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.

[sandyRoe]

It might help later to get them into a decent school.

[NoMercy]

So they use religion to their own advantage when it suits them, Sandy?

[daisya]

I agree NoM....it is hypocrisy and yes they do use religion for their own ends which imo wrong but if they are "allowed" to do it then they will. I have the same feeling about church weddings when the couple/family have no religious inclination at all. All for show as far as I'm concerned.

[sandyRoe]

Such a thing isn't unheard of. It could also be that while they've lost their faith they want to give the children the opportunity to have at least a smattering of religious education.

[NoMercy]

I'd rather get married in my own back garden!

My mother never had me Christened and, should I ever have children, they won't be Christened either.

[NoMercy]

So a parent who isn't religious is right to force-feed religion to their offspring?

Like sex, the young should be allowed to discover, explore, experiment and acquaint themselves with religion when the time is right.

[DTCwordfan]

It's called insurance if the doubting, delusional Thomases think that there is someone up there or omni-present.

Plus the school thing as well.

[sandyRoe]

Sending a child to a CoE school, say, is hardly forced feeding religion. Some children will examine religion and discard it, others take from it what helps them in life.

[NoMercy]

You may be right, DT.

[Sheenamf]

I agree DT, a little bit of insurance. Mind you some of these modern made up names must have children running to the deed poll office in later years

[Mosaic]

Round these parts, it's done to ensure the sprog can attend the only CE (for CE read mainly white) secondary school.
This also comes with a social network of fat-rsed gossips dressed by M&S with very finely-honed judgemental skills.

[sandyRoe]

[i] nothing wrong with M&S, is there? [i]

[Mosaic]

If it's the perma=pleat skirts with elasticated waistbands - yes. Especially on men.

[NoMercy]

Sounds scarily familiar, Mosaic. :)

[bibblebub]

imho, using a capital C for the word christened is showing the malarkey more respect than it deserves

[Old_Geezer]

I wasn't aware they did get the offspring christened if they didn't believe.

If a few do it's probably becuase it is 'the done thing' in society and expected ?

Besides there's always Pascal's Wager to consider.

[gness]

Daughter was christened because OH had faith and I was easy going along with that...and I like parties.

She studied many religions later and, in a family like ours...priests, nuns and happy clappies, had many examples of believers. She made up her own mind. An atheist like her Ma.

[Mosaic]

I once worked with a lovely intelligent woman, who had rejected catholicism - but after giving birth had the babe baprised a catholic as all the stuff about dead babies going to limbo instead of heaven snuck up and blindsided her.

[gness]

Mosaic. It`s hard to get rid of Catholicism. When my first was born many years ago, some of my family wouldn`t visit until he had been baptised because of the sin he was born with.

[jake-the-peg]

Shall we be charitable?

I suspect that especially with a first child a lot of parents are very keen to do everything "right" for their children and especially if they once were church goers and stopped may feel the need to do this.

They probably go a few times afterwards too and then stop

A bit like taking up jogging after Christmas