My wife and I are atheists, but our daughter wants to be baptised Catholic

The Guardian ^ | 14 January 2014 | James Harrington

[Mrs. Don-o]

I'm most likely an atheist, leaning to the agnostic side of the spectrum. I know I'm a sceptic, in the true sense of the word. Or shallow. One of the two.

[snip]

About five years ago, work took me, my fellow-journalist wife and our then three-year-old child from eastern England to southwest France. We enrolled our little girl at a local Catholic school, selected purely on the recommendation of a colleague for the quality of its education.

[snip}

Being a Catholic school, an hour is set aside each week for catechism. A friend takes the class. She has often told us that our daughter is keen to learn and is visibly moved on holy days when the pupils are taken to church.

[snip]

Our little girl, however, has made a life-defining decision by herself: not only does she believe in God (capital G), but she also wants to be baptised into the Catholic faith.

[snip]

Looking back, we realised we had regularly discussed our differing beliefs. Our daughter brought us Genesis. We gave her the Michael Bay-friendly Big Bang. She brought us the Nativity and peace and goodwill at Christmas. We gave her family, friends and good food. She brought us the crucifixion. We gave her the Easter Bunny. She brought us heaven, god and an afterlife. We gave her 21st-century life and a brief future as worm fodder.

... she still had the courage of her convictions to say to both of us, to our faces and again in front of the priest, that our world view isn't enough for her. She believes. She wants to be baptised and she wants to be Catholic.

[snip]

She's taken a first step down a road that, ultimately, she'll have to travel on her own. ... She's heading where I cannot follow.

[Mrs. Don-o]

According to the article, the little girl wanting so ardently to be a Catholic is only eight years old. Amazing. One little gal in our RCIA class is only 15, and swimming upstream against the current of her family to be there --- but eight?!

The Lord Jesus is calling her. God bless the atheist/agnostic dad who is allowing her to respond.

What do you think?

[steve86]

I haven’t read the other thread of the same title but received quite a few pings on it:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3111843/posts

[mlizzy]

Interesting. Touched by angels, no doubt! At [children’s Mass] today, the priest, during the homily, asked the student body, how they thought we should go about evangelizing, and one 2nd-grader raised her hand, and said, “We need to go church all day.” :)

[usconservative]

... She's heading where I cannot follow.

I cannot remember the verse, but I do remember "... a child shall lead them."

I believe that's what's happening here.

[workerbee]

Previously posted with comments:

My Wife and I are Atheists, but Our Daughter Wants to be Baptised Catholic

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

How can anyone in their right mind be an atheist? Not to bash these people but at the very LEAST just the fact of mere existence proves there is a God. There could be nothing but that is not the case at all. I think therefore I am.

[gorush]

I was raised Catholic, served as an altar boy for 6 years when the Mass was only delivered in Latin. (can still recite the "Sucipiot"...and know God's phone number...Et Cum Spiri two two oh) You won't get that joke if you're not relatively old.

I'm agnostic now. I just don't know.

[max americana]

Well at least someone in the family will be praying for them once these 2 hit purgatory.

[Cicero]

A touching story. My parents had no religion and never went to church, but I was fortunate enough to have an Aunt who was concerned about me and persuaded my parents to let me go to church, so I could make up my own mind when I got older.

It certainly made all the difference. I grew up Episcopalian and then converted to Catholicism in college. But I don’t imagine that I’d ever have become a Catholic if I hadn’t been exposed to church services for all those years.

When I was a kid, my parents found some neighbors who agreed to take me to church with them, since it was a pretty long drive.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Do you live anywhere near a Catholic Church? You should stop in, just sit in the back, no need to say anything to anyone --- except maybe -- "Uh, God? Are you there? Please let me know. It's important."

People prayed for me, though I was a dolt when I was younger. (Now??) :o) But I opened the door just a little bit, and it seems He barged through!!

[AnAmericanMother]

Would you try something, please?

Give this book a fair trial:

Mere Christianity

Lewis is a genial, sane voice amidst all the noise.

And he's awfully Catholic, for a Belfast Church of Ireland man.

[Mrs. Don-o]

You are fortunate! Say a prayer of thanks for the people who -— impelled by the love of Christ -— set you in a good direction.

[gorush]

As an agnostic I group atheists with Christians. You both believe unprovable concepts. I continue to search for truth.

[DManA]

MOST likely atheists. I’m afraid to ask what the less likely alternative is for them.

[Oliviaforever]

A blatant case of child neglect and child abuse if these atheists are hindering their daughter’s desire to become Catholic.

I doubt that the authorities will step in, but some action should be taken to make sure this girl is saved from the evil desires of those atheists.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Personal experience is unprovable, but to the one who experiences it, undeniable.

Try it as an experiment. See what happens.

Report back. :o)

[gorush]

I’ll take a look at it. May I suggest “Did Jesus Exist?” by Bart Ehrdman.

[gorush]

Happiness occurs between the ears, I won’t deny that.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I had to cut out a lot of this article to get it down to a 300 word excerpt. If you read the original, you'll see the father is going out of his way to facilitate the little daughter's desire to know, love, and serve God. That's why I say "God bless him." He respects his little girl's choice, even though he himself is not a believer.

Yet.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"It is written": ask, and you shall receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.

Give it a fair try. "The experimental method"!