Watching behaviors of others close to my age made me realize how Catholics have deviated from its core teachings of faith.

In today’s age, it seems like getting high off blunts and drunk off Jell-O shots means you’re a devout Catholic.

Many self-identified Catholics seem more concerned with self-appearance and public approval than with truly embracing the values of their faith. 

In many ways, the hypocrisy that once characterized historical events, like the Crusades, has resurfaced in modern-day actions and attitudes. 

This leaves Catholics, especially the younger generation, to not know what it means to truly live a Catholic life.

The Crusades were religious and military campaigns carried out by Western Christians from 1095 to 1291, aimed at reclaiming the Holy Land from Muslim control, according to a March 21, 2026 article by Britannica.

However, the Crusades are notoriously remembered for their actions of massacring people and using religious justification for violence. 

The Crusaders claimed this was all carried out in the name of God; however, it had nothing to do with the values that Christ preached.

This may seem like insignificant historical events, but massacres still continue today under people in power who claim to follow the Bible. 

Online you can find pictures of President Donald J. Trump in the middle of prayer groups, as if he wasn’t found guilty on all 34 of his felony charges.

On April 12, Trump also posted an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus Christ. He was in a white tunic and red shawl, with a shining light in his left hand, blessing a hospitalized man.

Impersonating Jesus is beyond disrespectful to followers of Christ. Despite Trump claiming he was supposed to be a doctor, most can see through this stupidity.

Anyone who looks deeper can clearly see his actions do not align with the values of love, compassion and justice that Christ stood for.

Fifty-two percent of registered voters during the 2024 election that preferred Trump over Kamala Harris claim to be Catholic, according to a Sept. 9, 2025 study by the Pew Research Center.

Meanwhile this AI image portrays Trump as powerful as Christ, which is a direct mockery of what his followers stand for.

This disconnect is reflected in how religion is treated in society. Many people who call themselves Catholic do so, not because they genuinely believe in the faith, but because it serves a social or personal purpose.

Religion has become a tool for social status, a way to appear “pure” or virtuous in the eyes of others and oneself.

I’ve also met people who go through the motions of Catholicism while secretly harboring doubts, or simply fearing what might happen when they die. 

They keep the label of “Catholic” because letting it go means confronting existential uncertainty, a fear of what lies beyond this life they don’t want to face.

I know people who are born and raised in the Catholic Church and fear letting it go when they grow up, realizing it doesn’t match what they actually believe in.

In doing so, they deny the principles of their faith by living in denial of its deeper meaning.

I myself was not born into Catholicism but decided to partake in the religion on my own, attending four years of religious schooling because I am devoted to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Older Catholics often hold a deeper respect for tradition and church etiquette, attending Mass regularly and following the commandments with a sense of reverence. 

Younger people seem less engaged, or at least, act less disciplined.

Almost every time I go to Mass, I see boys with pants sagging past their butt or girls wearing see-through shirts with their bras showing.

Many of the same people are not paying attention, scrolling on TikTok and posting on Instagram about them attending Mass on Easter, Christmas or Ash Wednesday only to disappear for the rest of the year.

This selective religious observance is common and genuinely so infuriating. 

Often, people doubt that I even care about being Catholic because of others my age dragging down the reputation of following religion.

The practice of Catholicism has become a family or community obligation, not necessarily a matter of personal belief or spiritual growth. 

This leads to people who claim to be religious to engage in behavior detested in the Bible.

People who chug lime BuzzBallz at parties or call their mom a b-tch will preach on Easter that Jesus has risen. 

This misalignment between outward piety and inward conduct is nothing new, but alarming when it becomes the norm. 

Why even call yourself Catholic if you’re not truly following the teachings of the Church?

The Catholic faith is not about convenience, it’s about commitment.

Catholicism is about living out the message of Christ in every aspect of life, not just on Sundays or on holidays when it feels socially convenient.

It’s about loving others, serving the poor and standing up for justice, to name a few beliefs. 

It’s not a performance. If you’re not living that way, then what are you really practicing?

The pursuit of self-image and social conformity is blurring the true spirit of Catholicism.

Let’s get back to embodying the values of kindness, service and humility every day. 

Only then can we break free from the cycle of religious hypocrisy and reclaim the faith in its true form.