It's The Parents I Don't Get: Part 1

Some who read this will say I'm a self-righteous, pompous ass. So be it. Some will say that I should not judge...or I shall be judged. So be it. It is America and anyone who reads this can say what he/she wants. And so I shall have my say.

When I stand before God, He will ask me, among other things, why I didn't speak up, but remained silent. Was I afraid to defend decency...to defend His laws? Was I embarrassed about what others might say about my opinions?  This is the sin of omission...You know, the part in the Mass when we tap our breast and say, "In our thoughts, in our words, in what we have done and in what we have failed to do..."

God remains ever the same. He does not change His law to suit modern society.  St. Peter's words in Acts 5:29

"We ought to obey God rather than men." still holds true today. The way God asks us to lead our lives takes precedence over what we think things ought to be, what we think is acceptable behavior using the guidelines of today's society.

If God seems distant it is because we are far from grace, His grace. When we complain that God has drifted away, it is not true. He remains constant, the same. We are the ones that move away from God, drifting away from the Light, sometimes into the gray, sometimes into the darkness.

I can better understand the "kids" today, then I can their parents. After all, it is those of the Baby Boomer generation who took prayer out of schools, tried to be "friends" with their kids rather than an authoritative figure, gave them creature comforts and never asked that they work for these comforts, decided that soccer practice was more important than church on Sunday, eliminated the sanctity of life...just to name a few. So add to that the smut kids watch on TV, the trash they read in the tabloids, the crap they listen to on the radio and  I "get" where the kids come from....garbage in, garbage out.

It's the parents I don't "get".  When did it go out of style to tell our kids, no....when did we think it was okay in God's eyes? "I'm so thrilled that my son is getting married in May," said a woman I'd just met.  "He's been living with his girlfriend for five years....their 2 year old will be the ring bearer." I was stunned. Not because her son was living with his girlfriend or that they had a 2 year old...sadly, that's common place. I was stunned that she was crowing about it! It took her son five years to do what was right, it took him two years to make the child legit and Grandma was just so proud of her boy. Don't get me started.

I know good men and women who just can't get themselves to tell their grown children that their immoral behavior is wrong, wrong, wrong.  God says that Cohabitation is wrong, but who are we to hurt our children's feeling and tell them we just won't accept it.  It's downright irresponsible for us, for the sake of their immortal soul, not to express our objection and concerns.

theknot.com


  And all this living together stuff....all this having babies before the "I do". Is cohabiting a step before marriage or a step before commitment?  What does the Church teach: We believe that marriage is the permanent union of a man and a woman, instituted by God. It is the total giving of each person's physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual being without reservations. This belief is grounded in the revelations of God, and the teachings of Jesus Christ. God's ways are the best ways for His children and when couples choose to cohabit there is no spiritual foundation for the union, no lifelong commitment, no promise of fidelity... which leads to instability. (adapted from: Our Sunday Visitor pamphlet, What The Church Teaches: Cohabitation )

How did living together become the norm? What happened to "principles"? A daughter moves in with her boyfriend and Dad doesn't take the young man aside and say, "No damn way my daughter is moving in with you without a commitment."  How about, you're living in sin....it's against God's law, and if you die, you have to answer for this? Duh.
Yes, kids are going to do what they want. But, do we have to condone it? This is the heart of this post. Make them uncomfortable, damn it. If you have a good relationship, it's not going to end it. Yeah, he/she will be ticked at you. But God will be even more ticked off. Who are you more afraid of..your snot-nose kid? Or the Almighty King of Kings! Don't get me started.

Part 2 is on the burner. It will contain FACTS on Cohabitation. So stay tune....and pray for our younger generation and those who turn a blind eye to immoral behavior. God bless.