kids and religion

[topless_mike]

ugh.
i was hoping to blow this off as much as possible, but its been weighing in on me.

my son will be 4 in april. our 2nd kid is due sometime in june, then of which, it will be baptised shortly thereafter. i was raised RC, my wife EO. neither one of us could give 2 shits about religion. we had no plans of introducing into our kids life. what do you say/do if the kid wants to, or has questions about it? like, i think my question is, is it a big deal if we go religion-less?

im sure somebody else has had this come across their laps before.

thanks !

:help:

[Furtherman]

we had no plans of introducing into our kids life.

Good for you two.

Depending on their schooling, they'll eventually hear about it as sure as Santa Claus isn't real and two kids got killed on lovers lane by a man with a hook.

Just explain that long ago, man did not understand the world in which he lived. So gods were created by man to explain the hows and whys. Some people still believe this way.

The best gift you can give a kid is a blank pallet when it comes to religion. Best not to brainwash them. They'll grow up taking in the beliefs of all different kinds. They'll eventually make up their own mind.

[skyscraper]

as I mentioned in another post just today, both my wife and I were raised RC. she still practices, I don't. but I agreed to have both daughters baptized, educated, and raised catholic. that way, they can be exposed to it and make up their own minds when they are old enough about what works for them.

[angrymissy]

When I have children, I plan on raising them with no religion... since Jeff is a dirty Jew and I am an evil Catholic, I figure we can expose them to the family gatherings for said holidays (we don't do mass or church in my family, just gifts) and let them figure out for themselves what they want.

For some reason, I envision this somehow backfiring on me and producing a super-religious child.

[JerseyRich]

I was raised with no religion at all. My parents are English (Mom is Baptist and Dad Church of England)...but they weren't religious as adults at all.

I chose Catholicism as an adult because of my signif. other at the time.

Now look at me.


Chose wisely.

[Gvac]

Two of my closest friends were raised with no religion at all and they're the nicest, sweetest people you'd ever meet.

One of them is pregnant right now, and since her husband was raised the same was as her they wouldn't dream of introducing religion or the concept of God to their child.

I don't see a problem with it.

In fact, I think being raised in a religious family has done more harm than good to most people I know.

[santino]

i'm really glad you posted this. My wife and i were just talking about this very same thing. we have a 10 month old baby girl. we're both catholic, but niether one of us practice. actually, we couldn't care less about religion. we've decided to just not make religion part of her life. if when she's older she feels like she needs or wants to pursue it, so be it. we're not getting her baptised or anything. i think as long as we're open with her about things and teach her to have faith in herself, she'll be just fine.

[Furtherman]

i think as long as we're open with her about things and teach her to have faith in herself, she'll be just fine.

That is a perfect way to put it!

[boosterp]

I am not religious, just spiritual. I do not go to church, haven't in years.

My answer would be to tame their curiosity, let them go with a relative or friend and see what they think. Afterwards have an open discussion on beliefs, you and your spouse's view on doing good, etc. and let them decide. Sitting through a sermon for a hour will usually bore them. Sunday school they may see as a social event, so I would expose them to the sermon part first. Then tell them Sunday school is only for lil ones and when they grow up that the sermon is for big boys and girls.

[~Katja~]

I was raised without religion but my son's father is Catholic. I wouldn't say he is practicing his religion, he really only started going back to church when his older son started school and needed to be there for him to be accepted at the catholic school.

I don't teach my son about religion, and growing up I was naturally curious about it and read up and informed myself about it, went to Israel and all just to confirm that not being religious and not believing in God is perfectly fine.

I am sure his dad will say prayers with him and teach him about god, I on the other hand will not feed into it and if he ever asks me a question I will answer it with scientific facts and opinions that I have learned over the years.
Hopefully when he gets older he will chose what's right for himself. If that is religion I really don't mind. Though I have a feeling it won't be.

[BeerBandit]

Do the grandparents have any input? I was raised Catholic (by my mother not my atheist father) and Piuki, and her sister and mother, converted to Catholicism. I could care less, but Piuki wants religion in the kids lives. We had Babybandit baptised Catholic, but now Piuki is considering something a bit lighter for Beer Jr. I think because of her lazy attitude towards going to church we probably could've gotten away with just forgetting about the whole thing, but my mother-in-law is always pressing to go to church for the kids.

I'm just upset I couldn't get them to worship the Greek Gods with me.

[LaBoob]

Good for you two.

Depending on their schooling, they'll eventually hear about it as sure as Santa Claus isn't real and two kids got killed on lovers lane by a man with a hook.

Just explain that long ago, man did not understand the world in which he lived. So gods were created by man to explain the hows and whys. Some people still believe this way.

The best gift you can give a kid is a blank pallet when it comes to religion. Best not to brainwash them. They'll grow up taking in the beliefs of all different kinds. They'll eventually make up their own mind.

My thoughts exactly.

I was raised in a very strict religious family and lost my faith completely when I was in high school. I'd just learned way too much about other religions and myths to be able to believe that ANY of them were true. It was a scary thing at the time to not believe what everyone else in my family and church believed, especially since it'd been forced down my throat all my life, but through continuing to learn about religion, and especially the social aspects of religion, I feel a lot better about it, and never, ever feel guilty about my lack of faith.

I plan to teach my kids exactly what Furtherman said, and a well-rounded education on religion in general, because the fundamentals of religion are important to learn early in life, like the 10 Commandments etc, but the really minute details are not.

[angrymissy]

i think as long as we're open with her about things and teach her to have faith in herself, she'll be just fine.

I really like this new ad that O'Reilly is outraged over:

"Humanists have always understood that you don't need a god to be good," said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. "So that's the point we're making with this advertising campaign. Morality doesn't come from religion. It's a set of values embraced by individuals and society based on empathy, fairness, and experience."

http://www.whybelieveinagod.org/print/side_U-Street.jpg

[mongothetrucker]

Just teach your kids to think for themselves. If they ask, try to explain that humans are afraid of what happens when they die, so they created religion to give them some hope. It's make-believe. The best you can do is let them think on their own and be realistic about death.

You are born, you live, and you die. The end.

My son was baptised Catholic and my ex-wife is teaching him about God. As a Pagan, I am keeping my mouth shut for now. If he ever asks me, I will tell him my views, but I'm not pushing it on him.

[KatPw]

I don't have kids yet, but I will teach them about all different types of belief systems. I look at exposing children to the different stories and parables from religions no different than teaching them Aesop's fables. There are life lessons to take away from the stories. Richard Dawkins brings up the fact that we indoctrinate children into Religion, and I agree with him, there are no Muslim children, or Christian children, etc. They are all children, with the same needs, wants, and fears.

[KatPw]

I really like this new ad that O'Reilly is outraged over:



http://www.whybelieveinagod.org/print/side_U-Street.jpg

Isn't it great when people get their panties in a bunch over the truth? Religion does not have a monopoly on morality. And believing in god, and belonging to a religion does not mean you are moral.
A book came out recently titled "Society Without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment" by Phil Zuckerman. I have listened to an interview with the author, and it seems like it will be very interesting.

[Thebazile78]

I was raised Catholic.

I didn't mind it and don't think it screwed me up in any way, but I think that's also because, from a very early age, I was always asking questions and thinking independently. My dad encouraged this because he would share knowledge with us as soon as he learned something, especially science.

While being Catholic is no longer important to me, I do want to have my children baptized (not as Catholic, but baptized.) Not to raise them religious or anything, you understand, but more as a show of "faith" for their grandparents (and great-grandparents) and an excuse-slash-reason to gather the family together for a celebration.

Raising your kids to be decent human beings should be first and foremost in your minds as parents, shouldn't it? I know some crazily religious people who are HORRIFIC human beings, so I agree with the humanists that religion doesn't have a corner on morality.

The biggest thing you need to teach your kids is, in the words of Bill S. Preston, Esq. and Ted "Theodore" Logan, "be excellent to each other...and party on, dudes!" What more do you need???

[grlNIN]

Is it weird that i don't want to raise my children with religion but i want them baptized?

I'd like my kids to be centered more around the idea of there being good and bad in the world than an actual religion.

EDIT* i didn't see this but it's exactly how i feel as well While being Catholic is no longer important to me, I do want to have my children baptized. Not to raise them religious or anything, you understand, but more as a show of "faith" for the grandparents (and great-grandparents) and a reason to gather the family together for a celebration.

[BeerBandit]

Is it weird that i don't want to raise my children with religion but i want them baptized?

I'd like my kids to be centered more around the idea of there being good and bad in the world than an actual religion.

EDIT* i didn't see this but it's exactly how i feel as well
Security net? Might it be a combination of laziness or apathy towards religious dogma and tenets, mixed with the fear instilled in you from your own childhood. "I don't want to bother with all of the rules, but just in case..."

[topless_mike]

Is it weird that i don't want to raise my children with religion but i want them baptized?

I'd like my kids to be centered more around the idea of there being good and bad in the world than an actual religion.

EDIT* i didn't see this but it's exactly how i feel as well

we had our son baptized because that was important to my grand parents and her grandparents. thats what you did shortly after the birth. thats what they did, thats what they did to our parents, and we were expected to do the same.

although... my son was baptised at 6months because we had to wait for her grandmother to come here from overseas.

[grlNIN]

Laziness?

I was raised Roman Catholic and i don't practice and have not practiced it since i was maybe..9 or 10?

I think it was more in tune to what Liz was saying, i know my parents would be really upset if i didn't baptize my kids (my brother already tried not to) and in the end if it's something that i personally don't think matters either way then why give the grandparents heartburn over it?

[Thebazile78]

Security net? Might it be a combination of laziness or apathy towards religious dogma and tenets, mixed with the fear instilled in you from your own childhood. "I don't want to bother with all of the rules, but just in case..."

Nope, it's more of a "if I don't do this, I won't hear the end of it" ... and, really, it's such a little thing that it's not going to hurt anyone.

Besides, I like Christenings better than weddings because of all the beautiful words about welcoming your child into a family. It's also a reminder to you as parents that you're promising to raise your baby to be a decent human being ... what's wrong with that?

Laziness?

I was raised Roman Catholic and i don't practice and have not practiced it since i was maybe..9 or 10?

I think it was more in tune to what Liz was saying, i know my parents would be really upset if i didn't baptize my kids (my brother already tried not to) and in the end if it's something that i personally don't think matters either way then why give the grandparents heartburn over it?

Exactly.

It's not important to me that the kids are raised in any religion specifically, but it IS important to me that my parents don't start pontificating to me about religion. (My dad wouldn't do that, but my mother has been lately and I don't quite get it.)

I have other things in my life that feed my spiritual side, like fundraising and volunteering with the Avon Walk every year and now serving as a team captain and doing the ALS Walk with my family, or donating clothing and food to the local food bank.

[topless_mike]

Besides, I like Christenings better than weddings because of all the beautiful words about welcoming your child into a family. It's also a reminder to you as parents that you're promising to raise your baby to be a decent human being ... what's wrong with that?



this sounds like "nesting"

you've got the house already. get to it miss....

[Ritalin]

I think it's hypocritical to baptize a child if you have no intention of raising it in the church. The last priest I met that I had any respect for said as much while officiating a baptism in which I was a godparent. He wasn't speaking directly to me, but he basically said that this isn't a dog and pony show for grandparents, that it is a holy sacrament and the introduction of a new soul into the church, and I completely agree. That was the day I stopped taking communion in order to please my father.

I don't agree with much the Catholic Church has to say, and the church has made it abundantly clear in it's actions and statements that it's not very interested in having me around either. I didn't get married in a church and I'm not having my newborn son baptized. But I do respect the fundamental tenets of the sacraments and wouldn't think of disrespecting them by having a sham baptism in order to avoid having a difficult conversation with family members.

I don't mean that to come off too high and mighty, because I can definitely understand how it could just be easier to go along and get along. And if my wife was a person of faith I would have to respect that and meet her at a point where everyone is comfortable.

[grlNIN]

A baptism doesn't have to occur in the church and that would be out of the question anyway since i don't belong to one and wouldn't be getting married in one.

To me a baptism is the acknowledgment, blessing and a celebration of a new child. A church isn't the only place to show that recognition and i wouldn't call it a "dog and pony show for grandparents". if anything it is done out of respect for the grandparents.

[Ritalin]

A baptism doesn't have to occur in the church and that would be out of the question anyway since i don't belong to one and wouldn't be getting married in one.

To me a baptism is the acknowledgment, blessing and a celebration of a new child. A church isn't the only place to show that recognition and i wouldn't call it a "dog and pony show for grandparents". if anything it is done out of respect for the grandparents.

I'm pretty sure a baptism has to occur under the auspices of a church. I mean, you can have it in the river, but it's still a sacramental rite.

[WhistlePig]

I asked a similar question in this thread (http://www.ronfez.net/forums/showthread.php?t=54370&highlight=church). Maybe some posts from it will help.

[Thebazile78]

I think it's hypocritical to baptize a child if you have no intention of raising it in the church. The last priest I met that I had any respect for said as much while officiating a baptism in which I was a godparent. He wasn't speaking directly to me, but he basically said that this isn't a dog and pony show for grandparents, that it is a holy sacrament and the introduction of a new soul into the church, and I completely agree. That was the day I stopped taking communion in order to please my father.

I don't agree with much the Catholic Church has to say, and the church has made it abundantly clear in it's actions and statements that it's not very interested in having me around either. I didn't get married in a church and I'm not having my newborn son baptized. But I do respect the fundamental tenets of the sacraments and wouldn't think of disrespecting them by having a sham baptism in order to avoid having a difficult conversation with family members.

I don't mean that to come off too high and mighty, because I can definitely understand how it could just be easier to go along and get along. And if my wife was a person of faith I would have to respect that and meet her at a point where everyone is comfortable.

You inferred that I would be having the kids baptized Catholic and then not raising them in the Church.

Not a chance.

The Catholic Church and I don't get along, from its misogyny to its current steamroller push to have Pius XII canonized (not to mention the comments I've made about the Pope's cassocks and fancy shoes), so there's no way in Heaven, Hell, Purgatory or Limbo that I would bring my children into that.

It's more about blessing the child and welcoming it into a family than it is any religion, exactly. My mother's parents are probably still having palpitations from the fact that my husband and I didn't get married "in the Church" ... the Protestant baptisms will probably put them over the edge. (That will actually be kind of fun. :devil2:)

Anyway, I really feel like you misunderstood what Maria and I meant about the possibility of baptisms "for the grandparents" ... but that's because the three of us are approaching this from different places in our lives.

[Thebazile78]

I'm pretty sure a baptism has to occur under the auspices of a church. I mean, you can have it in the river, but it's still a sacramental rite.

A "church" with a small "c" versus a "Church" with a capital "C" are two different things.

You can have a Church baptism and it's implied that you're having a Catholic Sacrament.

Or, you can have a church baptism and it's implied that you're having a religious ceremony, but not necessarily a Sacrament, as some Protestant denominations don't believe in Sacraments in the same way that Catholics do.

It's a Ritual, but not necessarily a Sacrament.

[Tenbatsuzen]

It's more about blessing the child and welcoming it into a family than it is any religion, exactly. My mother's parents are probably still having palpitations from the fact that my husband and I didn't get married "in the Church" ... the Protestant baptisms will probably put them over the edge. (That will actually be kind of fun. :devil2:)




I'm sure there will be plenty of traffic that day too.

[scottinnj]

i think my question is, is it a big deal if we go religion-less?




You are the parents. No one else has the right to tell you how to raise your kids. As they grow older and are exposed to religion through friends and the media, they will ask you questions about religion, and just give them the truthful answers so they will be able to form their own opinion.

For instance:

If you and your wife don't go to church, what do you do if your kid is invited to a friend's house for the weekend and they go to church, or temple or whatever?

2 ways to go:

1. Let your child go to the service with his friend, and that is a good way to expose him to other people's beliefs.

2. Let him go, and just pick him up the following morning before his friend's family goes to the service.

[scottinnj]

Do the grandparents have any input?

If you have a good relationship with your parents, maybe. But the parents have the final say, no matter how upsetting that may be to friends or relatives.

[Ritalin]

You inferred that I would be having the kids baptized Catholic and then not raising them in the Church.

Not a chance.

The Catholic Church and I don't get along, from its misogyny to its current steamroller push to have Pius XII canonized (not to mention the comments I've made about the Pope's cassocks and fancy shoes), so there's no way in Heaven, Hell, Purgatory or Limbo that I would bring my children into that.

It's more about blessing the child and welcoming it into a family than it is any religion, exactly. My mother's parents are probably still having palpitations from the fact that my husband and I didn't get married "in the Church" ... the Protestant baptisms will probably put them over the edge. (That will actually be kind of fun. :devil2:)

Anyway, I really feel like you misunderstood what Maria and I meant about the possibility of baptisms "for the grandparents" ... but that's because the three of us are approaching this from different places in our lives.

A "church" with a small "c" versus a "Church" with a capital "C" are two different things.

You can have a Church baptism and it's implied that you're having a Catholic Sacrament.

Or, you can have a church baptism and it's implied that you're having a religious ceremony, but not necessarily a Sacrament, as some Protestant denominations don't believe in Sacraments in the same way that Catholics do.

It's a Ritual, but not necessarily a Sacrament.

Right away, I want to make it perfectly clear that I'm sorry if my previous posts were too aggressive. "hypocritical" and "sham" probably weren't the best choice of words and I really do respect a parent's right to make whatever choice they wish. I think this is a really interesting conversation and it's extremely relevant to my life right now.

You and I agree completely about the Catholic Church, so let's set that aside.

But you say that it's more about blessing the child and welcoming it into a family than it is about religion, and I disagree. If you take a child into a Church/church and perform a rite/ritual/sacrament that is called a christening/baptism, that's religion. What else could it be?

Here's the smell test, in my eyes: Could you go to the leader/head/pastor/rector of whatever denomination you choose and say "I'd like to have my child christened in your Church/church, but I don't intend on bringing it back to worship in your church afterward."

I mean, if the motivation here is to find a church/faith that you can join and worship in, I think that's great, because you're right, there are plenty of options out there that are far less objectionable to people like you and me - I say that out of respect to practicing Catholics.

But if you're looking for a one stop shop in a church-like atmosphere that placates the attendees, to me that's like getting married in an Elvis chapel in Vegas.

[Heather 8]

8 is a former Catholic who became an atheist when he was a teenager.

I was raised Lutheran, but pretty much consider myself a Unitarian now.

As far as I'm concerned, Jack will be raised without religion until he decides for himself what he believes. As far as 8's family goes, however, I'm afraid Catholicism is going to be thrust upon him (if the Virgin Mary medal my mother-in-law not-so-discreetly pinned to his car seat is any indication).

[Thebazile78]

8 is a former Catholic who became an atheist when he was a teenager.

I was raised Lutheran, but pretty much consider myself a Unitarian now.

As far as I'm concerned, Jack will be raised without religion until he decides for himself what he believes. As far as 8's family goes, however, I'm afraid Catholicism is going to be thrust upon him (if the Virgin Mary medal my mother-in-law not-so-discreetly pinned to his car seat is any indication).

Was she saying novenas to St. Gerard while you were pregnant as well?

[Thebazile78]

Right away, I want to make it perfectly clear that I'm sorry if my previous posts were too aggressive. "hypocritical" and "sham" probably weren't the best choice of words and I really do respect a parent's right to make whatever choice they wish. I think this is a really interesting conversation and it's extremely relevant to my life right now.

You and I agree completely about the Catholic Church, so let's set that aside.

But you say that it's more about blessing the child and welcoming it into a family than it is about religion, and I disagree. If you take a child into a Church/church and perform a rite/ritual/sacrament that is called a christening/baptism, that's religion. What else could it be?

Here's the smell test, in my eyes: Could you go to the leader/head/pastor/rector of whatever denomination you choose and say "I'd like to have my child christened in your Church/church, but I don't intend on bringing it back to worship in your church afterward."

I mean, if the motivation here is to find a church/faith that you can join and worship in, I think that's great, because you're right, there are plenty of options out there that are far less objectionable to people like you and me - I say that out of respect to practicing Catholics.

But if you're looking for a one stop shop in a church-like atmosphere that placates the attendees, to me that's like getting married in an Elvis chapel in Vegas.

I understand where you're coming from and thank you for explaining it.

As I am not currently a church-goer or parent, I haven't thought about the day-to-day practice beyond raising any children I have to be decent, loving human beings. I've got some good ideas from the Gospels, but some other good ideas from other cultures and traditions. I felt like I really had a multi-culti type of experience with my parents' example, despite my Catholic upbringing.

HOWEVER, because the expectation will be that we attend services if we ever visit my mother's family (my father just doesn't have enough room for us to ever visit) I really do believe it will be important for me, as a parent, to take my children to services when they are small to make sure that they behave appropriately and understand that these things have meaning for a lot of people. [During my parents' divorce, Mass had a GREAT DEAL of meaning for me because it was the one thing that still felt safe and comforting. (It's still second-nature to me, but it doesn't have the same comforting effect that it did then. Which makes me sad and angry, so I no longer attend Mass.)]

On the other hand, because my husband is not a regular church-goer, I don't want to create a division in my family or even some sort of a hypocritical conflict because Daddy would rather stay home and watch football on Sundays than go to services.

It may be that we end up being Christmas-and-Easter attendees at the very least when the children are small and talk about whether or not to increase our attendance and/or level of devotion as they grow older. For my family growing up, going to Mass was how we belonged to a larger community. As an adult, I have a different sense of community.

[Ritalin]

I understand where you're coming from and thank you for explaining it.

As I am not currently a church-goer or parent, I haven't thought about the day-to-day practice beyond raising any children I have to be decent, loving human beings. I've got some good ideas from the Gospels, but some other good ideas from other cultures and traditions. I felt like I really had a multi-culti type of experience with my parents' example, despite my Catholic upbringing.

HOWEVER, because the expectation will be that we attend services if we ever visit my mother's family (my father just doesn't have enough room for us to ever visit) I really do believe it will be important for me, as a parent, to take my children to services when they are small to make sure that they behave appropriately and understand that these things have meaning for a lot of people. [During my parents' divorce, Mass had a GREAT DEAL of meaning for me because it was the one thing that still felt safe and comforting. (It's still second-nature to me, but it doesn't have the same comforting effect that it did then. Which makes me sad and angry, so I no longer attend Mass.)]

On the other hand, because my husband is not a regular church-goer, I don't want to create a division in my family or even some sort of a hypocritical conflict because Daddy would rather stay home and watch football on Sundays than go to services.

It may be that we end up being Christmas-and-Easter attendees at the very least when the children are small and talk about whether or not to increase our attendance and/or level of devotion as they grow older. For my family growing up, going to Mass was how we belonged to a larger community. As an adult, I have a different sense of community.

Fair enough.

Mazel Tov!

[Heather 8]

Was she saying novenas to St. Gerard while you were pregnant as well?

Not in our presence; she knows that bringing up religion to her son is asking for trouble, and she's convinced I'm a practicing Jew (!).

[A.J.]

http://www.whybelieveinagod.org/print/side_U-Street.jpg

That is fantastic. I would love to see this on buses in this part of the world. Unfortunately, they would be blown up.

And really there should only be 1 Commandment: "Don't be an asshole."

[Thebazile78]

That is fantastic. I would love to see this on buses in this part of the world. Unfortunately, they would be blown up.

And really there should only be 1 Commandment: "Don't be an asshole."

There already is, but most people forget how to apply it:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40, NIV (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2022:36-40;&version=31;))

[Team_Ramrod]

I've been going through this for the past 6 years; My wife and I aren't religious (my wife believes but doesn't practice, I couldn't give 2 shits).

On occaision my kids will come home and tell me a religious story and I'm like "what the fuck"!?
I look at my wife and say "tell your mother to shut her fuckin mouth in the nice way you can or I will tell her in the nice way I just told you".

The way I'm approaching religion in my kids life is that they will learn the scientific philosophy behind evolution, and while they will not recieve any teachings on religion, they will be aware of it's existence and be able to research it in greater detail if they so chose to when they get older.

They just won't get any direction from me or anyone else until they chose to look into it on their own.

[Thebazile78]

Not in our presence; she knows that bringing up religion to her son is asking for trouble, and she's convinced I'm a practicing Jew (!).

My grandmother was afraid I would convert to Judaism when I lived with my Orthodox roommate. So, she sent me a Stations of the Cross plaque.

[A.J.]

Originally Posted by A.J.

And really there should only be 1 Commandment: "Don't be an asshole."

There already is, but most people forget how to apply it:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

(Matthew 22:36-40, NIV (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2022:36-40;&version=31;))

Mine sounds better. :tongue:

[Thebazile78]

Mine sounds better. :tongue:

I agree. Yours sounds better and is probably more clear to the dumbfucks out there.

(And I think I've just turned into my father with the Gospel counter...see? He didn't screw up!)

[alabamatrucker]

Roman Catholicism is the best way to go. It takes about a year to convert to catholicism if you weren't raised that way. Its a weekly class for one year that explains everything. Being catholic for me works out well. I like the traditions and the significance of the mass and i just enjoy it. I have been catholic for several years now. I converted as an adult. Just my shitty two cents


AT

[Thebazile78]

Roman Catholicism is the best way to go. It takes about a year to convert to catholicism if you weren't raised that way. Its a weekly class for one year that explains everything. Being catholic for me works out well. I like the traditions and the significance of the mass and i just enjoy it. I have been catholic for several years now. I converted as an adult. Just my shitty two cents


AT

Seeing as how you're an adult who went through RCIA, it now has the meaning for you that it had for me in my own past ... and I applaud that.

Being a "cradle Catholic" is a different experience than entering the Church as an adult ... in fact, my Confirmation home-meeting instruction leader was an RCIA Catholic, which was, in my opinion, a wonderful perspective to have while experiencing our parish's Confirmation instruction as a high schooler.

Because it also coincided with my parents' divorce, my Confirmation continues to have a bittersweet meaning for me. It was my one connection to something larger than myself and is most likely the reason why I didn't get into anything crazy like recreational drugs, drinking or smoking ... or spiral into a depression in addition to any of those things. (Not that they'd have been readily available to me. I was a loser in high school.)

I am thankful for the role it played in my development into the adult I am today, but I could not endorse it to other people as heartily as you have at this point in my own life. Good for you, though and God bless.