what do you think of people that have their lo's christened when they are not reallt religous?

[pregnantbabyelephant]

good excuse for a party ? nice to introduce the baby to the extended family ?
better to have a naming service? has anyone actually done this ?

better saved for those that do go to church on a regular basis ?
or ok for those that dont go to church but are just belivers?

is it something people do to please the older people in the families like the gp's?

i think it is insulting to those who do believe.

Why is it insulting? I had my boy Christened, and I'm not particularly religious.

I think they do it because it's "a nice thing to do" - bit like have a big church wedding when they don't have a faith. I think it is hypocritical and really sad because it's meaningless anyway.

If you want to celebrate having a baby & have a big party etc I'm all for people doing that. I have absolutely cringed at the christenings I have attended when I know the parents have no faith.

Irritates the tits off me.

You have to be able to truthfully turn to Christ, and to make the promises.

I'm afraid that I agree with Sheherazade and Cargirl

RUBBISH. Even more so people who get married in churches because it looks nice. Give me a break. Get some principles you idiots.

i dont get it either
family tried to pressure me into getting my lot done
i wouldnt do it

I'm a christian - and I would a lot rather you set foot in a church once for your child's christening than never at all

I don't see the point of it if you're not religious - why would you do it?

I think the same for people who get married in church, but that's opening up a whole different can of worms...

Ah now sheherazade, I prefer to remain hopeful that somehow the child will benefit from being baptised in the family of the Church.
We have a Baptism Rep who attends all the christenings at our church and aims to stay in touch with the family, mailing them details of forthcoming child-friendly services, sending a Christmas card from the congregation etc. We now have some families who come along once a month or so and it is very good to see them. Of course, it requires a lot of work from the PCC and the Rep.
I think you have to separate out the undoubtedly questionable or misinformed motives of the parents, from the spiritual wellbeing of the child and extend a warm welcome to anyone seeking baptism.

I don't agree with doing it unless you believe in it, in the same way as I think it's hypocritical to get married in a church if you're not religious. That's my opinion anyway.
If someone is doing it to have a party and introduce baby to extended family (both good ideas ) then you don't need to have a religious service for that.

I am hoping to have some sort of do for DS, but won't get him christened for those reasons.

It would be really hypocritical for me as I have no religious belief (although my parents are regular church-goers). We didn't have any kind of party/ceremony for DS.

Were you my class lecturer today? because this is a rant he ahd.... (class was thgeology btw so was relevant)

What do I think? Depends on why you do it.

If you want to hold a traditional ceremony to welcome your LO into the world, then i think the Church ahs a function for that- Church attendance cettainly NOT an essential part of being a Christian anyway. I mean, do shift workers lose their faith because they work Sundays? Or aprents of disabled kids who cant take them? Of course not!

OTOH if like my sister you loathe religion and are doing it just to go to a certain school for cheap childcare purposes then i don't like it at all.

My ds3, baby and I will all be baptised together in the Spring (baby due march)- arranged it today. last Vicar didnt want to do me because I couldn't attend regularly due to ds's sn / Dh's shiftsbut this one is much more accepting.

I did lose my faith for a while after my eldests sn was diagnosed, and ds3 ahd a naming ceremony and it WAS lovely, perfectly adequate- but the Baptism is for well, religious reasons.

I didn't get married in a church for the same reason.

I'm not religious but my dh and his family are, they are very pleased if I attend church with them so to say it is insulting to religious people I think is not necessarily the case. Most people who have faith in God and the church would welcome anyone into that community, believer or non-believer.

Really annoys me. SIL had big church wedding and LOs christened but never goes - never "worships".

Deliberately did not have LOs christened - want them to chose their own faith when they are older.

I think it is a tradition thing - "doing it properly" and it is massively hypocritical

I find it awful because the parents are making promises to bring the child up in a faith/belief when they have absolutely no intention of doing so. I wouldn't feel the same if it were a service of blessing or such like (if such a thinkg exists).

No idea
I didn't christen dd or marry in a church

I do take her to a carol service though as she likes it

Evening CD

Peachy - glad you've got a vicar now who lives in the real world! All the best for the baptism in the spring - how lovely to get 'done' at the same time as your dcs

i dont think its riht to christen children just to get them into a "good" schoo;. i hesr so many people say this and it gets on my nerves.

Well, I was baptised at five because I asked to be. My father is an agnostic and my mother an atheist, but they promised to ensure I was brought up as a Christian, and I was. So although technically their baptism promises might have been hypocritical, especially from my mother, in practice they fulfilled them perfectly.
You could say I'm an example of a child being baptised for social reasons (plus pester power ) because I was at a church school and turned out to be the only unbaptised child in the class

I feel the same way about it as people who get married in church and don't believe.
I think it is hypocritical, and while I wouldn't know (not believing) I would imagine it would be insulting to people who do believe.
To me, if you believe then you believe, whether or not you usually go to church is irrelevant.

Jenny- calling poeple idiots without knowing their motivations, that's a Christian approach is it?

remember Jesus said 'Love one another'- not judge people on the basis of things you don't know or understand.