Sri calls it a battle and says parishioners must do a lot more to fend off the thrusts of a culture that opposes the Church. Silence or a mild shoulder shrug don’t get it done when popular culture accosts the truths of the faith.

The theologian, who co-founded FOCUS with Curtis Martin, spoke to about 400 people who attended the 10th Marian Eucharistic Conference last October. The event is held annually in Greenville.

“We need to talk to our children. We need to name these weeds so that they are prepared,” Sri explained. “Do you spiritually inoculate your children from the culture?”

He said we must teach children the truths of the Church while they are young because something starts happening in high school, and society encroaches.

“They ask, ‘Why do I have to go to church?’” Sri said. “Why is the Catholic Church so judgmental?” On marriage, they ask, “Why do we need some certificate from the Church?”

Be ready to answer with the truth, Sri said, using love as an example.

“Culture says love is a feeling. ‘You make me feel good. You do something for me,’” Sri said. But, ”What does the Bible say? God is love. To will the good of another” is how the Bible defines love. We need to get that right, he added, because “if you’re just a little off, you get everything wrong.”

“As Catholics, everything is about love,” Sri noted. “God shows us the way to live so we can thrive and be happy.”

Our society tells us that we can make up our own reality and morality, then rebuffs the notion if that is challenged with Christian belief. Culture’s standard response: “Don’t impose your morality on me.” So, it’s time to take a stand.

“God’s moral law is like the instruction manual,” Sri said.

We must follow it to lead a fulfilling life, and, he noted, we have a responsibility to share the truth even if the world tries to silence us.

“The more we are silent, the more the culture takes over,” he explained. “Once we start playing games with reality and truth, we lose something.”

“If someone is living in sin, do you have a responsibility to talk to them about this?” Sri asked. ”Absolutely. Especially if God puts you in their life.”

He noted that while we can judge someone’s actions, we cannot judge their soul or salvation. That is between God and every individual.

So, start pulling those weeds that the culture is sowing, Sri urged attendees. Have the courage to “stand up with Jesus for truth.”