Confirmation that Catholics are somewhat insane

I know that title is going to piss people off and that's not what I'm out to do. Well maybe a little, because no one has ever really gotten mad at me on here. Oh, except for the INXS concert fiasco. I'm Catholic myself so I feel I am justified in saying that some of the more faithful amongst us are not just somewhat insane but fucking CRAZY.

On Monday night I went with my friends Nancy and Michelle to a confirmation class at our church. Our kids are in Grade 6 and are preparing for this sacrament. Except that we, as parents, have to go to two 2 hour classes before they even get started. My parents never went through this particular torture. And torture it was.

There are two sentences that led me to this belief of insanity. The first was that when our speaker said she was confirmed at the age of 6 and thought to herself "Now I am a soldier of Christ." Imagine thinking that age of six! Granted she's from Scotland, a child of Irish parents, and is about 65 or so. Perhaps the fact that I was raised by one lapsed Catholic and an anti Catholic Protestant made me much too lax in my Catholicism. Perhaps if my entire family had attended church every single Sunday of my life rather than the odd Sunday, Easter and Christmas (Eve, not Day...are you bloody mad? Imagine giving up an hour of Christmas Day to go to Church!) I would be more aware of my role as a soldier for Christ.

The second phrase actually frightened me. She said that people should be able to look at us and just know that we are Christians, that they should be able to pick us out of a crowd and know that we are witnesses for God. Frankly, I think it is this very attitude that starts wars. Why should I be any different than the Jewish (insert any other religion if you so choose) person standing next to me? Isn't every religious person a witness for their particular God? Where does any one of us get off saying that our religion is better, or that we are the "chosen" religion and so therefore the only witnesses? That comment bothered me on Monday and it still bothers me 3 days later (even if it says Wednesday at the tope there...it's taken me 2 days to write this and I almost deleted the whole post but I thought fuck it.)

I have had issues with my religion since I was eight and had to go through Reconciliation. I have always been extremely shy and as a kid was somewhat (well, alot) terrified of men. So to have to sit alone in a little room with some old man in a black outfit was slightly more than terrifying. I question why we do Reconciliation so young, after all what sins can an 8 year old have committed? Apparently my list should have been very long, because there was no pleasing this man. It got so that I lied just so that I could get out of there. I recall saying that I didn't wash the dishes and that I called my mother a swear word. I never had to wash the dishes so I'm not sure where the sin was and at 8 I had yet to utter a swear word. I don't think I had ever heard one at that point. Well, I'm sure I had from older kids but they would have went right over my head. I must point out that this priest was not my parish priest, at the time all sacraments were celebrated together as a class not individually like they are now. I loved, loved, loved my parish priest, Father Lou, he was fantastic.

Anyway, I have never been back to confession and if I were to go now I am sure the priest and I could spend a week discussing the sins I have committed since the age of 8. There are many, a few broken commandments and all. Because I had what I perceived to be a terrible experience I didn't want Taylor to do Reconciliation but of course you can't be confirmed without it. She does it the week before her Confirmation. She also has to attend a 6 hour retreat with her sponsor. Her sponsor is her godmother and as she is expecting her first child in May I doubt she will want to sit in a church for 6 hours at 9 months pregnant so chances are I will be going to that as well.

Sigh. The things we do for our children. I don't have to do it for Liam though, he's refused to do any of the sacraments. He says "I am only half Catholic." He's an odd one, that boy. William seems to think it is enough that Saoirse is baptized, he doesn't think she needs to do anything else and that she can choose when she is old enough. And poor Sophie, it appears that she is destined to be nothing for so far William has not budged on the baptism issue.

So while I certainly have issues and I most definitely disagree with alot of the things the Church stands for, it was very important to me that my kids be baptized. I don't know why. I can only explain it by saying that if something were to happen to one of them, I would like them to have something that they believe in that might be able to help them get through whatever situation they are in.