Christening

[MrsRV]

Do you have to be a christian to have your baby christened? x

I beleive in order to have your child christened at your local church, you need to become a regular visitor, and known to the Vicar. I can't imagine any Vicar christening a child of a family who doesn't regularly attend church. I may be wrong though.

If you are not a Christian, and do not intend to raise your child as one, may I ask why you would like them Christened?

I think the common way these days for non-religious families is to have a Naming Ceremony, in which the child's birth is celebrated and 'Guide Parents' are annouced and a party is thrown.

No but i know for the catholic church you need to attend for a certain amount of weeks before hand.

If your not religious you could look into something like a naming cer or humanitirian cer. I have decided on that as my family are catholic and DP protestant no one could agree about chaple vs church since neither me or DP are religious thought it would do the same job instead of picking a religion neither of us believe in.

You just have to attend church for a while before the Christening, I think. Plus you may have to partake in some sort of "lessons".

It also depends on the Vicar/Priest. Some are more open to Christening non-Christians than others!

I would say yes but plenty will disagree with me. Lots treat it as a purely social occassion. One woman I know who is currently planning a big do for a christening is a self confessed atheist. Why do you ask?

Our church asks you attend church for 6 weeks prior to the Christening if you are already not known to the church community.

Why you'd want to have a christening when you don't believe in God I dunno, I have been to some gorgeous naming ceremonies. The last one was at the family home and they planted a rose bush for their baby girl. Awwwwww

It is a Christian ceremony, so I think having a parent with at least some affiliation to the denomination into which you want the child welcomed would be an advantage.

The parents and Godparents need to make vows in which they undertake to provide the child with a Christian upbringing. Would you be able to conscience this? (One useful point, for which I keep expecting to be flamed but it's yet to happen, is that CofE now seems so woolly that even God is optional, so any good intentions would probably suffice).

Different denominations and different priests within them will have their own view on how much preparation is required before the baptism. You will either have to fall in with this, or seek a different venue.

Thanks everyone, I'll speak to the local vicar x

I think you have to at least have been Christened yourself (or the father).

I have known vicars not Christen babies because the parents weren't married, and because the father didn't want to attend. (Mother was a devout Christian, and the father was happy for the DC to be Christened, just didn't want to go to church himself)

I'm curious as to why you are asking, OP.

The correct answermay be no, you shouldn't do that.

But come on. Out of a few people I know who are christianining their babies, no chance in hell are they christian.
They say it's so their child isn't excluded from good schools in the area and so they may marry in a church when they're older.

Sad that the common beleif is that you must pretend to believe in such things to fit in socially.

I think a naming ceremony is more honest, for most people.

Well, really yes. It's like asking if you need to be Jewish to have a Bar Mitzvah. That's not to say that people don't use it to get into schools as an excuse for a party but a Christening welcomes the child into the church.

You can't be baptized as a Catholic without having a Catholic parent. I would be surprised if other denominations would.

Anglican vicars are obliged to perform christenings, marriages and funerals for anyone in their parish that wants them, it's tied in with C of E being the state religion. I would be very surprised anyone would want their child christened if they didn't believe in God in some way, though!

As an Anglican, I think there's a difference between going every week or more and being a Christian. My relationship with God isn't necessarily mediated by the church, although I like to worship with other people of the same tradition.

You don't have to be christened yourself (although if you think it's important for your baby, why wouldn't you want to be done at the same time?) AND in an emergency it can be done by any believer with any water, not just a vicar with pre-blessed stuff in a font. And it still counts for C of E.

And you never know, God might be reeling those naughty ones in with his excellent educational provision

Anglicans are full of mystery, you know

For example, every c of e diocese has an exorcist and you don't need to be a member of the church to engage their services.

It's not all coffee mornings with us, oh no...

Actually, though they are obliged to marry all those in their Parish, because marriage is governed by statute law as well as Church "law" (and CofE is the established church), there is no such obligation on christenings, as this Is a sacrament only. Here is a link that explains this.

So it is at the discretion of the clergy. Most are however welcoming.

Is it true you don't have to be Christened yourself to have your baby Christened in an Anglican church?

A bit different from the way Catholics do things.