If you aren't religious - did you still get your baby christened?

[Firsttimemummy19]

Just that really, I'm not religious so very undecided..

Waves back

I should say I've just realised c of E charge a very small fee for entry into the baptism register. I'm church in Wales (still Anglican) but we don't charge at all for Baptism.

Nope, dh's family are Catholic, mine are CoE, dh and I have no beliefs. We both agree it's up to the child to discover and follow a faith if they wish.

We could charge a fee for the baptism certificate. From memory it is about £12 but none of the churches I've worked in ever have charged that.

If we get an organist in to play that is £60 and in one church I worked in it cost £40 just to fire up the heating. The plate is there in the hope we can cover some of our running costs.

Yes.
First child to keep my parents off my back, while I was on a religious fence. I got off the fence and then had second child. Also had that one christened so they were treated the same. No one spontaneously combusted.

I’m not religious but had DC christened and I was married in a church. I’m more agnostic than atheist but the church had a lot of family significance which is why I chose to be married there. I also wanted my children baptised because as I’m not atheist, I’d rather have them baptised than not

Know many people who got babies christened (or married in church) to make an elderly relative happy. Which I can understand. And given schools are allowed to discriminate against children who haven't been baptised - in some cases by a certain age - I understand why non-believing parents would. My mum offered to get ds baptised Catholic for me and take him to church every month or two, but I pointed out it was pointless unless someone took him to church fortnightly for two years, in our area. So we didn't. I know a mum who did the fortnightly church for the required two years and still didn't get into the school on her road, too.

Nope, we are also not married (though other factors also come into that one).
I was surprised at how a couple of my verrrry atheist friends told me to get DS christened so he could get into good schools.

No - I do not believe in child baptism.

nope didn't even cross my mind too.

@DadDadDad - Archers lurker and church-goer here - it's doing my head in that Alan didn't offer a dedication service to Pip and Toby for Rosie! It would be far more respectful for all parties concerned and very appropriate. It still allows the believing congregation to welcome the baby (and family) and to give something on which they can build if they choose. No hypocrisy involved. It's what my church would do (and it's church Anglican ...)

Relatives of mine had their DS christened as the church previously had a financial incentive to do so. They had DS christened and then realised that the church no longer offered the money.

I don't understand those who get married in a church when not religious, either.

BIL & SIL are not remotely religious yet still had their children baptised, presumably because they wanted to get dressed up and have a party.

It was a farcical charade and a complete waste of everybody’s time.

What church was this, Andromeida? . That sounds like either a very niche cult or a vicar/priest gone rogue...

No, I didn't even though I was put under enormous pressure from both families. This was back in the 80's

No, but I was on the fence. A baby in my family died in the early 80s and was buried in the mass "unbaptised babies" section of the local graveyard, the parents weren't allowed to put anything on the grave, etc. The policy has changed now and, as of a few years back, they were allowed to mark the grave (or roughly where they think their baby is, as they don't know precisely). But it is all a bit of an open wound for my family, so the decision not to baptise was tougher than I expected.

@greyhound. I'm not sure what denomination exactly but they have a vicar not a priest. The christening was the weirdest thing I have ever experienced.

@Jsmith99, maybe they had good reasons you don’t know about.....

Like maybe the best local school was a faith school...