I gave up Catholicism 29 years ago, and never looked back.
The year I left the church, I asked the priest at my tech school if he could officially ex-communicate me, and he told me 'no'- my baptism was for life. It took a few years, but I was finally 'unbaptised' in a Pagan ceremony which really felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders.
I feel Numenist at heart, and sincerely wish I had the community and its celebrations, restrictions, and commitments to belong to. Right now, I am in a sort of spiritual drifting idle mode- still studying, but not doing much else. The religious holidays blow by without much, if any observation by me. I did not dye any eggs or eat any jellybeans this Easter. It was just another Sunday. I do know this: I will never join another church.
Tomorrow, I am going to attend a Clinton School lecture about a book "The Religious Case Against Belief". Ought to be interesting...
ETA: I sometimes think that my baptism as an infant didn't take, because I had a very spectacular and earthy reaction to the whole ceremony. I was great until (my mom said) the priest started daubing things on me. Let's just say that I ruined my baptismal gown, and they had to disinfect the font. I was unable to speak or protest or decline, so I did the only thing an infant could do- I filled my diaper.
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The year I left the church, I asked the priest at my tech school if he could officially ex-communicate me, and he told me 'no'- my baptism was for life. It took a few years, but I was finally 'unbaptised' in a Pagan ceremony which really felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders.
I feel Numenist at heart, and sincerely wish I had the community and its celebrations, restrictions, and commitments to belong to. Right now, I am in a sort of spiritual drifting idle mode- still studying, but not doing much else. The religious holidays blow by without much, if any observation by me. I did not dye any eggs or eat any jellybeans this Easter. It was just another Sunday. I do know this: I will never join another church.
Tomorrow, I am going to attend a Clinton School lecture about a book "The Religious Case Against Belief". Ought to be interesting...
ETA: I sometimes think that my baptism as an infant didn't take, because I had a very spectacular and earthy reaction to the whole ceremony. I was great until (my mom said) the priest started daubing things on me. Let's just say that I ruined my baptismal gown, and they had to disinfect the font. I was unable to speak or protest or decline, so I did the only thing an infant could do- I filled my diaper.