Lost in Religion

"I'd choose Christianity", Marc's aunt tells him, her hands moving expressively, her eyes full of earnestness. "Not because I'm Christian myself, but because your child will grow up in this society". Unfortunately choosing a religion if you are not religious is not so simple, as Marc finds out when he consults Father Lipke of the Catholic Re-entry Office in Munich. "Children can tell if their parents don't identify with the religion, so parents shouldn't do that". That's just what Marc was afraid of, having to embrace the religion of his children, "Isn't there an easier way?" So Marc turns to the rest of his family, looking for guidance on all things spiritual. However, none of them are willing to offer him an easy answer. "If you say all directions are okay, you give them the chance to have one", his sister the Shaman tells him. How very Zen, but will every direction really be okay for Marc's children? His Catholic mother-in-law says there is at least one path they shouldn't take. "That overly pious Catholic attitude is not for me", she'd prefer them to be Protestant. Confounded by his family he must turn to the professionals. Pastor Barry Sloan has a simple answer for him, "God gives life meaning", but for Marc that's just a little too glib, he wants something more tangible, an experience. "Through Yoga I found a new concept of the divine", says the Yoga teacher of his sound technician. "Proof of God is bound to your own consciousness, you have to make that shift happen", he extols but unfortunately for Marc deep meditation proves something of a challenge. "Ten minutes without thinking about daily problems ... I can't manage it". Despite his religious journey, Marc can't quite embrace any god. But he is willing to support his children in whatever faith they choose and hopes they might one day shed light on the mysteries of the unknown. "I'll refrain from caustic remarks and if my kids 'get religion' some day, maybe they can help me get it too".