Friday, October 10, 2008

Saying hi to Baby Jesus

Sorry for not posting a Random 11 today. We are out of town, getting ready to have Libby baptised at the church where TLB and I got married in 1247 (A.D.). My brother Tickle is going to be the godfather, which means that Libby will likely have a gambling problem by the time she is eight.

Who am I kidding, she'll have a gambling problem no matter who her godfather is.

The baptism is funny in that, while neither TLB and I have been very good about going to church, we never hesitated about having Libby baptised. We've even started going back to church to set an example for her. If my daughter winds up becoming jaded and sarcastic about religion like her old man, that's fine. But if she does wind up at that point, I want it to be because she chose to feel that way, not because I'm that way.

Yes, I realize that makes no sense. Neither does having a person who takes a vow of celibacy counseling couples on the marriages. Embracing life's contradictions may seem silly, but at least I still get a hug.

Update: It was worth it for the cake alone. If they replaced communion wafers with this, the Church could fill those pews again:

13 comments:

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

we kind of took the opposite tack with Young Rotten. Both of us raised in religious environs, more or less, we skipped the baptism entirely and have no church-going habits.

Young Pilgrim is encouraged to raise his own questions and explore his own ideas about life, the universe and everything. Where he goes from there is up to him.

Already, he seems to have developed a stronger sense of morals than some other ostensible 'religious' folks like Sarah Palin...

Churlita said...

Since my girls are half-Irish and half-Mexican, both sides of their extended family are very Catholic. They can't escape the church no matter what they do. If they want to understand both cultures, they have to know something about the church. I personally, don't believe in organized religion, but their dad does, so they go sometimes with him.

I've taught them to question everything and take what they can use from it. Both my girls are pro-choice and for gay rights. My oldest daughter does like the structure of the church and the do-gooder projects. My youngest daughter is more like me and only goes when she has to.

Jennifer said...

I didn't want my girls to have the religious baggage I did so they've had very little of the church experience. We discuss it a lot, but there was no way I was going to make them go like I had been made.

I did have them baptized though...

To each his own.

I'll agree with RM, my girls have a much better idea of what "do unto others" means than many of their church-going friends.

Hey, RM! Although we're not into church-going... care to pre-arrange a marriage to that exemplary young man?? :)

Kathleen said...

hope it's a great weekend!!

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

Only if there's a sizable dowry. Make sure it includes a moose.

Cuz you know that barter society is probably the best we can hope for anymore....

Feral Mom said...

We went the no religion all the time route (I'm ex-Catholic, Mr. Feral's ex-culty thing called Unity) but I sort of wish we'd had the girls baptized. Especially since my parents probably had it done on the sly, anyway.

Lately, we've been feeling bored on Sunday mornings, and idly wondering if the Unitarians will have us. I guess this is how it starts?

Happy baptism!

Kathleen said...

love that cake!!!! so pretty!

also, now I really really want a piece of cake. Must Eat Cake.

Grendel said...

Little ones to Him belong -- they are weak but He is strong.

Hope she got his autograph!

fish said...

Imagine my surprise when I confused Pentecostal with pentagram. That was quite a baptism...

Jennifer said...

I bet more people would go to communion if they served that cake every time.

The Uncanny Canadian said...

I'm confused. If you eat the cake, is that like eating the body of Jesus? Or is not eating the cake like eternally damning the soul of Jesus? We just have bagels and lox after the circumcision.

fish said...

We just have bagels and lox after the circumcision.

I don't even want to know what that is supposed to transubstantiate into...

Brando said...

If you eat the cake, is that like eating the body of Jesus?

It's like eating the body of Jesus with an awesome Holy Spirit marinade. But sweeter.