Christening

"Those that have no interest in that side of things are still taking part in a ceremony involving a public declaration of respect and love for the child and a public declaration of solidarity between the parents, Godparents, and wider congregation. "
I like that Bubblechild & think that your priest buddy is making a lot of sense. With an eye on the above though, would your preist friend accept an atheist as a godparent? or would the "church" not allow it?
My atheist godfather to my daughter lied. I'm not sure it was necessary to do that as his "spitrituality" was not in question.

Rasher,

I'm not sure what my mate the priest would say about an aetheist Godparent - I will ask though: it's an interesting one.

I certainly wouldn't want to try to speak for the Church in general; I frequently feel that its 'official line' is nonsense. I think it's a shame that organised religions deal (and are expected to deal) in 'answers' and 'certainties'...the baby is so frequently thrown out with the bathwater - and worse. Ahh, religion and politics, and badges to identify 'us' from 'them', all much too closely linked...don't get me started.

For what it's worth, the church I go to seems to encourage questions rather than answers, and its view leans towards the idea that if Christianity can be a 'right' path, then that in no way implies that other paths are 'wrong'. That works for me, anyway.

Yours without answers,

Bubble

Bubble - I sat down for a long talk with the priest that Christened my daughter well before the event, and he helped greatly to helping me understand the viewpoint of the Christian church. I agree largely with the spirituality behind it all, but he reminded me at the end of it all that ultimately, he represented and promotes the Christian church, and therefore the rules are clearly written and the bottom line remains the same. Interesting, but ultimately disappointing - but that, I realise now, is my fault for going to the Christian church for something that they don't do. It was almost me wanting them to change the rules just for me - so I do understand that I should have been looking elsewhere. And I respect that.

Paul - Christening is being baptised into the Christian church. Not all baptisms are Christian of course. I am pleased that at last we are dropping the term "Christian Name" for "First Name" or "Forename", although I am sure we could still find a better term for it. The official naming of a child has nothing to do with the church ceremony. The confusion you have on this is a result of all the bullshit we grew up with - where anyone that wasn't a Christian didn't count. "Christian Name" is purely the name given when Christened and nothing else. It is not the correct term for someones first name.

I don't mean that Christianity is bullshit - only that we were told we were Christian, and talked to and treated as such without even being consulted, is bullshit. Maybe I'm guilty now of exactly the same thing, except that I do/will let my children know exactly what it means and it's limitations. They will understand the alternatives and hopefully will understand why we did what we did.
I think that was the best I could do at the time and am happy to leave it there.
(BTW - you can say "bullshit" to a priest. They are just the same as us )

We all want to be in the best 'group' don't we?

10 weeks and still going....

Well Fiz - you are in the best group now! Hope it is getting easier.

Some days good, some days not so good...

(bit like Naim transformers really!)

Still, at least I breathe a bit easier, some wierd side effects though, pins and needles for example - all those arteries unblocking....

and constipation no doubt

No I still do the prune juice thing!

But I have had chest pains, lots of sneezing and coughing....

Just on the subject of Christianity, I heard a report on BBC WS Radio recently (serious/believeble ?) aboout the New English Bible soon to be published in a more modern and understandable language cum presentation. Incredibly one quote was a situ with Jesus and company, where one says to the other something along the lines of "Nice one Son" and "Good Job Mate", apparently some of the older more unpronouincable Classic names are also to be modernised into such adresses as "Barry" "Dave" etc, etc, I Kid you not.

Fritz Von Mysteriouswaysindeed