Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Through Broken Roses

Home
Catholic
Inspired to Keep Trying

Inspired to Keep Trying

Last updated on: March 5, 2016 at 1:26 pm by Leticia Adams

Inspired to Keep Trying 2016-03-05T13:26:23-05:00 Leticia Adams

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Picture from Stocksnap.io

The Real O’Neals is a show on ABC about an Irish Catholic family that is kind of a mess. I have read all over Catholic social media about how this show mocks the Catholic faith and how it’s offensive. I watched the pilot episode and wasn’t offended but I thought maybe I had missed something so I watched both episodes this past week. I’m still not offended.

First, I don’t understand the idea of being offended by a show if you don’t watch it. That makes zero sense to me. I get watching something and then being offended, but to just take someone else’s word for it, to jump on a bandwagon or to answer the “be offended” bell is just crazy to me.

Second, I have talked to people who say that it’s not offensive per se but that it’s not funny or just bad writing. I can respect those opinions because humor and writing are a matter of taste. That is why we all like different music. I personally like anything that sounds good to me, I don’t care how sophisticated it is or if everyone says that I’m an idiot for liking it. I watch the Kardashians, so yeah; I am not really a bandwagon kind of person. I also have a crazy sense of humor. If there is one thing that I am thankful for about my past it is that I was exposed to funny people and comedy has always helped me deal with life. I get that not everyone has the same taste in comedy; I don’t think that if someone doesn’t get the same things as me to be funny that makes them less of a person than me. I just get that it’s a difference of opinion.

Third, maybe we should talk about how we react to our children coming out of the closet. If we want to be pissed about a show that is talking about it because we feel they are mocking us, then maybe we should have the conversation about how do we deal with it in real life instead of trying to kill any discussion on the subject as scandalous.

I don’t find this show to be offensive, I don’t think it mocks anything about my faith and I find it hilarious. This is why: it looks a lot like my family. I really was the kind of Catholic mother and wife who thought that I could make a Catholic to-do list and my family would be great and wonderful Catholics. I have a child who recently told me they are gay, one that is an atheist with two kids out of wedlock, one that suffers with ADD and depression, one that is severely codependent, a couple with issues we don’t really know what to label and one that has been arrested multiple times at school. I exhausted myself trying to be the kind of Catholic wife and mother that I saw others being thinking there was some great Catholic formula to making sure that my kids turned out to be holy. Well guess what? I have great kids. They get on my every last damn nerves, but they are great kids.

Example of how my household works: (This just happened this morning, so it is fresh in my mind)

The grown adult who lives here without working and has a car asked me for gas money to take another kid to work. Mind you, he takes 3 hour showers and uses the WiFi for free since he is no longer employed. The 17 year old and the 14 year old got into a war over who is meaner to the other so the 17 year old kicked the 14 year old out of his room, the 14 year old slammed the door and texted me saying how unfair life is because she doesn’t have a PS3 in her room. They are at war and I’m the one who has to just nod my head and let them sort it out. In the middle of that, the 14 year old comes in my room freaking out because he hates fighting and slamming doors, it reminds him of when his dad and I did that. Then the 21 ½ year old with two kids out of wedlock and lives across town had to drop his life and come over here to take the 17 year old to work, because I refuse to give the grown adult, living here for free, gas money. Meanwhile my husband is out doing a fire-ant job (he owns a pest control company) in a truck that he can’t put in park because a fuse keeps blowing and if he puts it in park he won’t be able to put it in drive again and will be stranded. He took the other 16 year old with him who just told me how his week went. In case you wanna know, it was a horrible week he said because one of his friends got into a huge fight where the school ended up in lockdown.

Ya’ll, compared to my family, the O’Neals look like a stable family. Maybe that is why I don’t feel mocked or am offended? I feel like I am not the only Catholic in the world with a hot mess on my hands. It gives me hope and I’ll be walking to confession today for the first time in over a month because while everyone else is being offended, I feel inspired to get back up and keep trying.

4 of the 7 crazy kids and my husband after a concert.

Previous Post

March 4, 2016

The Restlessness of Fear

Next Post

March 7, 2016 Living the Texas Dream

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #PopeInUS 7 quick takes Abortion Bad Days Book Review Books Caitlyn Jenner Catholicsim Conversion Crosses Death Dignity of the Human Person Easter Ethics Evil Fall Family Fear Freedom Gay Marriage God Holy Week Homosexuality Jesus Laughter Lessons Love Marriage Mass Motherhood My Life New Evangelzation new year Parenting Peace Planned Parenthood Politics Pope Francis Pregnancy Race Rap Music Relationships Saints Sins Suffering Tempation The Catholic Church The Past Things about me Trust Truth Uncategorized Women's rights Writing

Select a Month December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 May 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 October 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 August 2011 July 2011 May 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Jesus say is the greatest commandment?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Do not steal Observe Sabbath Love the Lord your God Honor your parents