5 lies kids believe when they misunderstand the Church

One would think there are no drawbacks to learning from church - but children often misunderstand.

The Church is an amazing place of worship, prayer, communion with one another and spiritual education, but what happens when children learn the wrong lessons?

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - One of our greatest callings is to raise our kids to love the Lord. Part of that relationship is going to Mass, taking Holy Communion among other believers and learning the truth from the Gospel.

The Church has several amazing messages to share with its parishioners but sometimes people have their hearts in the right place and still make mistakes.

Make sure your children don't accidentally learn these 5 lies born of Church lessons gone wrong:

1. You can only be friends with other Christians

It's easy to spend time with other believers; in fact, God encourages us to spend time with those who share our faith, but does this mean we can't be friendly or even friends with non-believers?

Of course it doesn't! But children who spend all their time in a bubble of other Catholics tend to grow up believing they can't, or simply choose not to, befriend anyone who doesn't believe.

Why is this a bad thing?

God has called us to spread the Truth. We have been called to share the Gospel with non-believers and spread the faith. How can we do this if we only ever talk to other believers?

2. It's okay to judge those who don't belong to the Church

Judging is to be left to God (James 4:12), not to mankind.

Just because someone doesn't believe in Jesus doesn't mean they are automatically bad people. On the other side of the coin, a person who attends Mass every day is not always a Christian.

If they haven't accepted God into their hearts and if they refuse to repent or truly believe in Jesus' sacrifice, they are not a true Catholic.

Judging others breeds contempt and is not of God.

3. Once you're saved, it's okay to do what you want

Many Catholics take the Catechism classes, see their faith through to their confirmation and habitually go to church - but they don't act like Christians.

Some people are so comfortable in the thought that they are already saved that they don't try to spread the Gospel to others, don't spend time with the Lord and miss their calling because they are too busy living how they want to.

When you give your life to God, you must continue the relationship on until your deathbed. How do you keep a friendship going?

You talk to Jesus, you pray for thanks, you unload your troubles, you ask for help and you offer your time, faith and love.

It's good to have faith, but it's better to show it to Jesus.

4. Serving God is the same as Knowing him

Sometimes people convince themselves they have a powerful relationship with God simply because they obey the teachings of the Bible - but that isn't always the case.

If you follow the Ten Commandments but don't spend time with Jesus, can you say you really know him? If you say your prayers but don't put your heart into it, does it really count?

Jesus wants us to be his friend, not just his servant (John 15:15).

5. Preference is the same as Church doctrine

Adults often suffer with this misunderstanding, so it isn't much of a reach to assume children also fall for this misunderstanding.

Choosing to pray while listening to soothing music is a preference. Using the Gospel as a foundation for our spiritual growth is doctrine.

Attending morning Mass in place of evening Mass is a preference. Turning to the Lord for help, hope and forgiveness is doctrine.

When someone chooses to spend time with God in a way that is different or new from the way you and your family spend time with the Lord, it is wrong to assume they are going against church doctrine.

Once upon a time, believers were allowed to marry more than one woman. Today, this is illegal in the United States and is not encouraged by the Church. Times change, traditions change and laws change. So long as we always learn, teach and encourage the message of Jesus Christ, we are living in accordance to the Church's doctrine.

Consider Matthew 23:23-24, which tells us we can change with society, but never should we change the message of Jesus Christ.

Thank you for reading our list.

Check out our other lists on:
10 motivational scriptures to read daily, 5 ways to ensure a lasting relationship, 5 Best poems of the Bible, Creative ways to read the Bible, Biblical love for your spouse, Top 10 2016 articles, New Year prayers, How to handle the day after Christmas, 10 Heroes, How to keep Christ in Christmas, St. Nicholas facts, Top 2016 songs, 12 Advent prayers, How to spread the love, How you're sabotaging your marriage and how to change, How to stay at peace during Election Day, Horror stories in the Bible, Important scriptures for your spouse, Scriptures for ultimate marriage blessings, How kids remind us to love, Goals all Catholics should have, Christian Olympians, Catholicism in Hollywood, Healthy snacks for summer, Amazing Biblical fathers, Angel facts straight from the Bible, Mothers from the Bible, Bible Verses for Mom, Things Catholics should NEVER do in their marriage, Hilarious dog memes, Inspirational Bible verses when life is falling apart, Thought-provoking Easter quotes, How to combat the 7 deadly sins, 3 beautiful Holy Islands you MUST visit soon, How people celebrate St. Patrick's Day around the world!, 5 faith-based movies to watch
10 important things to consider during Lent, The top 10 places Christians are persecuted, Classic movies every Catholic teen should watch, 5 New Year's resolutions all Catholics should aspire to, Christmas Trees Around the World, sex, lifting your spirits, dealing with anger, love, when you need encouragement, common misquotes, how to give, healing and 10 very interesting facts about the Catholic Church you probably didn't know.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online