Christening when you don't believe in God??!!

two-for-one

My husband's son and his girlfriend have decided to get their baby christened.

What really baffles me is that neither of them believe in God, never attend church and have even stated that they are "atheists" on their facebook profile.

What I can't get my head round is why on earth would they go to a church, go through the ceremony, take vows on behalf of their child when they obviously don't believe in any of it? Would it be rude of me to ask them?

Myself, DH, and DD's are all regular church goers and I would like to get an idea as to why people would do this when they don't believe. When I asked DH, his reply was "that's what they do up North, it's tradition"??!!

I have noticed that a lot of people out there seem to do this, ie: hardly ever attend church, don't particularly believe in God, yet get their child christened.

skintsaver_2

i was christened when i was a baby but my mother and father never went to church, i asked them a few years ago why they had me christened and they said it was because if i got married i could get married in a church, i dont know whether thats true or not but thats what their reason was

Little_Chicken

Probably just to get presents. lol

LouBlue

I have never understood this. All the church weddings and christenings I have been to and neither of the couple have ever attended church, baffles me.

skintchick

The 'getting married in a church' thing is true for CofE, BUT if the child later chooses to believe they can be christened or baptised as adults so that doesn;t really matter these days.

Personally, I'm a Baptist and we don;t do christenings, we dedicate children into the church family and they make their own decision later.

I cannot bear it when people have their children christened when they have no belief and I find it utterly incomprehensible why people who openly proclaim themselves to be atheists would do so.

LouBlue

Me and OH aren't religious at all, we don't want to get married in a church because we haven't been since we were children so it has no bearing on our lives whatsoever and if we ever had children, I would find it extremely hypocritical to have the baby christened, just because it seems to be the 'done thing'. If church is important in your lives and religion is, then fair enough.

k_bagpuss

I was never christened as my parents decided it would be wrong to stand and promise to take me every week when they had no intention of doing so! My mum's mum was mortified apparently, although I don't remember her going to church either! But I was married in a church (CofE) as my (now ex's Mum was very religious and expected it!) and I didn't have a problem, I just explained everything to the vicar and he said it wasn't necessary for my to be christened

chewmylegoff

if they set up a christening "wishing well", will make their reasons for doing it pretty clear.

jellyhead

skintsaver wrote: »

i was christened when i was a baby but my mother and father never went to church, i asked them a few years ago why they had me christened and they said it was because if i got married i could get married in a church, i dont know whether thats true or not but thats what their reason was

I don't know if it's true but I've heard that reason a lot too.

I wasn't christened, but seeing as I didn't go to church I don't see how being denied a church wedding would be a problem, that's another one I don't understand - why get married in a church if you're not christian

Most of my family and friends have had their children christened though, despite none of them going to church 'because it's what people do'.

Some of our friends have gone to such trouble organising the christening that it's obvious one of them actually wanted a wedding.

LouBlue

k_bagpuss wrote: »

I was never christened as my parents decided it would be wrong to stand and promise to take me every week when they had no intention of doing so! My mum's mum was mortified apparently, although I don't remember her going to church either!

Good for your mum!

jellyhead

I noticed when applying for a primary school place recently that some church schools give priority to christened children - might that be a factor?