Were you Christened? - I wasn't

[WillyNelson]

I was baptised C of E but I won't have my daughter or any subsequent children baptised. If they choose to be christened, or entered into any other faith, then I would fully support. I personally believe that it is something the individual should choose for themselves as it isn't something that you can undo.

 

[Blackstar]

No i wasn't, it has never bothered me and i've never really thought about it. My parents thought that it should be up to us if we wanted to follow a religious path, they themselves are not religious at all.
I wouldn't have my children Christened as i'm not religious.

 

[Hobgoblin]

Oh yeah, for sure for the bit in bold. If a child is shown the facts they soon see religion is crazy.

The problem comes where a family has two religious parents, how much balance is presented there?

a lot. i was brought up with 2 large catholic influences (grandmother who i lived with for a while and saw every week and went to mass with) and my mother (my dad is a 7th day adventist as well). i also went to a catholic primary and secondary school. not once have i felt pressured to believe anything. it got to the time where i decide whether i want to be catholic. i said no, i no longer go to church and im left to my own devices.

some of you seem to think you get baptised and thats it. baptism does not make you a catholic. confirmation is the choice and the final ceremony to becoming a catholic.

 

[MHayes]

Not Christened thankfully! Unless I have a major U turn in what I think about God then neither will my kids.

I think it is silly to christen your kids, surely they can make their own decision when they are older, why force it on them?

 

[Soulja]

I'm a Christian but was never Christened. Seems a bit weird to me that a child who can't make their own decisions can be given the label "Christian" before they can even comprehend the ideas behind the religion.

agreed, everyone at work keeps asking when i'll be christianing my daughter but i just reply 'Why should i force a religion on her, she can make her own mind up when she grows up'

 

[Glaucus]

Of course there can and should be a two sided debated, but how often does this happen?

Surprisingly a lot. But then I don't know many catholic's.
Mum was a seventh day adventist. which teaches you to learn for yourself, you don't have to believe what the churches say and they encourage you to read around other faiths.

Catholics are the ones which seem much more forced. But then again it's pretty much all cultural anyway.

 

[waterproofbob]

I wasn't christened but am a christian as are all my family, my parent's wanted me to have my own beliefs and grow up and work it out for myself. I had a load of friends who were force fed it and now can't stand religion. I got baptised off my own back at 16 having been at boarding school able to make my own mind up about it. Christening is a nice enough thing but is more of a nicety than an essential thing. Also christening doesn't make you any more or less likely to get into heaven, it's a nice thing to do for your kid as a sort of hey this is your name enjoy it in front of friends and family and of course God.

The argument that people who are forced into religion have no choice is strange, you are possibly more likely to be a christian if your family are as you have access to it more regularly than those that enjoy a lie in on a Sunday. With society as it is today where the main influence in our lives is less and less on the parents then everyone has choice. Some of my best mates are atheists who had it religion forced on them as kids but as acidhell says that's not religion. It's like the religion causes problems argument, it's not religion that causes the problem it's the misunderstanding of religion. There's a lot about modern church that infuriates me as it is clearly going publically against the very basic message that they are teaching.

but in an attempt to not get too deep, christening is a bit meh, let the kid grow up and make their own mind up.

 

[G-MAN2004]

You're basically going to get turned away at the gates of Heaven, sorry about that. I heard Hell isn't that bad, just a daily schedule of torture, pain and eternal agony.

Or 6 ft under ground..

 

[scorza]

Christening is basically a thing for the parents to show off their new sprogs. However I always thought it was a nice way of welcoming the baby to the world and to assign some responsible adults who will hopefully help the child through it's early life (God parents), hence I don't really mind non-Christians having their children baptized (getting baptized to get into a school is a different matter though lol).

When the child is older (13 or 14) he or she can choose to confirm the vows taken by their parents and godparents in a confirmation service, at which point they become a full member of the Church. So people who are against Christening on the grounds of letting the child choose when it's old enough are way off the mark - that choice is still available whether they are Christened or not.

For the record, yes I was Christened (Mum still has the pictures lol) and yes I did confirm the vows.

 

[JodieO]

I am baptised catholic. My eldest two are christened COE and my youngest son is being Christened on Sunday. I do believe in choice for them but I also wanted to have them Christened in case anything happened.

I will be raising them to be exposed to other religions. I am not sure where I stand on my religious beliefs at the moment but I think deep down I do believe in God and at least I try to lead a good life.

 

[A.N.Other]

I haven't been christened - my parents are both atheists. I wouldn't christen my children either, but it surprises me that in a world where so many "Christians by default" take no interest in their religion just how many people of my generation have been christened.

 

[nikebee]

My friend is going to Christen his child even though he and his wife are not church goers at all. I had a go at them for getting married in a church when they had no intention of going again after the wedding and chose it as the cheapest option. This was pure hypocrisy in my eyes.
Their reason for the Christening is because they want the child to feel as if it "belongs" to something. I explained that he belonged to their family and most else outside that was irrelevant if not practiced.

I do however disagree with your final statement. I believe it is better to have a Baptism if you are born into a family of practicing Christians. The child would be left out of a regular part of family life, which is not constructive to their upbringing. Furthermore, depending on what you want in terms of education, there are restrictions based on religion and access to specific schools. The fact is, if they are unhappy with the religion that their family practices, they can always change later in life.

I agree with what you first said, but your somewhat contradictory when you said it shouldn't be done so it feels like it has to belong to something.

You mention that a child would feel left out if an entire family were regular practising Christians, I feel your point you made to your friend - that that child would still be a part of that family no matter what, but that is a very good point and I hadn't actually thought of that before. But I wonder how many children brought up Christian, with a Christian family then turn the backs (so to speak) on their religion and their faith to either lose faith completely or join a different religion. I think that would be something interesting to see.

As far as your friends wedding goes, I guess it's something of a tradition now to get married in a church whether your religious or not. My family isn't overly religious and neither is/was my sister when she got married, although her other half and his family are very religious.

As I said in one of my earlier posts, if/when myself and my other half get married - I expect it to be a traditional white wedding in front of God, what with my girlfriend and her family being pretty religious... but it'll be pretty odd for me :-/

 

[Haiku]

I was christened but I won't be doing the same to my kids. They can decide for themselves when they finally exist and are older.

That's what my parents did and I'm glad of it. They let me know they would be supportive whatever my choice and put no pressure on me either way. If someone does choose to 'believe' then it should be by their own conviction. Otherwise it kind of defeats the point, doesn't it?

 

[Glaucus]

Christening is basically a thing for the parents to show off their new sprogs.

The reason for christening before ,I think it was last year. Was in case the child died before they where old enough to be confirmed. This ensuring they still went to heaven

 

[JodieO]

Oh and I was married in a registry office because my husband doesn't believe in any religion and I didn't want to force him into a church wedding.

 

[Glaucus]

But I wonder how many children brought up Christian, with a Christian family then turn the backs (so to speak) on their religion and their faith to either lose faith completely or join a different religion. I think that would be something interesting to see.

In my experience about 70% turn there back on the religion. In various levels.

 

[MrMoonX]

I wasnt and my parents were never religious, I do however get annoyed that my son at school has religion rammed down his throat, its up to him when hes an adult , i wouldnt mind if it was religious education, that covered all religions but it seems to just be bible crap

 

[Fraggr]

I'm baptised, and I'm an atheist.

I don't see why everyone is saying "I'm glad I'm not" etc. It had made literally 0 impact on my life.

 

[Glaucus]

I wasnt and my parents were never religious, I do however get annoyed that my son at school has religion rammed down his throat, its up to him when hes an adult , i wouldnt mind if it was religious education, that covered all religions but it seems to just be bible crap

if your kid goes to a normal school. He won't have religion rammed down his throat. they don't teach you anything important about religion. It's a total waste of time. All they do is here the 4-5 main groups. Who roughly believe these things.

I don't see why everyone is saying "I'm glad I'm not" etc. It had made literally 0 impact on my life.

It's the principle of it, a kid should not be forced into something like taht. It also depends on the religion. Baptism in many religions is the most important bit. Unlike catholics who have the confirmation.

 

[colinuk]

As a non christian, can someone explain the difference of Christen'd and Baptised to me?

Just wondering?

Ta,

ColiN