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Catholic Teenagers


Ashley

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I am 25, yet I was wondering what makes you here want to be (and stay) Catholic. Catholicism has strict moral doctrines and restrictions, and here you are (if I am correct) on this board all under 20. What makes you resist peer pressure and not care what other people think about you? Or what makes you not want to be like them?

I guess what I am trying to express inacurately is : If you are a teenager, you want to have fun. Be crazy, be wild. For some reason you Catholic teenagers on this board don't get drawn in. I remember when I was in High School most Christian teenagers (yes, also Catholics) just let loose on everything. What keeps you strong?

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crusader1234

depends what you mean by going crazy/wild. jesus partied as a teen (at the time he would be considered a man), but to what extent? we know he most likely drank from stories like the weeding (water into wine) and stuff. i think the key is knowing when to draw the line. i think as long as you are still making good catholic decisions about sex and stuff its ok. maybe i'm wrong? im not up to date on catholic rules about alcohol for teens. i do think that being wild and crazy does have its place for teens within the church... so long as while being wild and crazy we arent breaking any rules and sinning.

does anybody know what the rules on teenage drinking for catholics are?

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[quote name='Ashley' date='Apr 15 2004, 07:28 PM'] I am 25, yet I was wondering what makes you here want to be (and stay) Catholic. Catholicism has strict moral doctrines and restrictions, and here you are (if I am correct) on this board all under 20. What makes you resist peer pressure and not care what other people think about you? Or what makes you not want to be like them?

I guess what I am trying to express inacurately is : If you are a teenager, you want to have fun. Be crazy, be wild. For some reason you Catholic teenagers on this board don't get drawn in. I remember when I was in High School most Christian teenagers (yes, also Catholics) just let loose on everything. What keeps you strong? [/quote]
There's much more worth living for than "having fun" and "being wild." I want to live for the truth. I want my life to be a sacrifice, not in the future, but NOW! That is why I'm Catholic, because I want to live for the truth. I'm 17 and entering the seminary this fall although considering joining a monastery instead.

As for what keeps me strong, three things:

1. Prayer
2. Mary
3. The Eucharist.

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NewReformation

You can find examples of this all across the board, not just Catholic teens. I know plenty of 'protestant' teens that are taking just as strong a stand. It's exciting! All them young'uns getting geared up for Christ!

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I still have fun, I just don't need sin to fulfill it.

Besides, when the Son of Man died for me, makes me thign about doing something stupid, and wasting what he did all that work for.

Besides I don't need drugs, I get high on life..its an amazing thing you know

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ilovechrist

[quote name='Ashley' date='Apr 15 2004, 07:28 PM'] I guess what I am trying to express inacurately is : If you are a teenager, you want to have fun. Be crazy, be wild. For some reason you Catholic teenagers on this board don't get drawn in. I remember when I was in High School most Christian teenagers (yes, also Catholics) just let loose on everything. What keeps you strong? [/quote]
Catholicism can be fun--and this site shows how. :D
you can be crazy and wild, and still devote your life to Christ through those things... :cool:

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NewReformation

[quote name='Zoticus' date='Apr 15 2004, 07:45 PM'] I get high on life [/quote]
I know...I said, I know you just didn't say that! *beats head against table* Oh my goodness! Please, take it back! That tired, overused expression! Aggggggggghhhh!

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I don't need sin. Plus living the moral life sets me apart and as someone who hates being conformed this is good. I get happy with just prayer and Mass. I know other teens who stay out of this sins, there are many of us. Why do I remain, because I am different and I love God.

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OwNeD_byGoD

ok to start off, i wasnt raised catholic and my life was grrr horrible hahaha , i was a meano nerd and everything and hated myself became suicidal, but then my friends introduced me to christ and man my life has never been the same, but now as we all know just because you become catholic doesnt mean it gets easier, but what i like to think about is that this is all just a LOOOONG test... we only live 60 or so years and then our soul lives forever, and i dont want to be stuck in hell haha. the good ol 7th gift of the holy spirit (fear of God) keeps me catholic and out of peer pressure :D

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let_go_let_God

[quote name='Ashley' date='Apr 15 2004, 06:28 PM'] I am 25, yet I was wondering what makes you here want to be (and stay) Catholic. Catholicism has strict moral doctrines and restrictions, and here you are (if I am correct) on this board all under 20. What makes you resist peer pressure and not care what other people think about you? Or what makes you not want to be like them?

I guess what I am trying to express inacurately is : If you are a teenager, you want to have fun. Be crazy, be wild. For some reason you Catholic teenagers on this board don't get drawn in. I remember when I was in High School most Christian teenagers (yes, also Catholics) just let loose on everything. What keeps you strong? [/quote]
There's a lot of pressure on teens to be "cool" and "popular". Now what makes you popular? It doesn't mean you have to drink alcohol, "party hardy" get doped up and have sex. For all those things, you may gain popularity, but in the process you can (and I've watched many friends do those things) loose respect from other people.

Also I've made a choice not to do any of those things. Ok, so I'm not the most popular person in my class, I don't want to be. I may not be the most well liked, I have many friends not in my school. Although, I am trusted by all my classmates (all 30 of them) and respected by them too.

Now, what keeps me strong. My faith, my morals, prayer, mass, and my friends. I have a close group of friends from a few schools in the area and we are constantly getting together chilling out, going bowling and just haveing a great time as a group. If one of us is having a rough time with something, there's always someone there to help bring them back up. Although when I'm being pressured alone I have everything I've listed above but my friends, but even with my friends there, everything still remains the same.

That's what keeps me strong. Until later--
LGLG

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littleflower+JMJ

[quote name='Ashley' date='Apr 15 2004, 06:28 PM'] I am 25, yet I was wondering what makes you here want to be (and stay) Catholic. Catholicism has strict moral doctrines and restrictions, and here you are (if I am correct) on this board all under 20. What makes you resist peer pressure and not care what other people think about you? Or what makes you not want to be like them?

I guess what I am trying to express inacurately is : If you are a teenager, you want to have fun. Be crazy, be wild. For some reason you Catholic teenagers on this board don't get drawn in. I remember when I was in High School most Christian teenagers (yes, also Catholics) just let loose on everything. What keeps you strong? [/quote]
hi ashley great question. i would have to say we remember the words that this world shall pass away but my Word shall not. thus, we tend to keep our focus on making it to heaven, by being ever pleasing to God and by following the examples of the saints who inspire and help us.

there are many saints such as st. philomena, st. dominic, st. therese, who were all young saints, but were also soldiers for Christ by staying pure and holy. we learn from them.

us catholics know that it doesn't not matter what others think but what God thinks. we know this world is a never-ending test, where every choice, action we make, we tell how much God we love Him. we learn how to offer things up, to make sacrifice because here on earth, is not our home, heaven is.

we strive to be holy and to live a life that will not make us fall into sin, or abuse what gifts and talents God has given us. rather, we focus on giving our all to God, what we have, we must return.

we are accountalbe and will have to answer to God for all our actions. thus, we are ever constantly tryign to follow the road to Jesus, never straying or being to worldly that we forget the reason why we are here.

things such of this world, are empty, only God can fill that hole that we have in our hearts, everything else cannot do what God does by being in our lives.

God made all of us, to Love, to Know to Serve Him. as the saints before, we strive to do all to fulfill God's will. and be instruments of His, to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, to live a christian life that ppl will knwo by our love and faith.

its hard. but anything is possible, as long as one prays and keeps their eyes focused on Heaven, its easy to turn down many things that might cause to fail.

God bLess,
flowery
+JMJ

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People talk about teenage rebellion...personally i think the best teenage rebellion is following the will of God...its counter culture. Its against everything that the general society stands for. I believe it was Chesterton that said something along these lines "There was nevery anthing so exciting or perilous as orthodoxy". Its true to. Further to that its a challenge to live this way its not the easy way out. We have Jesus who showed us the way and saves us Mary our holy mother the saints that give us advice and we can learn from their passages before us. We are essentially an army working towards the Kingdom of God doing God's Will on Earth. Fighting evil. What could be more exciting!

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littleflower+JMJ

i think also we realize that this world is God-less.

it encourages to live in the moment, while you can, no consequences, your only young once themes. which is sooo wrong. :sadder:

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[quote name='NewReformation' date='Apr 15 2004, 07:50 PM'] I know...I said, I know you just didn't say that! *beats head against table* Oh my goodness! Please, take it back! That tired, overused expression! Aggggggggghhhh! [/quote]
this whole thing seemed like a public service announcement so I wanted to finish it up...


glad you enjoyed :P

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