Christening....which religion.....

LondonDiva

skintchick wrote: »

Not strictly true. I am a Baptist, and we had our daughter dedicated. It's just a few minutes in a normal Sunday service where you go up the front with baby and proclaim that you will bring up baby in faith, but for them to make their own decision later, and the congregation promises to help you bring them up. But you are not making a decision for the child, as you are in a Christening.

I was acually Christened as a baby, by my non-churchgoing parents, then chose myself to go to church when I was about 12, and was baptised a few years later, because I never felt my Christening meant anything, whereas my Baptism was me making a choice and promise to God.

My family are COE and I was dedicated because (according to my parents) it was important to welcome a child into the Christian community, give thanks and 'dedicate' the child and how they will be raised as they strongly felt that infant baptism was meaningless. I was baptised and confirmed on the same day at 15

Thinking on their decision, despite attending church weekly, I will also be dedicating - not christening my children.

Oldernotwiser

meritaten wrote: »

I thought this was a 'joke' thread when I read the title!
you arent particularly religious - you go to church on the odd occasion - but you have absolutely NO understanding of the religion. yet you think that your child should be christened but not sure which religion??????????????
.

The fact that the OP thinks that the different Christian denominations are actually different religions is truly shocking!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Xaniwoop wrote: »

this sounds like the best idea to me, then you can explore the different aspects of faith at your own pace and if you decide to baptise at the end then you will do it with a whole church community welcoming your baby.

You could look at something like an Alpha course to explore the central beliefs of Christianity - they are very accessible and involve lots of discussion and usually a meal. If you google it you should find one near you. Although given you are due in a week I'd look at finding a church toddler group, they are usually run by members of the church who would be happy to chat informally about their faith and their church over a cuppa

Now, that would be uncomfortable for me. I felt the Alpha course to be like high pressure selling techniques. So, if there was a deity out there just waiting for me to find my way, the salesmen put me off completing the purchase, as it were. I felt that if it were real, it would be there for me and they wouldn't be selling it so hard, IYSWIM?


And Alpha doesn't address a lot of things about Catholicism - only a Catholic Church could do that. Would be strange to bring a child up in a completely different denomination to the majority of the family in the absence of a strong feeling towards the alternatives?



But using the word religion seems pretty reasonable when you haven't done much study - and looking at all the wars and horrible things done in the name of religion, it doesn't really seem to those people that Catholicism is the same religion as Presbyterian as Methodism, as Brethren, as Coptic Christians, as Greek Orthodox or Russian Orthodox.... Not using the correct turn of phrase isn't a reason for criticism.

Oldernotwiser

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

But using the word religion seems pretty reasonable when you haven't done much study - and looking at all the wars and horrible things done in the name of religion, it doesn't really seem to those people that Catholicism is the same religion as Presbyterian as Methodism, as Brethren, as Coptic Christians, as Greek Orthodox or Russian Orthodox.... Not using the correct turn of phrase isn't a reason for criticism.

I wasn't correcting a "turn of phrase"; the OP genuinely didn't seem to understand that all Christian denominations are part of the same religion.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I wasn't correcting a "turn of phrase"; the OP genuinely didn't seem to understand that all Christian denominations are part of the same religion.

Wasn't specifically directed at you, some people have mentioned they have taken offence at the OP not knowing the correct phraseology.


I know the proper word to use is denomination - I also know the guaranteed way to upset someone is to use the word sect (so I don't) - but that is through study, not through automatically knowing it in the first place. I have used the word flavour as well, not as an insult but as a word which gets across the 'it's all the same, and it's all different' (all ice cream being ice cream, but chocolate or honeycomb being different ).

Just because I know it, doesn't mean everyone does. And for other posters to say how angry this makes them doesn't really do much for impressions of inclusiveness or welcoming of more souls into what they feel to be God's family.


ETA: and judging by the hatred and accusations of being in league with the devil that *some* people make in relation to that sectarian stuff, as far as they are concerned, the 'Other Side' is a different religion.

TediousPhoenix

I think the Chinese have a lovely celebration. For a baby's one month birthday parents hold a Red Egg and Ginger party.

[FONT=verdana, geneva, helvetica]'Proud parents introduce their latest addition to friends and relatives by holding a red egg and ginger party. Traditionally, the baby's name is also announced at this time.[/FONT][FONT=verdana, geneva, helvetica] Guests attending red egg and ginger parties bring gifts. Lysee or "lucky money" in red envelopes is often given to baby boys, while girls may receive expensive jewellery. The guests don't leave empty handed, either. The parents hand out red-dyed eggs, symbolizing happiness and the renewal of life.'

Source: http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa012303a.htm

I went to one the other week and it was a lovely, family and friend affair. If you aren't religious you don't have to have a religious ceremony to have a celebration and unite a family.
[/FONT]

Oldernotwiser

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Wasn't specifically directed at you, some people have mentioned they have taken offence at the OP not knowing the correct phraseology.

You're still assuming that it's simply a question of phraseology; I'm not convinced that this is the case.

(Although I did post before I realised that the issue had been raised earlier in the thread.:o)

Lotus-eater

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

The fact that the OP thinks that the different Christian denominations are actually different religions is truly shocking!

Totally disagree with that one. Does this mean you have to know all about religions, or all the different flavours of the christian church, to be interested in joining in?

margaretclare

So yes I want to honour my grandmother, but it's more than that, it's about understanding more about our heritage, it's about the fact that we're getting older and asking more questions about things in life and it's about starting to believe in something greater than us.

This does begin to make much more sense to me. The word 'heritage' is not one you hear mentioned very often in this context, but it IS important. I was at Battle last weekend, not to watch the re-enactment of the famous battle (I can't bear to do that) but to honour the ancestors. I took some flowers - as did many other people - and laid them on the spot where our last king was killed. We are all part of a continuation and what we do is important.

You only have to go into a historic old church and to feel the atmosphere, feel that continuation, generations before us stretching back into the past.

And yes, there is 'something greater than us'. DH is firmly convinced that there was Someone who was there when he was at death's door in Critical Care, who said to him 'Not today, my son, come back with me'. Nothing can convince him otherwise, no matter how scientific and evolutionary the arguments. He's alive now and he so nearly wasn't.

orrery

You could contact the British Humanist Association who will be able to put you in contact with a non-religious 'celebrant' - they specialise in conducting non-religious ceremonies. You could then have a properly organised 'do' that is really inclusive and doesn't make any demands that those attending have to nod in the direction of some supernatural being and you don't have to make promises that you don't believe in.