Christians are crazy. They say crazy things and do crazier things and it's really no surprise that, in some cases, Christian rituals are seen as those of a cult. But these rituals and terminology are often times characterized as crazy when they are misunderstood by those who don't practice the religion, and sometimes, even by those who do. Lack of understanding regarding the foundation of these practices has resulted in a major stigma against the churches more... unique practices. Let's take a moment and look deeper into the roots of some fo these more outlandish customs.

1. Baptism

Christians have a strange ritual of dunking other Christians' heads under water, typically in front of a crowd of other Christians who cheer loudly during the ceremony.

I mean seriously, to the unknowing bystander, baptism looks crazy.

But there is more to this ceremony than luke-warm water and a crowd of people whooping and hollering.

Baptism is a way for believers to profess their faith in a public way. The demonstration is purely symbolic; there is nothing special or healing about the waters in the baptismal and there is nothing magical about the words that the pastor utters during the ceremony. Baptism doesn't fix or save or change anyone, it is an act of obedience; in the bible, Jesus commanded Christians to get baptized and to baptize others.

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
-Matthew 28:19-20

Baptism is a next step for those who have accepted Christ as their Savior and want to publicly proclaim their faith in Him to the world. When someone makes the decision to get baptized, they are telling the world that they believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins and that they have faith in God; they have entrusted Him with their eternal life and trust in Him to guide their life on earth as well.

Baptism symbolizes the cleansing that occurs when someone accepts the gift of Jesus' sacrifice; when they repent from their old life and choose to follow Christ, they are washed clean of their sins, they are made pure. Christian's believe that as sinners, we are unable to dwell with God, our Father, in heaven. This is because God is pure and holy, and sin is imperfection, it is all that is wrong in this world. The two cannot dwell in the same place just as darkness cannot dwell in the light.

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:29

2. Communion

Another seemingly bizarre custom of Christianity is the part taking in communion. During communion, the pastor or priest will say a blessing over a basket of bread and some wine, and then the church's members are encouraged to go and eat the bread and wine (or grape juice, it's usually grape juice) and reflect over their Savior.

This is an odd, seemingly random practice to experience in general- why are we having a snack break at church? And then the pastor refers to the snack as Jesus' body and blood; suddenly it's not so appetizing.

Jesus started the tradition of communion during the Last Supper (his last meal with his disciples before he was imprisoned and then crucified). He called his followers to eat the bread and drink the wine in remembrance of the sacrifice he would make when he died for our sins.

...and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
1 Corinthians 11:24&25

He referred to himself as the "bread of life" (John 6:48), meaning he nourishes us, we are filled by him when earthly things leave us empty; we survive because of him and because of his sacrifice. There's a link between being near to God and being fulfilled by him. verse

Communion is a way for Christians to commemorate the love of Jesus and the sacrifice he made. It's a chance to take a moment of solitude and silence, and thank God for his love and mercy, for sending his Son to make the ultimate sacrifice, to be sentenced to a torturous death even though he had done no wrong, so that humans, no matter our sins or failures, could receive eternal life. We didn't deserve it, we could never deserve it, but Jesus did it anyway; so we take communion for the chance to take just a brief moment to celebrate, thank, worship, repent, honor this sacrifice.

3. Calling God our "Father"

Especially because of the creepy "daddy" fetish, hearing Christian's refer to God as their Father can be unsettling. A father is typically thought of as more... human...you know: baseball cap, mismatched socks, really bad jokes, yells at the tv during football... that sort of thing, and a booming voice in the clouds doesn't necessarily fit the profile. What do you even get God for Father's Day? Do you get him anything? Is it rude not to? And why is God a male? Why can't God be our mother or an androgynous parent?

Many believe that the male pronouns given to God reflect the patriarchal society that was predominant at the time of the Bible's composition. If that were true, having a female goddess as a cult leader would suggest a matriarchal society, yet many societies of the time had principal female goddesses, such as the goddess Isis in Egypt, and still had a patriarchal society.

So how do Christians know that God is male? In the New Testament, Jesus-the son of God- spoke of God frequently, and always referred to Him with male pronouns. Jesus also frequently called God his Father, both in sermons and when he prayed aloud.

“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
Luke 2:49

Christians are children of God (Romans 8:15). He created us, just as He created the world; He is powerful and mighty, yet he is personal at the same time. God is more than just a deity, He strives for a relationship with us and He calls us His children. Therefore, it is only fitting that we call Him our father.