“And be not conformed to this world; but be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God”

Romans 12:2

Many times my middle school daughter has come home saying that a teacher or a friend challenged a truth of the Faith. My daughter gets the impression that truth is a matter of opinion. This really concerns me. I think it’s dangerous to my daughter’s fulfillment and happiness. Here’s why.

Of course, we and our children don’t always find learning delightful, fun or fruitful. Our attempts to lead our children to intellectual maturity run into some obstacles.

• Original sin has damaged the human intellect. Because of Original Sin, learning (like work) becomes toil among the thorns. It takes much more effort and perseverance.
• Thanks to the error of Modernism, the culture we and our children are immersed in challenges the very existence of truth.
• Our children don’t necessarily enjoy learning (especially in school). This makes it difficult to teach them the delight of learning.
• As parents, we may not see ourselves as particularly intellectual. We don’t feel qualified to lead our children to the truth.
• Learning can be difficult for us too! We can lose the sense of fun and fruitfulness that God intended

How do we overcome these obstacles and lead our children to intellectual maturity? There are many intellectual virtues meant to help us embrace the truth. But the virtue to start with is the virtue of curiosity.

How do we overcome these obstacles and lead our children to intellectual maturity? There are many intellectual virtues
meant to help us embrace the truth. But the virtue to start with is the virtue of curiosity.

Step 1: Recognize that truth exists and that it comes from God as a gift of love.
Step 2: Come to view learning as an adventure of discovering the truth.
Step 3: Respect opinions as theories that we need to prove or disprove based on truth.
Step 4: Embrace the adventure of proving or disproving your theories with the truth. Being right is not the goal. Instead, make your goal to discover the truth, wherever it may lead you.
Step 5: Make your findings the subject of group discovery. Let other people debate your findings and back up their theories. Help each other discover the truth.
Step 6: Pray for God’s help along the way. Then praise God for the truth when you learn it. Remember that learning truth is an act of love!

Steps three, four and five of this process for the virtue of curiosity may sound familiar to you. These are the same steps for the scientific method. Observe, form a theory around your observations, test your theory, share your results. What you may not realize is that philosophy and theology use these same steps. The difference between science, philosophy and theology is the source of truth each uses to test the theory. Science uses observations and measurements of the physical world. Philosophy uses reason and clear thinking. Theology uses divine revelation. Get to know these sources of truth, and make them the standards you use for testing your theories!

Promote the virtue of curiosity in your family.

1. Use dinner conversation to encourage curiosity. Pose theories you can test as a family through discussion and
   research. Leave the door open for your children to pose their own questions.
2. Make one exception to the “no technology” rule during dinner. Use one device to research things that come up during dinner. Look up the origins of words or the answers to quick questions. This can enhance dinner conversation rather than interfere with it.
3. Become a champion of truth. Counter claims from our culture that truth is a matter of opinion. Do this especially in the area of Divine Revelation. If you don’t understand why the Church teaches something, research it. Learn your faith!
4. Be aware of where Modernism may have already influenced you. What areas of Church teaching do you struggle to accept? What cultural claims about gender, sex, the purpose of life, etc. have you accepted? Compare these cultural claims to the sources of truth. Seek the truth rather than the cultural or political rhetoric we often consume.
5. Have a couple of times planned for each day when you can talk about what happened during the day. Family dinner and bedtime prayers are two great opportunities. Listen for opportunities to discuss how the Commandments and the teachings of Jesus could be exercised in particular situations.
6. Ask your children what virtues you need to work on. You might be surprised what they tell you! Then decide together what virtues they should work on. Make a plan to talk regularly about the progress each family member is making in the virtues. Teach your children that conscience formation is an ongoing process.