Is it cool to be Catholic?

"Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths."
2 Timothy 4:2-4

Cool and Catholic do not combine. The definition of cool has a strong anti-Catholic component. Wherever you see cool, think secular humanism. Cool is a cultural expression of the philosophy of humanism, which is marketed to the young and the naive -- including many older people who should be wiser.

What is it to be cool? It is supposed to be cool to be different, but actually cool is about fitting into the popular culture -- which is a product of humanist influences.

Cool does not arise from the bottom up. It does not originate in the streets. It is manufactured by the powerful -- whether through marketing campaigns or through well-funded "community" organizations. Sometimes a trend will emerge from the streets and be assimilated by the mass media. But this is done very selectively.

Does a Catholic World Youth Day get promoted by the mass media, even when it attracts millions of young people from all over the world. Of course not. This is not cool.

Cool is about fitting in. It is all about peer pressure and belonging to a group. This is most important to young people who are searching for an identity. There are whole industries which are dedicated to exploiting innocent young people.

Cool is sexy and sexy is cool. Sex is the apple that is used to tempt young people -- and old people -- away from God. It is manipulated by the powerful to form the "traps and snares" of the evil one.

Sex is good when it is an expression of love within marriage. Love is good, because God created man and woman. The highest form of love is love of God. When we pray we are spending time with God and we deepen our relationship with Him. Why not pray a rosary with your potential future spouse rather than engaging in sex? Praying together is a powerful experience which creates a strong bond between two people and God. Is God part of your relationship or does he get cast aside?

Don't be cool, be Catholic. You will be happier. The pursuit of being cool ends in frustration, disappointment, disillusionment, despair, depression and even death. The pursuit of being Catholic ends in joy, serenity, true happiness, true peace, inner tranquility and eventually a seat beside the throne of God.

The saints never sought to be cool, you shouldn't either. Set your eyes on heaven, put your faith in Jesus Christ, love God with all your heart.

But my eyes are toward thee, O LORD God;
  in thee I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
Keep me from the trap which they have laid for me,
  and from the snares of evildoers!
Let the wicked together fall into their own nets,
  while I escape.
Psalm 141:8-10