Catholic Teen Issues

Catholics pray with a rosary.

Teenagers deal with all sorts of trials and tribulations as they grow from childhood into adulthood. The transition is made more complicated with the inclusion of religion. For nearly 2,000 years, Catholicism, a denomination of Christendom founded by the Romans, has been the most widely practiced Christian faith. Being a Catholic teenager in the modern world presents both positive and negative consequences.

Faith through Works

Catholic teenagers must divide their time between mass and the social world to solidify the notion of faith through works. While other Christian denominations, Baptists, for example, believe eternal salvation is achieved by grace, Catholics maintain salvation is received through abiding by the rituals of the faith. Being baptized before you die, taking communion on a regular basis and participating in other holy sacraments during mass require devotion and diligence of committed Catholics.

Premarital Sex

Catholic teenagers, as all teenagers, deal with the prospect of exploring physical love with another person. Premarital sex is forbidden in the Catholic tradition, and contraceptives are unacceptable as well. The Catholic faith maintains that sex is an act shared between husband and wife alone. While Catholics do not subscribe to the idea that sex is for procreation purposes alone, contraception -- condoms and birth control pills -- is considered an emotional obstruction between two partners and is forbidden.

Abortion

Catholic teens who explore sex outside of marriage run the risk of becoming pregnant. Murder is considered a cardinal sin in the Catholic faith and is strictly forbidden. Catholics equate conception -- from its earliest form to full-grown fetus -- to producing a human life, and extinguishing a life -- in any form -- is unacceptable. Direct abortion is prohibited in Catholicism, and any woman who undergoes the act -- teenage or otherwise -- is "excommunicated from the church," according to Epigee.

Homosexuality

Teenagers struggling with sexual identification face the pressure of the church if they consider themselves Catholic. The Catholic faith believes practicing homosexuality -- gay, lesbian or transgender -- is an unnatural act. The act is considered a sin and is forbidden by the church. Catholics rely on scripture in the Old Testament books of Genesis, Ezekiel and Leviticus -- passages condemning the act of homosexuality -- which declare gay sexual behavior an abomination.

References

• Baptists Catholic Distinctions Within Denominations
• Epigee Sex Before Marriage
• Catholic: Homosexuality