To think that the form for my kids new school should not ask......

[SuedeEffectPochette]

.......for my "christian" name! It's a state school. They must get all sorts of guidance on how not to cause offence. Surely this is a term from the 1950s these days!

Because if you're willing to call it Christmas, you probably shouldn't have an issue with the term Christian name.

Because people are petty kim.

Christians muscled in on all the festivals and now they want any word with Christ in it. :)

Christmas is called Christmas no matter what you think about it.

Your first name is not called your christian name unless you were christened it.

I can't believe people struggle with this!

The little baby Jesus forgives you OP, and says you'll only burn in hell for half an eternity.

Asking for a 'christian name' is wrong because many people have a christian name that they took at baptism or confirmation but is not on any birth certificate or passport.

My mum has one name on her birth certificate. She was baptised and confirmed at the same time (as an adult) so took two christian names that she never uses.

I call it Christmas because thats what everyone else calls it of any religion or none Do christians have a problem with calling the celebration of the resurrection of christ by a pagan goddess's name "Oestre"? I doubt it.

Language is a marvellous thing as it evolves as people collectively want it to.

It isn't difficult to put "first name" "family name" on a form so on the whole its good practice to. OP didn't say she was frothing at the mouth with outrage just that she was offended that the assumption was that she was Christian.

I am jealous that you have the time to worry about such things

On a separate but related matter - many years (maybe 20) ago I was in hosptial and a kindly little old lady came around to fill in some forms.

"Relgion?" she asked
"atheist" I replied
She looked slightly harrassed and stumped and eventually said...
"I'll call that CofE then dear"!!!

I think the CofE would be more offended than me in all honesty as she obviously equated it to having no significant belief! In all honesty the majority of people who ticked CofE probably hadn't been in a church since they were christened or married so I was sympathetic to her interpretation.

oh give over, some peoples lives must be so boring if this is a concern.

The word Christian name is what the first name has been known as in this country since whenever, get over it!

I am rather drawn to the idea that all MN threads should be about serious and weighty matters.

There presumably would have to be some kind of handicapping system - Mrs DV would be able to post 5 times more than me, I would would be able to post 2 times more than than another poster.

There would need to be some kind of committee though deciding who got the most opinions and on what matters.

Using Christian name on the form would make me wonder just how archaic other aspects of the school were.

"If this is all you have to worry about..." is really, seriously irritating btw. If something described in an AIBU wouldn't bother you then by all means comment as such but to basically tell someone to get a life is just a bit crap really.

I don't think MTS will be responding - she will obviously now be using MN solely to comment on matters of life and death. Unless that post was total bs

The word Christian name is what the first name has been known as in this country since whenever

No it isn't. As in the example I gave, my mother has 2 christian names, neither are her first name.

The term Christian name comes from a time and an expectation that your name was given to you at your Christening, because you were a Christian. That's not a very enlightened assumption to make any more.

I remember at school some well-intentioned friend telling me that my name wasn't 'really' my name because I hadn't been christened!

I get annoyed when giving details for myself and my son they always say, when it gets to the surname bit, "is it the same as yours?" When they could just as easily say "and his surname?" The first question just seems loaded with baggage (are you married to the dad? Split and remarried?). I l know it is being sensitive but it is the sort of thing that can be sensitive (no feckless sperm donor said he'd marry me but ran off with my sister). Especially as the answer is the same no matter what the question. Either you will say it is the same as yours or no it is X.

Well said JenaiMorris.

I haven't been christened, therefore I don't have a christian name.

It is an archaic expression.

"some people enjoy looking for things to be offended by"

And some people are more thoughtful than other people.

this is a joke right .

DamnBamboo did you change your name when you got married, or not? Can't work it out from your posts.