MY APOSTASY
by Ron Steelman  © 2012

Part I – My Baptism
Until now I really didn’t feel it was necessary to personally sign a “DeBaptismal” certificate. I thought that was a little over the top for me. I wasn’t motivated to give that act so much credibility, even though the possibility of doing so struck me as deliciously post-theological. Some of my friends purchased special forms from secular humanist and atheist organizations and have even participated in public ceremonies which were officiated and certified by various high-ranking un-religious wiseacres. But times they are a-changin’. The shrill voices of religious fundamentalists grow louder, accusing non-believers of causing all the evils in the world. I have no choice. I must reevaluate the passive status of my apostasy.

Some people have told me that they would never forswear their Baptism as long as their parents were still alive. That act would signify such a gross repudiation of “this loving act” by their parents that it would be like stabbing mom and dad with a dagger. I doubt if I would have told my parents had I renounced my Baptism, but I never renounced it while they were alive. However, after reading the wording on the following DeBaptismal Certificate (from the Freedom From Religion Foundation), I am now ready and happy to sign it. Since both of my parents were cremated they won’t be turning over in their graves.*

So here it goes.

I, Ronald G. Steelman, having been subjected to a Christian baptism before reaching an age of consent, having submitted to baptism before embracing freethought and reason, hereby officially renounce that primitive rite and the Church that imposed it. I categorically reject the creeds, dogmas, and superstitions of my former religion, particularly the pernicious doctrines of ‘Original Sin’ and damnation.

I further denounce as an affront and defamation to humanity the false and demeaning belief that any baby is born with ‘Original Sin’ and must be cleansed of it by baptism. From this day forward, I wish to be excluded from any claims and religious affiliation or membership based on baptismal records.

Signed:  Ronald G. Steelman
on this day    March 22  in the year of No Lord  2012
Affirmed by:
Please be my witness by commenting on this post below.

Part II – My Apostles’ Creed

While going through some old photos that my sweet mother saved for me, I discovered this photo from my Presbyterian Church Communicants Class. When we finished the prescribed course, we all received our own personal King James Bible. I believe this event was in May 1959 when I was turning thirteen.

All the other boys have burr haircuts. That’s me in the center with the Rock & Roll duck tails: my hip, and at the time considered a hood(lum) hairdo. Clearly, I didn’t fit in with this crowd, religiously, philosophically, or socially. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure there were some good kids in this group who knew the difference between right and wrong, and who were maybe even trying to emulate the good teachings of Jesus.

Rockers Eddie Cochran & Gene Vincent

There had to be. This was 1959 for Christ’s sake! And there was a picture of a white Jesus on the wall there. However, what sticks in my mind is the way I was treated and tricked by some of these upper crust Christians. It bothered me that some of these kids were already demonstrating a certain level of hypocrisy when it came to “doing the right thing.” Some were already trying to game the system — and me.

I just didn’t fit. Maybe it was because I was more worldly-wise. I had a paper route and was out on the street delivering newspapers to my 100+ customers every day. To get paid, I had to collect the money from the customers every week and turn it in at noon on Saturday. When I would collect on Thursday night and Saturday morning, many people on my route would ask me in to their apartments while they went to find the money. Let me put it this way, I was hip to all kinds of weird things by the time I was 13.

The only thought I had about the “Communicants” thing at church was that my parents made me take this class. So, I finished it and I received my Bible — just to please them. I actually didn’t think about the class till after it was all over. During the next couple of years that class made me question everything about my real beliefs. Although I had learned about honesty and character at home at my kitchen table, I had to go to church to learn about hypocrisy.

So now, this is part II of certifying my Apostasy. Here we go: I now disavow my being a sworn adherent to the Apostle’s Creed. I was forced into it and I was brain-washed at the time (I was just turning 13!) I tried to forget about it for years. But now I must finally correct the record. Maybe this will encourage others to let go of their old religious baggage.

My Repudiation of the Apostle’s Creed
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty (no), Maker of heaven and earth (no), And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord (no); who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary (you’re kiddin’ me), suffered under Pontius Pilate (not sure about that), was crucified, dead, and buried (there’s no real proof of that); he descended into hell (there is no hell); the third day he rose again from the dead (see Penn & Teller); he ascended into heaven (there is no heaven and I don’t believe the rest of this, especially the resurrection-of-the-body part), and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

Part III – My Belief

I feel so much better now that I have officially shed the religious affiliations that were forced upon me as a child. This should not happen to any child. Moral and ethical lessons can be taught without any religious affiliation, leaving the final choices about spiritual/religious preferences until the child becomes an adult. The child should make their own decisions upon becoming an adult (and I don’t mean 13).

I aspire to be a Secular Humanist. What is Humanism? Well, one important distinction is that Humanism is a philosophy, not a religion. Here is the definition:

Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
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* The Footnote About My Parents:  I am confident that although my parents went to their church for over 50 years, they went specifically to participate in its noted music program. We never had a discussion about God, or Jesus, or the virgin birth. Even as they were dying I could not engage either one of them about their beliefs in a hereafter, or anything else that was religious. Their lips were sealed. Why? For them it was the music that was their spiritual connection. They were in a huge choir. Mom was the soprano soloist and Dad was the tenor soloist. There was a five manual pipe organ, the best organist around, and exposure to some of the best ‘sacred’ music created by all the world’s best composers like Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Handel, Haydn, Randall Thompson, Gabriel Fauré, Carlos Menotti. Sometimes they’d add strings and/or brass to the arrangements, using musicians from the local Symphony. I was a choir brat so I sat out front and listened to all this. It was fabulous and moving, but not from a religious sense. It was the beauty of the musical arts that kept Mom and Dad going to church. At the end of Dad’s memorial service in the church, the organist played one of Dad’s favorite organ pieces, the Widor Tocatta. If you don’t know this piece, you should find it and play it on the biggest speakers you can find. I am in awe of the beauty and power of all the music I heard there, magical music created by human beings. That’s inspiring.

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