Last weekend saw the Dedication of my wee lad George at the Salvation Army in Sutton. It was a special day with family and close friends and it made me very proud of my son. I'm glad too that when we are older, together we can look back on his Christening as symbolic of just how important he is to us.
The day itself, I hope, was all about him, this blog post on the other hand is all about me.
Obviously, as someone who has never called himself a Christian, it was a day that brought with it some personal perils. I'm aware of a certain hypocrisy in standing on a platform and promising to be to my child an example of a true Christian - although clearly being married to one allows me at least a little slack I like to think.
Both ministers too, are aware of my unspoken spiritual misgivings so offered their words knowingly. To satisfy myself though, I paraphrase Stephen Fry in defending the harbouring of two seemingly contrary views, "I am human and thus I am complicated".
It's clear to me that an environment such as that cultivated by this truly welcoming church community can only be beneficial for a young person to grow up in and the majority of the moral grounding I hope he will receive is vital regardless of religiosity.
To deny him this, when the opportunity is afforded by his mother's beliefs, would be nothing short of cruel. It's certainly not like he'll be lacking in secular influences on his life. Ultimately, from both mine and Laura's point of view, the decision, we know, will be entirely his.
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