Damnation!

You may want to sit down for this one.

Rocco is not being baptized.

Some of you may be thinking, 'Pssh...big deal'.  Others may may be gasping for air.  I'm sure there is someone somewhere rolling over in their grave.

Eric and I have talked about it and we are sticking with our decision.  We believe in God but we are not religious.  We believe that Rocco has a Higher Power.  But neither of us believe Rocco needs to be baptized to have a relationship with that Higher Power.

I was brought up Methodist.  I guess.  I was baptized as a baby.  Of course I have no recollection of the event and can say it was a pretty meaningless act. Eric was brought up in a Catholic church.  Kind of.  He was Christened and made his confirmation.  Neither of us identities with the religion of our childhood.  Both of us found a Higher Power in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous and I bet our concept of God is much different than most.

Choosing a church would be our first problem.  Methodist or Catholic? And how hypocritical would it be for us to show up at a random church and ask them to perform this highly significant ceremony for a family they have never met?

To be baptized means to 'accept Christ' and to commit to living a Christian life.  I think that is alot to ask of a baby.  I hope to raise Rocco to be a good person.  Do the right thing. Tell the truth.  Help people.  But I'm hesitant to label that Christian. I don't think one needs to be Christian to be a decent human being.  And I want Rocco to make that decision for himself.  When he is old enough to understand what that means and responsible enough to carry that out.

My friend Brenda did not have her two children baptized as babies.  Yet this past year both Katrina and Matt decided that they wanted to be baptized.  They started to attend church with their aunt and decided that this was something important to them.  Both of them attended religious classes and have a full understanding of what they were doing.  Katrina is 13 or 14 years old and when I asked her about it she said she was glad she had the opportunity to do it when she was  older and it actually had meaning to her.

Some Christians believe you will go to hell if you are not baptized.  I do not believe in hell.  Problem solved.  I don't know if Rocco will believe in Heaven and Hell.  But if he does I do not believe his Higher Power would damn him to hell for not going through the motions of a baptism.

My hope is that Rocco does not believe in a punishing God.  That he is not fearful of God.  And I guess I have some authority over what he believes.  Eric and I plan to teach Rocco about God.  But just like Eric and I, Rocco has a Higher Power that is unique to him.  Maybe someday he will look for that God at church.  We will support that decision when the time comes.  And it should be his to make.