Churches – buildings of history, nothing more.
Religion belongs in the past. I am sorry, but it has no place in society today, and it is nothing but a tool of frightening the masses into conformity. I had my niece’s christening yesterday; my sister and brother in law have decided that they will be raising her into the Catholic faith. This is fair enough, everyone has the power of choice, and I went along to the church as a mark of respect, but any inclination I had towards Catholicism or Christianity before yesterday is now completely non-existent, and I have confirmed within my heart and head total renouncement of my former faith.
I have attended many a baptism in my tenure as a faithful person. Every single Sunday until I was 16 years old I could be found in a church, praying to so and so about such and such. I stopped going because I simply didn’t believe anymore, well, it wasn’t that I didn’t believe, I couldn’t agree with the rigid conformity and the form of worship. I have probably been a couple times since, for weddings etc. but I have not been so staunch in my disenchantment of the modern day Catholic institutions until I almost walked out in disgust. I bit my tongue so as to not offend my dear mother who was sitting close, and waited till the service was over, however, I am genuinely worried about the direction of the church.
I was troubled most by the Priest’s delivery. Like I said, I have seen many baptisms before, so I am pretty sure it was either the individual, or perhaps this is the general trend of Catholicism in the last few years that I have been absent from the church, but I didn’t have a kind thought at all after the ceremony. The Priest was advocating to the parents that they surround themselves with people of only similar faith – it was like condemning anyone that didn’t believe in the Christian God to the confines of pre-baby friends. It is brainwashing at its worst. The Priest actually said “Of course, they are only children, so we must force our beliefs onto them and hope they grow up in faith” That was a point where I almost dry-reached in disgust.
Does the Catholic Church think that children will be tempted by the great Satan? Are the parents choosing to surround themselves with friends who aren’t of the same faith bad people? The reason I am so adversely affected by words is the fact that according to the Catholic doctrine of baptism, as a non-believer, I should have no input in the development of my niece’s life.
This is absolute utter bollix, and I will be there for my niece when she starts asking those hard questions. Will I be so foolish to tell her that being baptised under Catholicism means this and that? From what the Priest was saying, Catholicism is much more secular than I ever remember, and noticeably less tolerant of other denominations, and in an increasingly troubled world, the last thing I would like is for my niece to grow up thinking less of someone else because of the God they do, or don’t believe in.
I actually told my mum last weekend that she had been brainwashed by organised religion… she huffed and puffed, and didn’t really have much to say to me. She was looking at me the whole time during yesterdays ceremony, assessing whether I was reciting the ‘Our father’ prayer or not. I can tell she is disappointed – she probably thinks she has failed as a good Christian mother – having a son like me, not only renouncing my faith, but outright challenging it. I wish she could understand that having a son that thinks for himself is the best gift she has ever given me – I hope my sister and brother in law are capable of bestowing that gift upon Alexandra. I guess that’s where I come in as the crazy uncle!
BAM!!!