to think this present rejection is odd?

[OneTwoBuckleMyShoe]

A friend ours recently her DD christened and so off I went to buy a nice present, being an RE teacher I had the perfect one in mind, our cathedral shop do some really beautiful illustrated Bible stories that are a lovely to keep etc for when she is older.

I was very chuffed with the gift and so was a bit surprised to receive it back today with a slightly terse note saying that they couldn't accept the gift as the DH was not at all religious.

Er well excuse me but he was the one at the font promising to renounce the Devil etc etc

AIBU to think this is a bit [hmmm] and should I say anything or just keep the rather lush book of stories for my DD to enjoy when older?

Amazingly rude

And no, no other present EVER. I cant believe they would return a gift to you. Are they normally weird?

how rude!

The gift was not theirs to return.. it was their childs a keep sake of an important day they will not remember.
Really thoughtful gift perfect for the occasion

Unbelievably rude, and a whole new level of hypocrisy.

at their hypocritical attitude and at their rudeness! You do not treat friends that way!

Don't even get me started on how they've had their DC Christened despite being so unreligious they refuse to have one story book featuring religous stories in their home. FFS.

Very rude.

And clearly the subject of a disagreement with her DH along the lines of : 'See, I told you it's not just something everyone does. We've raised expectations now'.

Sounds to me as if the christening was done purely to facilitate entry into a good church school when it is older.

you should test their hypocrisy and invite them for fish and chips.

on a Friday.

:o

MMM- hehe!

How RUDE! and what hypocrites that really is awful! like someone said it really wasn't their gift to return anyway as it was given to the child. I am

surely you're not the only ones who gave a religious gift - do you reckon she had to return every one?! How rude and v ridiculous! Agree with MollieO about the school thing.

How strange. I often buy illustrated children's bibles as christening gifts. It just seems so appropriate.

How odd.

DH and I are both agnostic and despite pressure from my Dad to have DD christened because "It's the done thing", we opted for a naming ceremony on her first birthday instead because neither of us wanted to be hypocrites and also because it devalues the ceremony for people who are religious.

Saying that, I intend to make sure that my children know their christian and other religious stories for various reasons so I would have been very happy with an illustrated book of bible stories.

Very rude. My sil had all her DCs christened, I think she liked all the attention and opening all the gifts, they never go to church. Mind you, its no different to all the people I know who don't ever go to church yet got married in one or my friend who had her DCs christened 'to save them having to get christened as an adult if they want to get married in church'.

Hmm well have just got off the phone with her.

Apparently they were expecting gifts along the line of clothes/toys/vouchers. Stuff you give for a new baby essentially.

She said she liked the book but as her DH reads to their DD and he wouldn't read it they had to return it.

I did express my surprise at the return as her friend and also surprise at the christening as I am a Christian myself. We are having a dedication for our DD as DH does not believe so thought it would less hypocritical on our behalf.

She took offence at that and said they had both wanted the Christening! So why the return?! Arghhh makes no sense to me anyway.

DD's Daddy will be reading Jonah and the Whale tonight!

YANBU in the slightest. It is extremely bizarre, extremely hypocritical and extremely rude. What strange people.

I'm with the others on this thread who are atheists and have deliberately had secular naming days for the DCs instead of christenings, but I would never have been so rude as to return a gift like that. And to do it after you've actually had the child christened at a christening... words fail me.

I like "Er OK. Perhaps you should have said that to the Vicar and saved us all the trouble."

So, rude, hypocritical and apparently so intellectually closed-minded that they can't cope with having a Bible stories book in the house....

Go out and buy the poor child an etiquette book instead because she will need it with parents like that.

PMSL. they are muppets if they can't see how utterly stupid they have made themselves look.

how bloody rude though to be expecting particular types of presents. they should've just had a baby shower before the birth or something, or waited til baby's 1st birthday.

ingrates.

BTW what publisher was the book by, might check it out. I want one. for DD obviously... not me... honest :o

Beyond rude. OMG.

Firstly rude to return gift / or not say thanks. We got some very not useful/horrible gifts when DS2 was born, still said thank you for them all.

Secondly it was a christening present after all - if the DH is not religious why did he allow his DD to be christened? And anyway would still have been appropriate present even if it was a birth present.

what, so she never ever reads to DD?! Sounds like a cop out, plus surely it's the kind of book DD might read herself when she is older.

I would never ever return a gift, it is so rude! I reckon she knows she's being a hypocrite and that's why she got defensive.

Their DD will be able to read books herself someday, you know. Does she not realise that?

How, how, HOW can someone stand up in church and promise to bring up a child as a Christian and then return a Christian book for being religious? How can it not occur to them that this is completely hatstand behavour? And then she takes offence? [headdesk] [headdesk]

Next time you see them squirt holy water down their necks.

On thinking about it again I would mention it to the grandma, ie point out how rude her daughter was. Or the vicar.

Go on, go on -- buy her this and send it with a note saying "I suspect this book may be more useful..."

Go on go on go on go on go on...