To wonder why non religious people get their babies christened?

[Topsyshair]

Before anyone gets very offended, I do realise that it's entirely up to the parents what they do.

I just wonder the reasoning behind it. I know a few people who are not religious at all, never set foot in a church unless to attend a wedding, yet have their babies christened.

What puzzles me more is some of these people claim to have no money and be very poor but pay for a christening do.

Schooling! Statistically religious schools do much better

Because it is a right of passage and non-religious people do have some spirituality that makes them want to celebrate.

In my sils case, she wanted her DC to get in to the Catholic school.

We had pressure from parents who were indoctrinated and thought if anything happened to our one and only DC, they would be floating round in limbo forever more 🙄

We compromised on a Thanksgiving ceremony leaving the path open for dd should she want to pursue it further when she is older.

Schools! The only non religious school in our area is an academy which is awful and under special measures.

If the child isn’t christened and in the local parish they are virtually black listed and priority given to those who are. It’s extremely frustrating especially since the rule doesn’t apply to children of other faiths.

The faithless are the ones who miss out and it’s wrong but sadly just the way it is.

Excuse for a party, habit, future schooling, fear of child going to Hell, insurance, pressure from grandparents. The list of possible reasons is quite long.

the same reason you and other celebrate Christmas which is is Jesus birthday

I've often wondered the same. People that aren't married (no judgement, but if you were religious, you would get married) yet have big christenings for their children. Is it as someone said above, to get them into church schools?

I assume that you mean when neither parent is religious. My (hypothetical) children will be baptised as DP is very devout.

Schools.
Statistically faith schools do better when they are oversubscribed, it’s having a hoop to jump through that makes them better on paper- nothing to do with faith.
As someone* said on here once- a school where parents had to learn to juggle to get their kid a place would do better than a non juggling school next door.

*me under another name!

I'm one of those people. I baptized my child so it makes her feel apart of something. Also it's just what we did in our family. We never stepped foot in a church but I was baptized. Makes me feel better for some reason. If my DD doesnt want to believe in that when shes older she can do as she pleases when shes old enough to make her own decisions.

Schooling makes sense though I'm not sure that's always the case.

Each to their own and even if it's just because they want a party, then that's their business.

I'm a bit of a cynic though and sometimes think it seems a bit pointless, unless you actually believe. Especially if you're breaking the bank to pay for it.

I'd never be cheeky enough to ask anyone in real life.

Hypocritical really isn’t it

the same reason you and other celebrate Christmas which is is Jesus birthday

Even if you believe in Jesus its not his birthday, and that isn't why most people celebrate christmas.

Schooling.

the same reason you and other celebrate Christmas which is is Jesus birthday

Um....what?

The party, usually held in a social club.
Getting dressed up, like a wedding.
Grandparents of the child being presented usually pay.
Also, further up the social scale, school entry.
Sometimes, getting a baby done so they can marry in a church if they so wish.
Maybe, family pressure.

I had mine baptised because I want her to eventually understand christianity. It is our background and even if I find it very dodgy ground, I would like her to go to church and then find her own way. I can show her christianity in a non bias/anti christian way at home. They can do the god stuff.
Also, she needs to know what to do in a church. It annoys me intensely when grown adults don't know what to do. I find it disrespectful. Especially when presenting their own child for baptism. Last lot I saw didn't even take the baby to the communion rail for a blessing. They just stood there like lumps of cheese.

To get them into schools, to have a family party etc !

I think people just want a ceremony and a party tbh. We recently went to a christening at a church that was a completely different denomination from the church in which the parents married. We were a bit . At least figure out which religion you are vaguely part of!
(No, they haven't suddenly converted and never go to either church normally)

I'm certainly not going to call anyone a hypocrite, it just seems a bit, pointless.

But some people enjoy organising and celebrating.

Christmas has become very commercialised and more about Santa, presents and turkey for many people.

I'm pagan and DH is agnostic. DD is not baptised or christened as we don't see the point of effectively saying we'll ensure she believes in something we don't.
She's at a perfectly good school (has same OFSTED rating as local faith school).
If she wants to be baptised when she decides that she wants to follow to a religion then that's up to her.

We did for tradition, potential schooling, for DC to have Godparents and also just the fact I was christened and believe in the values and community of Christianity even if not the God part. As I grew up, I was glad my parents had christened me as it meant no doors were shut. It made it easier to marry in a church which again I wanted to do out of tradition and as DH's family are more religious. When we lived in a village we sometimes went to special church services eg Easter, Noah's Ark service and Christmas as it was nice for DC and a good community feel. I went to church mum's playgroup early on with DD. Godparents play a big part in my DC's life and provide people with some responsibility/duty to care for them should anything happen to us.

I get a lot from Chruch without believing one bit!! I want doors to be open to my DC, for them to then make their own minds up.

I got my daughter baptised and we are non believers. She was dying in the neonatal unit, so it had nothing to do with education. I just didn’t want it to be something that we would regret in the future. We obviously didn’t have a party afterwards.

Party
Celebrating the child
Schools
Tradition

When I was a kid most people
Were christened and people didn’t attend church regularly. It was just something you did.

Because it's traditional, because I'm not sure I believe but wish I did (sitting on the fence), to keep in-laws happy, so they could marry in a church.

20 odd years on and things have changed. It's no longer a church or a registry office to marry - lots more lovely options and naming ceremonies are much more common and acceptable so if I was doing it now, I would go for a naming ceremony and let the in-laws take the baby to communion service so it could be blessed, if they asked.

Makes sense violet.

Christmas is a mid winter festival that pre dates Christianity. That's why the Puritans banned it, it was pagan. No hypocrisy celebrating it if you're not religious!
I am intrigued by non believers getting their children christened, though. It must be a deep psychological need to officially belong to the Church?