I visited a Catholic church during a recent trip to New York City. My wife and I attended Sunday morning mass and sat behind parents who had a two-year-old son. The boy was fidgety, bored, and confused by his surroundings. He behaved as any two-year-old would at church. The boy’s father undoubtedly was irritated by his son. But instead of telling the boy to be quiet, he would pinch him. The most upsetting aspect of this display of parenting came just before communion. The boy took notice of a profound moment and said aloud, “Wow! Who is that?” pointing toward the priest, who held up the Eucharist. Instead of answering the question, the kid’s father flicked his ear so hard that the boy started to cry. He then reprimanded his son: “Boys don’t cry.”

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