As a recovering Catholic, this headline and byline in the N&O this morning brought a grin to my face:
Catholic Teens Feel Guilt's Tug Weaken; Study finds shame losing its traction
According to a new study by UNC social scientists, Catholic teens feel no more guilty than their Protestant counterparts when it comes to lying, cheating on exams, and the like. The author of the article suggests this could be due to increased integration of Catholics, and a decreased enrollment in Catholic schools.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think that having teens with a less of a conscience in our society us a good thing. But as a child that had "Catholic guilt" even when I wasn't going to Mass that often, I think that guilt and shame should not be the primary emotion guiding people, young or old. Rather, it should be love of goodwill toward ourselves and others. Just another example of society progressing. Will the Church also?
