My father in law was a cultural Christian... went to church because it was the civilized thing to do and then, three days before he died of cancer, sitting up all night because he was afraid to lie down, he saw the clock saying 3:16 and believed. I know he was saved.
Thank you for this post!
My adoptive father was born to Lutheran parents. They were both baptized but opted not to baptize their one and only child.
He met and eventually married my mother and promised to the Church that he would raise me Catholic. He never renegued on that promise. Three years ago, his mother died. In her will, though not a practicing Lutheran, she left all her worldly possessions to the Lutheran Church. My stepfather comlied with her wishes.
At Christmas last year, he asked my mother to give him a Bible. She wasn't quite sure how to approach this since she was raised Catholic. In the end, she gave him a KJV Bible. I doubt that he ever read it.
In my office, there is a wonderful man who was raised catholic, married a catholic woman in a catholic church. They are non practicing catholics. When their only child was born, they decided not to have her baptized into the catholic faith, opting to allow her the "freedom of choice" in selecting a religion when she grows up.
Reflecting on my own step father's dilemma, I have attempted on several occasions to challenge him in this approach. Children raised in a secular household have no basis of faith on which to build. It is a thorn in my side and I pray for this family each and every night, especially their 5 year old daughter who associates Santa Claus with Christmas and the Easter Bunny with Easter. It grieves me no end, having watched my father struggle with the mixed messages he was fed over the years by the mainstream media.
I hope and pray that Benedict XVI has a good handle on this concept. My co-worker's child is a victim of her parent's decision. Both parents are solid conservatives in their thinking and practices. For whatever reason, they have turned their backs on the Catholic Church and entrusted their only, beloved child to the whims of the world. Please remember Sara in your prayers.