Christenings

Guest2

Guest2

Guest2

Soldato
Joined
6 May 2009
Posts
20,202
We have a Christening coming up in a few weeks time.
We have both met the mother of the child and have known her for 10-15 years but have never met the father.
The last Christening I went to was in the 90s as a young child and am not a god person at all. Atheist

Questions;
Is there a general format to christenings
How long do the ceremonies usually last
Is is customary to bring a gift
 
Turn up 5 mins early. Bring a little gift if you want, but it's not compulsory - would bring a card at least though. The service will be over before you know it, shorter than a wedding ceremony. They probably aren't really that into god either so don't worry about it haha.
 
If people aren't that much into God then why do they still do this?

I've never agreed with carrying out baptism on infants that not only can't consent but have no clue what's happening around them.
 
Just go in and sit down.They're usually over pretty quickly, some people dress up, some don't. A card or small gift should suffice.
 
BallistixOnZ490 said:
If people aren't that much into God then why do they still do this?
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because it's nothing to do with god and about someone feeling special, same as marriages people just want the attention.

or it would be close friends and immediate family only.

It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of people only do things because they want gifts.

known for 10-15years, never met the father, I wouldn't bother.
 
Both of my German grandsons were Christened in U.K., as when a child is Christened in a church in Germany they are considered to be liable for Church Tax when they begin to earn money, it’s called Kirchensteuer.
It is 8% of your income tax in Bavaria and Baden-Würtemmberg and 9% in the rest of Germany.
When my son found out about Kirchensteuer he initially said no to having them Christened, but my German daughter-in-law, while not being religious, believes in tradition, she and her brother were Christened so she wanted her sons Christened too.
 
Jean-F said:
Both of my German grandsons were Christened in U.K., as when a child is Christened in a church in Germany they are considered to be liable for Church Tax when they begin to earn money, it’s called Kirchensteuer.
It is 8% of your income tax in Bavaria and Baden-Würtemmberg and 9% in the rest of Germany.
When my son found out about Kirchensteuer he initially said no to having them Christened, but my German daughter-in-law, while not being religious, believes in tradition, she and her brother were Christened so she wanted her sons Christened too.
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Wait what?? If you are christened as a child you then became liable to give the church 8% of your income when you start work as an adult? Surely that isn't enforceable legally? What a complete scam.
 
Colonel_Klinck said:
Wait what?? If you are christened as a child you then became liable to give the church 8% of your income when you start work as an adult? Surely that isn't enforceable legally? What a complete scam.
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The church tax is only paid by members of the respective church.

Members can formally declare their wish to leave the community and their obligation to pay ends.

The church tax is a percentage of income tax, not a percentage of income. If a member's income tax was €10,000 they'd pay €800 or €900 church tax.
 
Colonel_Klinck said:
Wait what?? If you are christened as a child you then became liable to give the church 8% of your income when you start work as an adult? Surely that isn't enforceable legally? What a complete scam.
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I know, sounds like a load of ******** doesn’t it?
Google Kirchensteuer and see.
Remember, it’s 8 or 9% of your income tax, not income.
 
You can opt out of Kirchensteuer, and you're opted in even if you weren't christened in Germany. When you opt out, it's like trying to get out of a Sky contract, except they try and guilt trip you more.
 
Em3bbs said:
You can opt out of Kirchensteuer, and you're opted in even if you weren't christened in Germany. When you opt out, it's like trying to get out of a Sky contract, except they try and guilt trip you more.
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To my knowledge, no one has has tried to garnish my elder German grandson’s salary, he’s in the German Diplomatic Service in Berlin, the younger grandson is due to graduate from Kleve University soon.
Maybe the German equivalent of HMRC is aware that their maternal grandfather was in the SS during WW2 and are a bit hinky about leaning on my grandson, in case the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!
 
I was opted straight in when starting full time employment - but this was in Bavaria where the religious scale takes on a whole other level.
 
BallistixOnZ490 said:
If people aren't that much into God then why do they still do this?

I've never agreed with carrying out baptism on infants that not only can't consent but have no clue what's happening around them.
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Strikes me as completely pointless.

The infant can't commit to living as a Christian. Non-religious and most religious non-practicing parents aren't going to attach any meaning to it either.

Utterly pointless or just mostly pointless?
 
FoxEye said:
Strikes me as completely pointless.

The infant can't commit to living as a Christian. Non-religious and most religious non-practicing parents aren't going to attach any meaning to it either.

Utterly pointless or just mostly pointless?
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Well even the point of baptisms are questionable. Baptisms are a ritual to wash away sins. Baptizing infants came from the belief that babies inherited their parent's sins.

So in baptizing your baby, you are saying that its full of your own sins that are being cleansed.
 
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