I’m a priest - ask me anything!

[RevInTheHouse]

I’m a fairly young (and quite normal I think) Church of England priest. Am married with children

I'm also curious about your opinion of schools that select based on the parents beliefs (real or otherwise). I think they are terrible and think they should all be banned. What do you think of them and if you think they are ok why do you think it's ok to exclude children just because they are the wrong religion.

Thank you.

Don't know if this has already been asked but isit true that in the Christian faith you have to be buried and not christened?

Cremated *

Thanks for your answer about being an unbaptised Godparent. That is comforting because it bothers me. So if I did want to get baptised where would I start? Do I just find a Church and then ask after a while? Or should I say upfront?

user1471546851

No that’s not true in the CofE, you can be buried or cremated. I take more cremation services than burials

How2Help

I’d ring your local church for an informal chat

What advice would you offer someone who would very much like to believe in God and be part of a religion, but just did not believe at all?

WhatDidItSay

I’m not against faith schools although some have better admissions policies than others and I can genuinely see why people dislike the idea of them. I know as a parent, prior to ordination, I wanted them to go to a school which explicitly taught the Christian faith and we had one affiliated with our church.

In all the church schools I’ve been involved in, there haven’t been loads who meet the faith criteria as most churches are not overflowing with children! All of them had a range of pupils from all faiths and none.

mostdays

That’s a tough one. I’d say that if people really want to explore faith then find a trusted and sensible Christian to chat with and perhaps even pray with. Maybe also attend a service, or a couple of different types of service, with an open mind. I’d like to think you’d be accepted and welcomed at a church whether you believed/ took part or not. Those would be the first steps and also read and explore the Bible - I’d start with the Gospels

What is the meaning of life?

My DH is an ordinand in the CofE at the moment. I'm an atheist and while I fully support him following his calling I'm worried about the effects it will ha e on our lives. I love our home and our privacy and I fear losing both when we move to a manse so he can do church ministry. How do you and your husband deal with this and ensure there are appropriate work/home boundaries in place? Has your DH struggled with your job and do you have any advice on how to cope?

Cerca it may sound silly but have you tried just going to church? I experienced a similar disconnect from the church due to an abusive relationship and it never occurred to me to just go back to church. When I did after years, everything just somehow slotted back into place.

derxa that should say. Stupid Spanish autocorrect !

Do you have any concerns about belonging to a faux church? I mean Catholicism and the Church of Rome are the real deal aren't they?

Does the C of E pay a bigger stipend than the Catholic church and lastly,, do you really believe all that stuff ?

I’m off out and realise I’ve missed some so I’ll come back later. I’ve replied to loads though and enjoyed it!

It’s not heaps but it’s enough

Hmm, at risk of falling below NMW excluding housing I would say. They get round it by using the housing and pension.

What do you think of rich parishes who buy additional vicars privately (to run their youth sections for example) when lots of small rural parishes cant get a priest?

Lifelong atheist but I’ve got a question!

If someone was forced and bullied into being confirmed as a teenager, is there any way as an adult they could be “unconfirmed”? Like a CofE version of excommunication?

I feel so uncomfortable about it as perhaps you might if you nipped into a synagogue and pretended to be Jewish. I’ve had to “overturn” a lot of what was foisted on me in my first 20 years but there seems no answer to this bit!

Thank you.

I always say that religion is a bit like the law. Only the Rich and the poor can afford it. It must be a nice little number being a member of the clergy, especially in a nice rural parish. All those bright, shiny and happy clappy people.

And do you think GCSE RE should be compulsory in non-religious high schools? (Asking for my long suffering children who both hate it!)

I have a Qu too.
V good friend of mine is a Catholic (as am i but lapsed in that i still attend Church weekly but can't always get to a Catholic one).
The friend has repeatedly broken a number of commandments.
But is certain that he will ascend to heaven as God forgives all.
I agree but to my mind, you must genuinely repent of your actions and try not to do it again. He sees no such issues and merrily continues to break commandments.. I find this frustrating.
What do you think?

I also thought Broken was a tour de force. Interesting you thought good.

You sound like a lovely lady @RevInTheHouse very gracious given some of the tough questions thrown your way

Have you ever been asked to cleanse a house (of evil spirits etc)? Or bless bottled water so someone could store it?

Do you pray for the death on all soul's day (in the Anglican church)? If yes, is it important to you?

@Frith1975 GCSE RE isn't compulsory in all high schools.