My children, a 3-year-girl and a 1-year-old boy, aren't baptized.
Many people take issue with this parenting decision — especially the people I know from my days as a devout, practicing Catholic. Most of the judgment comes through passive-aggressive comments. Some folks, though, have no problem telling me to my face what a great disservice I'm doing my children. One woman actually told me my children would likely go to hell because of my choice. She didn't say it maliciously. But she did say it with all the urgency one usually reserves for, say, letting an oblivious stranger in the street know they are about to get plowed over by a car they don't see coming.
My mom is also concerned. Initially, she was downright combative about the whole baptism thing. "Aren't you happy with the experience you had growing up? Don't you want that for Emma?" she asked when I informed her my wife and I wouldn't be raising our firstborn — or any future children — Catholic.
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