Happy Easter! It is a religious holiday, but one that has turned into really just another family get together. I admit I have been very lax about going to church these past few...oh....years. I do believe in the higher power of God, and Jesus, and all the saints. I pray when I am faced with issues beyond my control and need help, and I am thankful, very thankful for all I have gotten out of my life so far. I know there is someone helping to guide me. I just have a not so warm and fuzzy feeling about the church, and I am sure I am not alone in this. We decided to have our daughter Baptised, and I have dreaded contacting the church. All their questions and formalities just turn me off. But I knew it had to be done, so I just jumped in, and started the calls. Well, there are only 2 Catholic churches in my area. They both have a long list of requirements....ie...the Godparents need to have been Baptised, and had all their other sacraments. If they are married, they must have been married in the Catholic church, no co-habitants allowed, no one divorced, and I think the list went on and on...I just tuned out at that point. I was also told by one church, that because my husband and I were not married in the church, that we would have to validate our marriage. Excuse me...are you telling me my daughter is a bastard??!! Well....we went with the other church...and I registered us as memebers and then filled in all the required paperwork. Our Godparents had to get forms signed by their church with the official church seal, that they are members in good standing. Now, I am supposed to wait for a call within the week to make an appointment with the priest. No one calls....a week later, I call and check...no one knows why they have not called me yet. I wait another week...no call....no one knows why they have not called me yet....but someone will call me tonight or tomorrow. I wait another 4 days...get it....no one calls. OH>>>> it was in the wrong persons "box" but now Easter is coming, we will get to it next week.

This whole process is so annoying. This is just for an appointment so we can meet with a priest who I am sure will ask us questions looking for a way to make us feel un-worthy as Catholics and as human beings.

Oh...did I forget to mention the fact that we got our "envelopes" within 3 days of registering??

I grew up as a Catholic child, went to Catholic School too. Somehow I was able to separate the spiritual essence of religion from the human rhetoric that gets spewed at us as parishioners. I hope that my daughter can do the same, and I want her to grow up with God and with religion, just not with the red tape, and the judgement that unfortunately comes with it.