In a recent Relevant Magazine Jeff Tweedy talked about his confirmation experience:
"I was confirmed in the Church of Christ," he says. "I was not really keen on going back after that. That was the deal my parents had made: 'Go and get confirmed and basically we'll go on Easter and Christmas.'"
What?!?
Now I have no beef with Jeff Tweedy. For me confirmation was pretty much the same deal: do it and you don't have to go back. We were kids, what do we know. I have a problem with all parents who make this deal with their kids and force their kid to go through confirmation. The only thing they are all confirming is that neither they nor their kid are committed to Jesus and his church! It's confirmation of apathy and disinterest!
Students do what their parents do in regards to faith and practice. Period. If a parent is committed to Jesus and his church the kid will be. If the parent's not, kid won't be. There are extraordinary exceptions but as a general rule those who are involved before will be involved after the confirmation experience. Those who aren't won't be.
I'm almost to the point where I'm ready to say, "Let's cut to the chase...parents...you don't care, you just want a piece of paper for God knows what reason. Students...many of you don't want to be here. Let's save everybody some time and hassle, give you your pieces of paper so you can go away and the rest of you who were here before and will be here afterwards...let's get down to business following Jesus."
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