Religious confusion that is my dilemma, as most of you know I was raised in the Catholic church and at the age of 15 I acknowledged that I was not a Catholic but not sure what I was, within a short period of time I started to realize that the Pagan lifestyle was my lifestyle. So for the past 25 years I have identified my religious self as a Pagan. Even though I prefer not to have a religion at all. I like my lifestyle and I like the way of life I live, I do not do well when I am put someone’s schedule of when and where to praise an unseen being. So where am I confused you ask?
Tonight I spoke to my nephew Joseph; he has spent the last week at camp through their church. He was very excited to tell me about his week, he was even more excited to tell me that he was saved. I asked him what he was saved from and he just repeated that he was saved. I again asked from what, was there a bear, a bug or worse some pervert lurking around the camp. He said “No I was saved. I accepted Jesus Christ as my lord and savior.” What the hell does that mean?
At first I just thought it was funny and cute. He was so excited about being “saved” and that in itself was cute. But then I started getting worried, does an 8 year old know what this means? Does an 8 year old understand the impact of what he is doing and agreeing to? I wonder because I am 40 and had no idea what it meant when he said he was saved. If a 40-year-old person did not understand how does an 8 year old understand?
Was this camp a place where they get the kids together and spend a week brain washing them to believe that the only way to have a happy life is to agree to be “saved” by someone that supposedly died 2000 years ago? This is a kid that does not understand the concept of me living 1000 miles away and that when I say I put a package in the mail it takes several days to get there. How is it possible for him to understand the concept of the Christian faith? Is it right to push adult beliefs on an 8 year old kid simply because you believe them?
Do we now start telling him that as long as he asks for forgiveness no matter what the sin may be he will be allowed entrance into the gates of Heaven? Where is the right and wrong in that lesson? Where is the lesson that you will pay a price for wrong doings? You are basically telling a kid “Don’t worry about what you do, as long as you are baptized and saved you have the golden ticket into heaven.”
I never agreed with the idea of baptizing a baby, because the belief behind the baptism is that that baby is a sinner. How can anyone look at a baby and believe they are a sinner. From what I remember from my catholic upbringing to sin meant that you broke one or more of the 10 commandments. How can a newborn infant break a commandment? Let’s review them since I could not tell you what they were.
1) You shall have no other gods before me - I don’t see a child much less an infant having any gods before anyone else. The only thing they idolize at this point in life it their mother and that’s cause she has the milk and clean pampers.
2) You can’t have any carved images. - I can’t even explain this one. If a baby was making carved images he would be a genius.
3) You can’t take the lord’s name in vain - The child only cries it’s his parents taking the lords name in vain. Punish them not him.
4) Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy - How can a child be responsible for this one. He can’t remember when it’s day or night how the hell does he know when it is Sunday?
5) Honor your mother and father - Once again with a baby he is all about his mom and dad. They have the food and clean diapers.
6) You shall not murder - Again, this is more likely to happen by the parents and not the baby.
7) You cannot commit adultery - Since when does a baby or child is married to at this age is his stuffed toys and if he wants to cheat on Big Bird with Elmo that is his choice.
8) You shall not steal - A baby can’t even sit up how the hell are they going to steal anything.
9) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor - I don’t even know what this means.
10) You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, manservant, maidservant, ox, donkey or anything he has. - I am not sure why you would covet your neighbor’s manservant or maidservant, since I am not sure what they would be. I am guessing those would be the servants, in our time the nanny. What if the neighbor’s nanny is nicer and does not hit your when your mommy and daddy are away. Is it a sin to pray for a nice nanny?
So as you can by the Ten Commandments it is hard for a baby or child to be sinner so therefore to baptize them to wash away their sins is just weird. Why don’t new parents just say they are wanting a reason to dress the baby up and show him off. Okay, I have ranted enough about my religious confusion. I am pretty sure that it will not be cleared up anytime soon since I am 40 and still confused. But my parting comment is that from what I read on being “saved” you only have to do it once in your lifetime in order for it to be effective. So why do “born again Christians” brag so much about being born again? Did not get it right the first time? Was there a misrepresentation from the church and they had a falling out? Why did they have to be born again?