Hypocrisy

[NoMercy]

What drives parents without a shred of religious inclination to have their children christened? I just don't get it.

Is it an excuse for a knees-up or just narcissistic parents seizing the opportunity to showcase their babies? I just can't fathom why people show no interest in religion but queue up to have their children Christened.

[tonyav]

There cannot be a God, otherwise the Villa woud win the Premiership every season !.

[naomi24]

A Church of England school I know no longer requires pupils to be baptised, but it does stipulate that children must attend church once a month. A sign of concern over falling numbers of church-goers perhaps? I think a lot of people have their children baptised simply because it’s part of our culture and in many families, it’s ‘expected’. Like religious wedding ceremonies for the non-religious, it’s ‘the big day’.

The words of the baptism service are, in my opinion, quite evil - the most appalling that anyone could speak over the head of a child - but these people either don’t realise what is being said – or they don’t care because for them it’s all about posh frocks and parties. The Service of Baptism is my least favourite aspect of the Christian church. I absolutely detest it.

[flip_flop]

I don't have a religious bone in my body - I think every single person who believes in their particular religion's made up fairy stories is utterly delusional, and as somebody who goes to church regularly, it simply astonishes me how the gullible and weak believe the utter rubbish that comes out of the vicar's mouth each week.

So why do I go?

I live in a town where two of the closest three secondary schools are affiliated to CofE churches, and the third is affiliated to the Catholic church. The closest non-church affiliated school is a half an hours drive away.

We are in the utterly farcical situation that regular church goers are first in the queue when it comes to choosing a school, and as my local church has sway over the admissions of the closest school (about a 10 minute walk), it made sense to play their ridiculous game to ensure we get the school we want.

I should hasten to add that these are state schools - they are not church maintained schools, they are paid for by the taxpayer.

I can think of much better things to do on a Sunday than listen to a cult's mad ramblings, and I did feel a bit wrong about whether my daughter would succumb to their bonkers stories, but fortunately she is pretty bright and soon dismissed it - so much so that I felt she was 'grown up' enough to have a conversation about why we are doing what we are doing.

As soon as she is in the school we will not be stepping foot in the church again.

There are many parents at the church who are being forced to do the same thing as us.

It is absurd that in a largely secular society that the church has any say in who can and cannot go to a STATE school.

[Old_Geezer]

Maybe it's a bit like celebrating Christmas ;-)

[gness]

Nice one OG. Food for thought. :-)

[NoMercy]

Death to the Villa, Tony. Long lives the Blues! ;)

I agree with you, Naomi. Wicked indeed.

[tonyav]

mmmmmm, I don't know, maybe there is a God after all, he keeps the Blues in the Championship. ;-)

[NoMercy]

Depends how you celebrate Christmas, OG.

[sunny-dave]

Please don't tell me that Wine Santa isn't real ....

[tonyav]

Christmas to me is a holiday with pressies and parties.

[naomi24]

flip_flop, serious question. When a child who is taught religion at school asks you questions that conflict with your own beliefs, how do you answer them? Do you tell them not to believe it – and if so, do you worry that your conflicting views will create confusion for the child?

[sunny-dave]

I don't 'get' the christening thing at all though - unless you are actually believers (or playing the school entry game).

Why not just have a big party without dunking the poor little mite in a religious paddling pool ...

[gness]

Aren`t some people having naming ceremonies now? Introduce the baby and have a party. Don`t suppose that covers the school issue though.

[ludwig]

// Sending a child to a CoE school, say, is hardly forced feeding religion //

It put my wife off religion for life.

[jake-the-peg]

I think also some people see chritening as associating God parents with a child.

Although not specifically called out there seems to be a belief that those God Parents would care for a child if the parents died.

[flip_flop]

Naomi - that was a dilemma for me and Mrs Flop.

The way we dealt with it, rightly or wrongly, was to treat the whole god thing as we did santa and the tooth fairy.

We 'played along' until she was old enough to realise they were constructs and simply grew out of them.

The inevitable questions were asked "Dad, santa/god/the tooth fairy doesn't really exist, does it?", and once they were asked we told her the truth.

[NoMercy]

Flip ... That last sentence is bound to spark fury among the religious zealots. ;)

[naomi24]

flip_flop, probably wise.

[jomifl]

flip_flop, Excellent argument, well put.

[modeller]

In my case it was the norm. You registered the baby and had it Christened
and if asked what your religion was you said C of E.

There were no religious thoughts involved. My granddaughter goes to her allocated school which happens to be C of E . Nothing unusual in that most rural and semi-rural schools are church schools.