Boy George & Faith

I saw an interview with Boy George, lead singer of the pop band Culture Club, and when he was asked if he is a Buddhist or a Catholic, his quote-worthy response was:

"I am Buddhist in my aspirations and Catholic in my complications." 

Wow.

That, of course, required me to check out his family background.  It looks like he was raised in a working-class Irish Catholic family with a father who physically and mentally abused his mother when she was pregnant with George.  I believe it said in the interview that he has been a Buddhist for many years.

Being a Catholic, and understanding some of the challenges that can come with practicing Catholicism, the "Catholic in my complications" really struck me as an interesting turn of phrase.  Naturally, I don't know the details of his personal life beyond what I have recently learned, so I can only wonder.

But here's my point:

Being a person of any religious persuasion can be complicated.  No matter how one is brought up in a particular faith and how its application is taught, maturing in faith and wisdom requires a careful guide.

The Catholic Church teaches (Catechism of the Catholic Church-CCC-2223) that "Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children.  They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule.  The home is well suited for education in the virtues."

Clearly there can be some damaging consequences when this is not the environment in which children are raised, through no fault of their own.  Regardless of the external make up of a family, though, "Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children." (CCC 2223)

Parents can strive to be good examples, even within families whose structure may not be ideal.  Every family should try to create a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect and fidelity is found.  This is a good thing.

It should be noted, however, that the breakdown of the family is not limited to its design, but includes a breakdown of family values, virtues, faith and so forth.  This is a problem for us today.

When a family strives to embrace faith and virtue, the fullness of a child's education and formation can be reached. A healthy home contributes to this.  A family home (like Boy George's) where faith and trust disintegrates before a child's eyes, does indeed lead to "complications."

Maturing faith is a tender thing that must be respected and nourished, whereas a lack of faith in a home is harmful to any future adult's spiritual well-being, for, teaching directly or indirectly that there is no God, can create complications far greater than we can every imagine.

All of that being said, I have run into parents who live with a lot of regret for not raising their children with faith, having come to faith themselves later in life.  In those situations, the best we can do is strive to live as best we can today and reveal our new-found faith to those around us, as is appropriate.

Sometimes it may even take some explaining, but that can be healing as well.  Most importantly, forgive yourself, because it is highly likely that God already has, if you have asked.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blogspot.com