an atheist. Why? Because he didn’t know any of the “why” behind the “what” he had been learning all his life. He wasn’t exposed to critical thinking skills, apologetics, objections to faith in Jesus Christ. 

If a child isn’t the type to ask questions, probe, go deeper, challenge what they’re taught, their parent/teacher/pastor must play devil’s advocate and help the young person to make belief their own, to wrangle with other points of view, and even what is deep inside of themselves. They need more than rote memorization. Otherwise, they are completely unprepared to face an unbelieving, God-hostile world, and later, their own adult doubts. 

If parents don’t have the answers (because, perhaps, they never questioned), they need to find someone who does to talk with their youth. There are many helpful media resources for this as well. Young people need to be exposed to the great treasure of the Church’s intellectual tradition, Catholic builders of civilization, Catholic philosophers and scientists, etc.

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Immediately after his son’s tragic revelation, the pastor realized his younger son was probably in the same boat. He went home and asked him: “Caleb, why do you believe the Bible is true?” "Because...it's God's Word?” "But how do you know it's God's Word?" "Because the Bible says so?" "And how do we know the Bible is right when it says that?” Caleb’s face went red. "I don't know. That's just what we believe.” 

The pastor’s fears were confirmed. His son’s reasoning was circular and insular. He believed because he was a good kid, a diligent student, dutifully learning from his mentors. Incidentally, I didn’t believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist until I was 15. Mind you, I went ahead and made my First Communion anyway at seven years old as a total skeptic. Recently, I got curious and asked my brother, who never stopped being a practicing Catholic his entire life: “Did you believe Jesus was truly present in the Blessed Sacrament when we were taught that as kids?” “Yup,” he replied. “I pretty much just believed whatever I was told by the adults.” 

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They say that only 20 per cent of the population “asks questions.” I must be in that group. My curiosity might not always be appreciated, but I find it makes me go deeper and stand on more solid ground, rather than rebel or be shocked, scandalized or disappointed by what I unearth. The truth stands up under scrutiny.

Important as understanding and professing doctrine is, living our Catholic Faith also comprises morality, worship and a life of personal prayer. What does the Faith look like when fully lived out? A witness of joyous, practical, heartfelt, intelligent, well-rounded faith also needs to be evident to our young people, along with instruction. I remember a holy bishop saying that the purpose of Catholic schools is not primarily excellent academics. It’s to form disciples of Jesus Christ. Disciples are formed by witnesses in love with Jesus. Ideally, it starts in the family, of course, but in-depth studies have shown that often, for youth to persevere in faith and frequenting the Sacraments, they need other convinced Catholic adults and peers around them who are not family. Christian community, in other words. Shout out here to Youth For Christ who do this so well!

What did the pastor who lost his son to atheism do? He talked with other pastors. Their teens and twentysomethings were becoming atheists, too. They were naïve lambs. All it would take to crash their faith was one professor, one new friend, one hard question, one reinterpretation of the Bible. But the pastor’s story has a happy ending for his son Caleb. The pastor found a 52-week systematic theology workbook for teens that answers all kinds of historical and other objections with evidence and facts. Caleb ate it up and began wrestling with the Big Questions himself (e.g., “why does God allow evil?”), working it out with the workbook and the Bible. He became a stronger Christian and prays more deeply now because knowledge has buttressed his walk with God. Or, as his father stated: “Proof that faith can be intellectually rigorous without losing its heart.”

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