organizing principle/organized religion

A friend said he was up for a new post, so here's what's on my mind:

My son's getting baptized today. It might seem a bit late in the game, because he's already three years old, but I was eight years old I think, so he's def ahead of the game in a family tradition sense.

Most of my friends would define themselves as secular humanist atheists, in as much as they choose to define themselves at all, which I think is not much. My maternal family are lapsed Catholics, like since the 1970's, at least, and my paternal family are more born-again Christian types, where you live a life of sin, suffer a great loss, have a shocking revelation, and come back to Christ. So we got a fair amount of push-back when we expressed our intention to raise Chars in the Church.

The thing was it was a pretty easy decision. I didn't have to do much soul searching to know that I wants Chars to start with a religious foundation. Here's why, in no particular order:

• western literature.
• a set of moral guidelines that have their root in something greater than human reason, empathy and compassion
• the understanding that living a life of faith is a real true option
• if he gets lost somewhere along the way (like I have, do, will do again), the traditions of the Church and the repetitions of mass are like the proverbial crumbs in the forest that can help you find your way back.
• the rigorous academic standards at the Catholic school we're sending him to, and the "Catholic discount" on tuition.
• the Church will be something to question and cast off like so much molting snake skin when he comes of age to do that.
• he'll know that deep down in the center of his heart, under all the anxiety and horror of life, is a true pulsing love that perhaps even death cannot extinguish

I know alot of people I know and care about think that makes me sound like a crazy person.

(Apropos of crazy is after I read Go Ask Alice I thought how I'd really like to take drugs. It sounded amazing, except for the parts where she totally stopped taking responsibility for herself, I mean girl, keep a cool head. But I was vaguely seeing a guy at the time, a guy who drove a mustang, and I knew he could get LSD. So u said hey guy, go on and get me some LSD! And be said actually no, you're too crazy, I'm not going to make you more crazy. Don't worry, mustang guy was not my last chance.)

Anyway being a crazy person is the least of my concerns.