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

skintchick

lostinrates wrote: »

DH and I are of different cultural and religious backgrounds. While we both have a belief its not that of our religions of birth, but we feel culturally influenced to our benefit, by our religious bckgrounds. I would want that for a child.

I'm intrigued now...

WolfSong2000

My parents never got me baptized/christened as a child, despite the fact that they're both religious...not particularly overtly, though. Their reasoning was I could make up my own mind when I grew up, which I'm grateful for. I remember there was a lot of pressure for me at school when I was a teenager to go through some sort of training+event to get accepted into the local church (name of event has completely escaped me. Typical. lol). I had to be very forceful in saying I was not interested, and that annoyed me.

As for the whole church issue...I'm not religious, but I still like the idea, purely for it's tradition, and for the same reason brides often continue to wear white dresses, despite the fact they're more often than not not virgins...there's a lot of history behind the ceremony and I like that. That and because my father holds an OBE I am allowed to get married in St. Paul's Cathedral. Lets hope I marry a rich guy. lol.

claire1234

my fella is greek and although not religious or anything he did get his 2 children christened,
i asked him about it recently for when we have children and he said he thinks of it more of blessing the child and welcoming he/she to the world,

i thought id better ask for when we have kids as ive never been christened or been to church or anything so it would feel a bit weird for me,
recently one of his cousins in greece had a baby -- now this was celebrated bigger than a wedding!

id just ask your step son, it could be any reason

kazmc

I'm not religious at all and wasnt christened myself.
I did want to celebrate my daughters birth so had a 'naming ceremony' for her in a registry office. It was lovely and had all the special elements such as 'godparents' (but without the god bit obviously!)
Not sure why this hasnt taken off really, don't hear of it much although you can buy cards in the shops for it.

shellsuit

LouBlue wrote: »

I would be interested in any couples out there who did get married in church or had their baby christened but are not religious/don't go to church. What the reasons were, it intrigues me.

I was christened and both of my children were christened.

I used to go to church as a kid, but with school (once a week).

We don't go to church because the way I see it, if I want to believe and/or pray, I can do that anywhere/anytime, not just in a church.

Also, the children did have to be christened to have gone to the school they are in, but that's not the main reason for it.

They frequently go to church with their school and whenever I can help out with taking them there, I have done/will do.

mspig

I'm not religious and i didn't get married in a church, but i did get my two older children christened at a church|(CofE) youngest has been too ill to be christened up to now.
I decided that as i was christened and am Cofe and so is my OH that we wanted the children to be the same religion(and as someone stated we didn't do it for presents as we asked for no gifts and only invited close relatives).

The reverand at the church has no issues with none church going people having their children christened as he states himself that you don't have to go to church to speak to god, and for those that don't believe, even though you may not believe doesnt stop god watching over you.

lab-lover

Totally don't understand either. My OH and me aren't church goers at all and never will be. We havn't christened our DD for this reason, I think I would feel like a hypocrite if I did decide to have her christened. It's highly unlikely now though as she is 12, and having asked her if she wants to be she just screwed her face up.

I think people do it because they think it's 'the right thing to do'. Non believers i mean. As for 'it's waht people up north do, well Iam from up north and I havn't done it so I can't understand that, a few people i know also feel the same as me.

Infact I went to a christening a few years ago and still don't understand it all. If Iam honest, churches give me the creeps and always have done. xx

lab-lover

A friend of mine once told me she wanted her child christened because if she didn't it would mean she would 'floating in limbo' in the after-life

Think she meant she would be alone.

jillie1974

i think some of it is to do with schools.
a friend of mine wants to get her daughter into a particular secondary school. and although her daughters curently go to a CofE primary school, and attend the odd easter/christmas/school service are not church goers at all. however now she wants daughter to go to secondary school, they go every Thurs night, apparently its a shorter service so not as boring!! and is packed every thurs with parents and kids who also want to go to this secondary school. you can only be considered for a place if you regularly attend church. there is even a register you sign to say you have attended. so what happens when the child gets the place at school and they stop attending does the school say tough you cant attend this school???

my dh isnt a believer but i am, so are child will be christened. its an important day for both child and parents. i'm not a big church goer as i used to be. but have started going again. ( the primary school attatched is not the best one in the town)

searching_me

lab-lover im the exact same i was christened but i do not believe in god and all that neither does my mother and my suposed father i was only christened because of my grandad ...
my DD and soon DS will not be christened if they choose to believe then thats up to them when they're old enough to understand i generally think most non believers do it for either family members, a do or "its the right thing to do" which to me is wrong why enforce something you dont believe yourself ...
also churchs also creep me out i always said if you believe theres a god and he's supposibly everywhere why do you need to go to a church to show you believe x