Magic Sprinkling of Water

I've been in a grouchy mood lately. When I evaluate it, there's really no great reason, I'm just in a bad mood. One thing that's not helping is that my mother is visiting for the week (or at least for the majority of it). Makes me feel guilty for being grouchy about this as she did come to help me out. The kids are off school this week, and if she wasn't here, I'd have to take off (and I really don't have the vacation to spare). So I really should be grateful. I do realize this. But somehow, it just all drives me buggy. I mean, first of all, I can't do anything that I want to do (I know, selfish much?). When I get home from work, she's been there all day with the kids, so it's not like I can say, see ya, I'm going downstairs to exercise. So instead we sit in the living room and watch television. I hate watching television. Most of the shows on are inane. I mean, I watch DVDs like crazy, but 1. I'm usually exercising when I watch; 2. it's show I want to watch; and 3. there are no commercials. Sitting watching American Idol's result show is not my idea of fun. But I can't just go because she's doing me a favor, and I haven't been around all day. So we sit. And watch.

Add to that she has decided that her major concern in life is that my kids haven't been baptized. Apparently she has decided that if you aren't baptized, you can't go to heaven. And no, we're not Catholic. It's even against her current denomination's teaching, but she has it in her mind that it's the most important thing in the world. Problem is the church I go to doesn't believe in infant baptism. They believe you get baptized once you decide you want to be a Christian. No magic sprinkling of water to get a get-out-of-hell free card. Which, quite honestly, jibes with what I believe too. Can't imagine you go to heaven and it's like the EU passport line for those who got their magic sprinkling. What, you were a devil worshipping, drug dealing, mass murderer of hookers? But wait, you got baptized? Well, go right on it! Can't picture it. What's really funny is that when I chose Christ in college, my mom thought I joined a cult. Now she's Ms. Religious? Funny how times change.

Truth be told, I'm not sure what I believe anymore. I mean, I believe there is a higher power, and I believe that higher power is for good. I believe that higher power sends down examples of how we should like, be it Christ or Mohammed or Buddha. I can't quite cotton to the idea of the devil. I think we are evil enough without extra encouragement, and why would a good G-d, who created all things, create evil. I believe our own free will is the cause of evil, not some spiritual bogeyman. I'm also having trouble with Christ being the only way to heaven. If I believe in a good G-d, which I do, how could this good G-d cast someone in the outer reaches just because they believed something that was incorrect? Just because Ghandi wasn't a Christian, does that mean he's burning in the fires of hell? What kind of a good G-d would do that? I know what I'm saying is sacriligious, but I just can't buy all the basics. I think we're here to learn how to love. How does eternal damnation relate to that? Anyway, it was interesting to be treated like a heathen by my own mother because of the magic sprinkle.