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My fiancé and I have been discussing our future baby plans and I have hit a rut. She is semi-devoutly Catholic and I have no faith whatsoever. We have already compromised that our wedding doesn't have to specifically be held in a Christian church, but she's becoming insistent on our future kids being baptized in her family's church. She worries that they'll grow up "wrong" or something if they're not baptized as she was. I was baptized in a Lutheran church but realized I am an atheist around 16. I want to raise my kids to form their own opinions and not be drawn in exclusively to church law. If I give in to their being baptized at a Catholic church, would that make me a hypocrite? Is there a plausible way to explain my concerns to my fiancé, especially since she's already giving up her Catholic church wedding to appease me? Any advice or anecdotes would be helpful.
I was baptized, you were baptized, and now we're both atheist. Baptism isn't going to mystically make your child fall for their scam. Just be honest with him, she can't deny the truth and he'll see the truth, or not. Love him/her any ways. The bigger concerns are when she wants to place the child into sunday school classes where they learn that dinosaur bones are a test from god. Are you ready for all that bigger stuff? I see a storm coming. Buy a good bong, your going to need it.
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| Comment | Thanks for your advice! To be fair, sunday school wasn't even a question. My kids will learn what and how long ago dinosaurs really were, and that the bible is a book and nothing more. Baptism was the only worry I had. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Clint
Expertise
Raised Southern Baptist, Atheist since 2007, Theology, Cosmology, and Abiogenesis hobbiest. Rational philosopher and logical deep thinker.
Experience
Raised Southern Baptist (Oklahoma), three times weekly including bible study. At age 39 I thought I wanted to be a better Christian and make God a priority and center of my life; until I actually got serious with the study and realized that all this God business was actually just a business. Then I picked up all the other religions for comparison and studied theology as a whole in order to understand religion as a whole. Since then I have thrown out my respect for religious organizations and the dishonest people who run them. I am not militant against religion and feel that personal and private spritiuality is a human right. I'm 100% sure there is no master of the Universe concerned with our daily existance but hold reserve about where everything came from; I don't know but at least science doesn't invoke far fetched unbased fantasy. I'm also 100% sure that beyond death there is no consciousness, spiritual or ghostly existance and I bravely accept that my demise will be real.
Organizations
Atlanta Freethought Society
Northeast Georgia Atheist
Education/Credentials
Associates of Applied Science, Tulsa Comminuty College
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