[This happened ages ago, when I was married. I just remembered it and thought it would amuse you guys. My ex - who was raised Catholic - was explaining their rituals to heathen ol' me.]
Ex: ...So the second of the seven sacraments is Confirmation. It's a religious ceremony that happens in your early teens, and part of it entails picking a new name for yourself. Nobody calls you by the name afterward or anything, though. It's more like having a second middle name.
Me: That's cool that you got to pick your own name, though! What was it?
Ex: Michael*.
Me: I'm impressed that you had the restraint to choose a name like that, at that age! I bet most of the other kids went for something cool or funny, like Catwoman or Fartface McAwesomepants.
Ex [after staring at me incredulously for a full minute]: It's...generally expected that you'll go with something Biblical.
Me: Ah. Well. That makes sense.
*I think it was Michael. But this conversation happened seriously ten years ago so I may be wrong.
When I was in the 7th grade (Catholic school taught by nuns) the Cardinal asked us in a formal survey whether we thought we were mature enough to decide whether or not we should be "Confirmed." (There was some controversy that we were too young to make that decision ourselves.) The church of course didn't want to postpone the ceremony, since by the time we were 16 or 18 or whatever we would probably not care. Being both brainwashed and arrogant 12 and 13 year-olds, of course we said YES! three years later I left the stupid church and never went back.
ReplyDeleteHell, I'm an adult and I don't really understand the point of Confirmation. I can't imagine that a 13 year old could.
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