Baptisms In Decline...

[agchristie]

I have just been made aware of the huge drop in Church of England baptisms which are nearly 50% down in the last 30 years.

Catholic baptisms are down though the downward trend is not as steep.

There seem to be a lot more godparents though...

Why are numbers of baptisms dropping so much?

[Buenchico]

A: Because far fewer people believe in 'God' (or at least in the Christian version of 'God') and . . .

B: Because even those who are Christians may want to respect the right of their child to make their own mind up about religion, rather than simply label them as a 'Christian' (through baptism) before they're too young to know anything about it.

[pixie373]

That's great news. Perhaps also because there are more options such as baby-naming days too.

[agchristie]

I wonder why fewer people believe in God Buenchico?

I know some mothers who wanted their child christened early and that they could make their own choice in later life. To some, it felt like a 'duty' but they didn't really fully understand the implications.

[jourdain2]

I think Buenchico is right. Unfortunately there is a very negative aspect. I had my children baptised and sent them to local Sunday School on the thinking that if they understood Christianity then they were at liberty to accept or reject it and to be confirmed or not. If they did not understand it then they did not have the choice to reject it.

It is important, however. 'Nature abhors a vacuum' is equally valid if you replace 'nature' with 'faith'. If children are not given a firm religion (to which they can then choose to adhere as adults) then they are a void into which 'firm' religions (such as Islam) can make inroads.

[pixie373]

Not really. Atheism isn't a vacuum- and i imagine, harder to be "talked out of" than any religion.

[jourdain2]

One of mine became a very aggressive atheist, pixie. Yes, hard to explain to her that it's possible that she may be wrong. We may every one of us be wrong. Why are atheists to determinedly sure that they are right? Most of us admit doubts - just rambling after a glass of wine.

[Buenchico]

>>>I wonder why fewer people believe in God Buenchico?

1. Because we have a much better education system these days, which teaches young people to question and challenge norms and conventions ; and

2. Because that same education system means that people have a much better understanding of science and rationalism. If, for example, a person understands that there are probably billions of other planets supporting life where, perhaps on the majority of them, there are life-forms so advanced that they'd see us in much the same way as we see an amoeba, it becomes preposterous to assume that mankind is a special creation of some sort of supernatural force.

[pixie373]

Jourdain, I'm an atheist. I don't see any reason to have any doubts. I would certainly be unsure if I had faith in something i had no evidence of...

[paddywak]

I was brought up in a strict Catholic family did the whole lot baptism,confirmation, alter boy, mass every Sunday,the lot whether I wanted to or not.I told my mother the day I started work was the day I stopped going to church.Since 1965 the only times I've been in a church are weddings christenings and funerals,people make there own minds up no matter what their parents want or think.

[RATTER15]

People are better educated and they dont so readily send their children to Sunday school where they get brainwashed.

[agchristie]

Jourdain2, not sure how much wine you've consumed ;-) but I'm not convinced that by not christening early leaves the door open in later life to being susceptible to a 'firmer' religion as you put it, unless you feel that the better education argument doesn't hold water?

Do we become more or less irrational in our advancing years?

[boxtops]

We were all christened in our youth as it was the done thing, and I was confirmed, although nobody asked me if I wanted to be. It's interesting to me that my nephews and neices have their children baptised, although none of the parents manifest any interest in the church and certainly don't attend - it just seems something to tick off the list.

[agchristie]

Boxtops, well, the figures suggest baptisms have lost their significance in todays world. Some parents dont wish to be hypocritical by not being a regular church-goer and approaching their Reverand for a Christening service.

[anneasquith]

more couples live together now rather than get married ?

[Old_Geezer]

Fewer see any value in the ritual ?

[agchristie]

OG - seems that way. Christenings, weddings.

The church appears not to have an influential role in our society in the main.

[naomi24]

Education.

[anneasquith]

baptisms/christenings are still very much part of my friends and family lives, although the babies appear to be older when they get baptised ?

[anneasquith]

okay-dokey Naomi :)