The other day I spoke to a young man who told me he had become an atheist in his early teens. At first, this assertion seemed strange coming from someone whose parents were very religious and who had been sent to prestigious Catholic schools.

Besides, why should a youngster suddenly decide that he no longer believes in God? Well, it turns out that things are not always what they seem to be. I learned that despite or perhaps because of his strict religious upbringing, he had rejected the idea of God. His parents were overly strict with him and would make very strong demands on him. They were scrupulous in the practice of their faith. They saw evil in the smallest matters and would transmit this to him.

He grew to resent his parents and quietly rebelled against them. He followed them outwardly, went to Mass, prayed with them, and got good marks in his religion subject, but in his heart, he rejected the God that his parents worshiped so faithfully.

As we talked for quite a while, I asked him if perhaps he had turned against God because of His affiliation with his parents. He thought for a few minutes and said, “Maybe I did.” He resented the time his parents spent in church and doing church-inspired activities when he felt they should have been at home. He resented all their sermons about God when he felt that he was not loved.

When I asked him if ever he had experienced a meaningful encounter with God, he was quick to say he had not. All this despite the countless prayers, the many retreats, and the spiritual activities he had attended.

Though he said he was an atheist, I did not believe it. Talking some more to him, it was clear that there was a young man who was spiritual and searching for God.

It’s just that his past experiences were getting in the way. His anger and bitter resentment against his God-loving parents were so strong that he felt the need to reject God as well.

It’s like you disliking my best friend because you’re angry with me. My friend gets rejected because of his close association with me. That might not be fair, but it happens all the time.

We parents need to be careful of how we teach our children about God. We must beware of turning them off to God in our effort to bring them close to their Creator.

More than anything, though, we must live the faith we profess. Our life must be the most inspiring sermon our kids ever get. There is a greater need to walk the talk rather than just talk the talk.

Too many of our kids might say to us parents: “You are making so much noise that I cannot hear what you’re saying.”