Naming ceremony ???

[Sweetpea86]

Hi just wondered if any body had a a naming ceremony basically a christing without religion. I'm catholic but my husband doesn't belive in religion.

After long hard thinking we have deiceded not bring him up catholic but to bring him up to respect every body's rights on religion ( you get the just)

So as well next April when my son is 1 were going to have naming ceremony. To celebrate his birthday as well as having guardians (god parents)

Has any body had one? I'm not really sure were to start.

I had a Humanist celebrant at my DD's naming celebrant. I met the celebrant beforehand and we discussed the format of the day, what sort of readings I wanted to include (I researched this and provided them myself), who would read them, etc. At no time was god or the denial of god mentioned.

I really take exception to the suggestion that Humanists would use these occasions to promote atheism. CatwithKittens you have misquoted the Humanists who believe "... this is the only life of which we have certain knowledge and that we owe it to ourselves and others to make it the best life possible for ourselves and all with whom we share this fragile planet."

Inspired my my DD's naming day, several of my friends went on to have Humanist celebrations. On no occasion have I heard anything approaching doctrine being incorporated into the ceremonies.

But a humanist ceremony, which would take as its starting point the humanist denial of the need for God

None of the Humanist ceremonies I've been to have taken this as a 'starting point'. Sorry, but this is rubbish.

The 'starting point' for my DD's Humanist celebration was to gather friends together to welcome my child into the world. As mentioned above, I chose all the readings etc., with the Humanist celebrant's encouragement.

Twofingers, the words I have quoted were taken directly from the British Humanist Association website. I am not in the habit of misquoting - please look at humanism.org.uk/humanism/ and then consider whether you would wish to apologise. Of course a humanist ceremony would take humanist beliefs as its starting point in the same way as any other organisation takes certain basic principles as given - a Christening also starts from basic principles, which is why some people eschew it. I would be delighted, but somewhat surprised, to hear that although the participants can choose readings, they could include Christian or other faith's prayers. Indeed their site says "Every humanist ceremony: .... based on shared human values but with no religious elements". If you really look at their site and what they write it is obvious that humanism goes far beyond simply offering alternative ceremonies with no underlying belief system. Using one of their ceremonies implies acceptance of their whole belief system, which goes beyond mere agnosticism and is a denial of God's role in life and, as I have said endlessly, and will not repeat after this, would sit ill with OP's Catholicism or any Christian belief.

cat

But as people have been saying with a naming people plan what they want said, readings etc

They are not getting an off the shelf ceremony, and apart from the Humanists initial introduction they had no say in any other part of the ceremony

We only used the humanist for the first naming, the others we did ourselves

Seems a bit rude just saying humanist, can't think what else to call them

And to me using the bits of what you like from a humanist ceremony is the same as someone who gets married in a church but doesn't accept the whole belief system

So a humanist naming ceremony would be secular with some values included - probably love, support etc.

I don't see why having a ceremony like that would imply the acceptance of the whole 'humanist belief system' (which isn't really quite that anyway).

One of the readings we had was by Joyce Grenfell

Ordinary Morning

It's supposed to be a love poem between two faults but it fit well with a baby

A popular wedding poem by Joyce Grenfell ‘Ordinary Morning’
"It felt like an ordinary morning
It began in an ordinary way
And then, without warning
Became extraordinary day.
Hadn’t the slightest sort of inkling -
No-one said love was on its way -
And then, within a twinkling
Without the smallest inkling
It became an extraordinary day.
For there you were
And the whole world stood still
There you were,
I loved you then, and I always will.
At first, an ordinary morning
Began in an ordinary way,
And then my heart was beating
At this ordinary meeting
And we both knew
This was not an ordinary day."

I felt it summed up meeting my son for the first time

And REM "It's the end of the world as we know it...and I feel fine"

That's his song, it was playing on the way to the hospital...and it's true it's the end of the world you know and the beginning of a better one

I'm going now before I put all the readings and songs on here!!!!!

Good luck whatever you decide

Awww Rufus!