Agnostic Baptism

I heard an interesting report on the radio the other day about a summer camp for kids that is decidedly and pointedly agnostic in regards to the religious belief of the campers, in direct opposition, supposedly, to "Bible Day-Camps" and other faith-oriented brainwashing ventures. The camping, swimming, goofy kids are encouraged to be rational thinkers, and to make decisions about belief that are not pressured by the constricts of so-called faith. I tried to imagine Teague growing up without any kind of network of religious belief and I have mixed feelings about it. How does one encourage basic human decency and a sense of right and wrong without the all-powerful word of god hovering up above and the threat of a searing hell beneath? I have this one friend raised to atheistic parents who felt her sense of good and evil came from The Lord of the Rings trilogy which she read as a child.

Furtherdad is the product of a Catholic upbringing. I'm not disappointed with the human that resulted from the somewhat orthodox Catholic teachings of my youth, and as a logical result, I have to think that perhaps my Catholic upbringing was not as damaging, limiting, or as upsetting as many others report of their own. Perhaps you've heard of the "Recovering Catholic"? I never refer to myself as such, though I haven't called myself Catholic for decades. I just want Teague to be kind to other people, to be altruistic, sensitive and tollerant, and to not to wind up in a tower with a shotgun, raving about religious beliefs and taking sniper-shots at the public. Not too much to ask, I think? But it is a delicate balance, isn't it? My parents were rule-following Catholics, with weekly mass, Lenten observance, CCD, anti-masturbatory teaching, parochial school, parish bridge-club, sacraments, etc, with the occasional exception of the so-called mysterious "dispensation from the Pope" obtained (supposedly) allowing us to miss Sunday mass for extraordinary vacation reasons.

It was reason, philosophy, and the study of world religions during college that soured me on the one-true-faith line of thinking. How many people are there in the world? How many of these humans are NOT Catholic and believe in another god or religious system altogether? And exactly WHY does the Catholic Church (or ANY Christian Church) believe they have the keys to salvation? Are all these others millions (billions, actually) going to some Anglo-conceived hell with a horned devil and a searing pitchfork rammed up the bottoms of those fearful non-believers? It is so self-centered and narrow-thinking to maintain such beliefs.

Anyway, Teague was baptised into the Catholic Church last year due to certain familial pressures and expectations, none of which we were prepared to defy, and which would have resulted in years of family conflict and ostracization had we not proceeded as such. Well, here is how I think of it and try to justify this metaphysical mumbo-jumbo in which I don't truly believe: Baptism is a long-standing, ancient ritual, and the ritual is a beautiful event where all the family gathers to be together and celebrate new life and bringing the child into our community. I am all for that, and so we had a great party with all the family coming in from nearby, and Teague cried out heartily when the water was poured on his head, and afterwards we all ate great food at our house and got loaded. Perhaps some of the more devout in attendance were relieved that Teague was rescued from damnation, or perhaps purgatory, or whatever; I just think of him as a happy baby who had a great party with a warm and loving family in attendance.