To wonder why people have Christenings?

[PisforPeter]

If you are not going to bring your children to church regularly???

[Lilaclily]

You can be Christain without attending church though

[sonlypuppyfat]

Peter it's tradition to dress up go to church and have a party. At our church we have a thanksgiving service I wish people would us that to celebrate their child's birth, it's a lovely service but has no vows to God that perhaps some people don't really mean.

[Revengeofthechocolatebunny]

Being cynical - for the party/presents

[MrsBlackthorn]

To get your kids into the local Catholic or CofE school, usually.

[amy246]

I agree, I think it's ridiculous. It's all just to show off their baby. Most of them have probably never even looked in a bible or even considered what getting christened actually means. They should wait until the child is old enough to chose its own religion, if any.

[PourquoiTuGachesTaVie]

Yes for the party, presents and maybe later on for the school place.

[BarbaraPalmer]

round here, schools, esp. Catholic.

[gordyslovesheep]

I think attending church is a huge part of being Christian - that argument doesn't wash - how do you confess, or take sacrament or join in the wider church community, or tithe, or do good deeds with your church

people do it for the party and the gifts

and the schools

[Lovelydiscusfish]

I think like others have said to celebrate their child's birth and feel they are tying into a tradition. Maybe they also have faith on some level. I am a church goer and it doesn't bother me at all when they do this - I think it is a good chance to get people through the doors who might not come otherwise, and perhaps some of them might like it and want to return.
Is there a reason you ask, OP (not criticising, just wondering if you have a reason to be upset about this?)

[phantomnamechanger]

another reason.....for the GPs/ILs sakes, because its the done thing, expected, a chance for the family to be seen putting on a show

[AuntieStella]

Maybe because they are lukewarm vague Christians (wasn't it 60% or more of the population self identify as Christian, even if not churchgoers). And so they see it as the right thing to do in terms of the basics evenif it's nt gong to be much built on.

Faith and religion are about more than attendance.

[PisforPeter]

It's just a faff, baby shower present, new baby present and then christening present. People day all these ridiculous vows and then don't set foot in the church again. Just seems odd to me but I take your points about having a party etc

[PisforPeter]

say

[phantomnamechanger]

I think more people will opt for civil naming ceremonies TBH - they can have the big day, the attention, the gathering of the clan, the photos and gifts, the knees up - just none of the promises they don't really understand and have no intention of keeping (in some cases)

[gordyslovesheep]

attendance is kind of central

[MoominAndMiniMoom]

Don't forget keeping families happy - I'd love a normal naming ceremony, am agnostic and have no intention of regularly attending church. But we're getting DD christened because OH knows his family won't be happy if it isn't religious and she can't wear the family gown in church, and he doesn't want to cause friction.

I'd kick up more of a fuss but I'm happy to get to choose the godparents (who probably wouldn't be the church's idea of good choices) and have a party.

[ShadowFall]

Maybe they intend to go to church more often than they actually do?

We christened DS1 and have DS2's christening coming up soon, but we don't manage to get along to the services as often as we feel we should.

DS1 in particular tends to be a bit disruptive - no Sunday school for the kids at our church - and I do worry about him spoiling the service for everyone else, particularly if DH & I can't both go (DH has to work on some Sundays).

[KERALA1]

Baffling I agree. Lacks imagination if you not religious. We had welcome parties both times. extended family in the garden, read a poem or two, tea, cake, champagne. Lovely - my sister did the same with her two you can have a little special family event without involving the church

[wheresthelight]

You do not need to go to church to be a christian! god is omnipresent not just found in a church and at the end of the day all a church is is a place where like minded people come together to celebrate their beliefs. So frankly a pub is a church if the people you are with are all christian.

I despise the attitude in most churches I have attended and find the hypocrisy of it untenable however it was important to me that dd was christened. It had nothing to do with a party, presents or showing her off.

Yabu to question other people's choices

[hotcrosshunny]

Schools! Definitely.

[EatDessertFirst]

Schoold around here. The two best schools are C of E and Catholic.

[somewherewest]

And then just to be confusing there are Christians like me who don't christen our DCs, because we think baptism is a massive commitment people need to choose for themselves. In my experience a lot of younger practising Christians now feel this way, even if they belong to churches which don't.

[Writerwannabe83]

The attention, the schools, the party and the presents.