Have you ever been forced to take part in something without knowing how the outcome might affect you? I have. It all started at only a few months of age. Although my parents weren’t extremely religious, maybe attending church twice a year, Christmas and Easter, they still thought it would be a good idea to baptize me as soon as possible.
I went to a Catholic school throughout elementary, middle, and high school. In doing so, I was compelled to not only take courses in religion, but also attend mass regularly. High school courses were all the same, including pledge and prayer before each and every class. One class in particular greatly affected my so-called faith in god. The teacher was extremely opinionated, stating that, “if you don’t believe in god, you are the son of satin.” If that wasn’t bad enough, I was told that the stories previously expressed to me in middle school were not true, including the infamous creation story involving Adam and Eve. Undeniably, this gave me a false sense of security, not knowing who to believe.
Eventually the time came for students to be confirmed, and suddenly it hit me: I do not believe in god. All the teachers asked me why I wasn’t getting confirmed, and I told them the truth. It was only a matter of time before everyone realized my true thoughts concerning religion. Having gone through this whole situation, I have made the choice to never force any religion onto my children, or anyone for that matter. I don’t blame this on my parents because they want what’s best for me, but I think all children should choose to be baptized when they are well educated on religion. That means there should be a minimum age requirement set on the sacrament of baptism.
“Faith is one of the world’s great evils.” – Richard Dawkins