Atheist Forces Church To Wipe His Baptism Off The Records.

[Beorn]

Having been subjected to the rite of Christian Baptism in infancy...

Pretty strong words and approach over a simple piece of paper for one who doesn't believe in a Christian God.


I was "subjected" to a baptism as a child and oversaw many other baptisms as I grew over the years, and have to say that I have always thought it the most serene and beautiful ceremony the Christian faith upholds.

I am still proud of the knowledge that I have had a baptism and that my parents held me in such high esteem to declare me to their one true, loving God.

I didn't "subject" my children to a baptism as I would prefer for them to have the freedom of choice in whom they wish to hold a religious allegiance to, but will happily sit by as they make their choices in life.*

I was wondering what the forum members thoughts and opinions of baptism was.

• Were you baptised as a child or as an adult?

• If you have children, have you had them baptised?

• As practising Heathens, Atheists, Pagans, etc..., would you see fit to chase the church in rescinding your baptism?


* except for the bleeding obvious choices.

[Psychonaut]

• Were you baptised as a child or as an adult?

Thank goodness no. My parents did not believe that children should be baptized without informed consent, and by the time I was old enough to really think about it, I no longer wanted to be baptized.

• As practising Heathens, Atheists, Pagans, etc..., would you see fit to chase the church in rescinding your baptism?

Not really. It seems kind of dumb and whiny.

[Electronic God-Man]

I was baptized AND confirmed in the Catholic Church.

For whatever reason I was once talking to my mom about not having my kids baptized. Although she would be OK with them not growing up specifically as good Christians should (going to church regularly and so on) she seemed insistent that they be baptized. I actually don't think it should matter, especially if you are an atheist. So somebody did some religious actions to you or your kids...but you don't believe in that mumbo jumbo, right? So why should it matter if it was meaningless?

Following with that, this guy doesn't make sense to me. He's an atheist. What does it matter then?

[Aliandrin]

Following with that, this guy doesn't make sense to me. He's an atheist. What does it matter then?

When you're an Atheist, you don't do what you think is right and proper because you think it gains you some reward or because you fear punishment, but because it is the right and proper thing.

I would suppose he didn't think it was right or proper to be marked as a Christian when he was not one.

[Beorn]

she seemed insistent that they be baptized.

My parents were absolutely fine with the whole thing in my case. They have never pushed religion upon me and it wasn't till I was in my late teens and a self professed Satanist that my Dad took me to one side and told me to grow up.

He taught me a little bit of his I Ching and I went on my spiritual path from there.

My in-laws, on the other hand, went mad. They simply couldn't grasp why a person would not want their child baptised, regardless of whatever religion they were.
Free thought and individual rights seemed to wash right over their Catholic heads.

It was even rumoured that the mother took my daughter to the local Chapel to get her secretly baptised. She denied it, but I still have my suspicions and hope she sleeps better at night knowing her grand daughter won't go to limbo if she dies.

What a f***ing religion, hey?

[Beorn]

I would suppose he didn't think it was right or proper to be marked as a Christian when he was not one.

Most likely he simply wanted to hammer his pent up love for God at the only thing he could.

[Aliandrin]

Most Atheists aren't the angry, angstful ex-Christians people think they are. For example, I just don't like the dogma, and the type of people it attracts (in large measure, people who like using their religion to win arguments, act superior, lord it over others, etcetera). Let God exist if he does, let him send me to Hell if he so chooses, I have no proof he's real and I don't believe without proof.

[Solwyn]

My father did not want to have us baptized. He thought that "churchianity" as he called it, was a crock and used to say that unless church started serving steak dinners and beer, he wasn't going back. He nearly fainted from joy when I held a blot over Remembrance Day while he and mum were visiting: roast pork, beer, and big loaves of braided bread. He asks about Asatru and Odinism every time I talk to him, LOL.

My mother on the other hand was of the fear-riddled Christian variety when she was younger and was convinced that we were going to hell because we weren't baptized. Oh yeah, we couldn't even have Snakes & Ladders in the house growing up, let alone playing cards, because it was all "Satan's work". Sometimes I wonder how they ever got together, you know.

We were dragged when I was about seven, to get baptized by the padre on my dad's ship. When I was 19, and had already been believing in the old gods of Europe for almost two years, she quite violently asserted that I MUST confirm. And I do mean violent. She would hiss through her teeth at me, call me all sorts of names, and once, she threw things in a rage because I insisted that she give me concrete, qualifiable reasons for why I had to suddenly confirm. So instead she began shrieking and throwing plates.


I have never seen so much bile in one person at one time. I used to wonder about her. Her level of fear and anxiety was such that I MUST confirm in the church and I MUST be a practicing Christian but she never did have a good reason why. All of our discussions on this subject ended up with her going off the deep end which just confirmed to me at that time that not being a Christian was a wise decision, indeed.

She invited me out one evening, on the pretense that we were going to dinner and we ended up at church. I spent the evening listening to the padre drone about the joys of confirmation. He was quite pleased to find out that I'd studied Classical Mythology at university - then I used those same studies to demonstrate why I thought the whole religion was a farce and he said that if that was my true feeling, then he wished me well.

Everyone else wanted me to just shut up and go along with it, so that "mum would be happy" mainly because they probably got tired of hearing about it. However, I am my mother's daughter, LOL, and if I ain't doing it, it ain't gettin' done!!!!

I thought my mother would spontaneously combust right there in his office. She could not understand the padre's open-mindedness - literally couldn't wrap her head around why someone wouldn't want to be Christian.

She loosened up considerably after going to university and being exposed to other cultures and belief systems (see - multiculturalism can be a good thing in small doses), although she DID sneak my son to the base church to have him baptized when he was an infant. I let that one go because I had no desire to see more plates go flying and to be honest, I knew that my path in life would see us living thousands of miles away from each other - and I was right

I wouldn't bother to have my baptism rescinded. It seems rather whiny and pointless. You could have the record purged, I suppose, but that doesn't erase the act, does it? From a spiritual point of view, it also doesn't erase the ripple that was sent out into the universe when you were baptized or confirmed - you have to make another wave in the ether, hence so many religions DO have these baptism ceremonies, as well as conversion rites. A lot of people feel that they need these rites so I believe that they are more for our peace of mind because we are wired to seek comfort in ritual and tradition, than because any deity requires them.

[Rainraven]

I was subjected to a baptism, though I can't remember it being that traumatic
I'm really not too fussed by it, my parents saw it as the done thing at the time. Even though none of my family have ever been regular church goers apart from my mother as a child! As to chasing the church to get my record removed? I wouldn't bother. It simply doesn't bother me enough to go to the effort

[Gooding]

• Were you baptised as a child or as an adult? I was baptized when a teenager as a Baptist and confirmed as a Catholic when I was 21.



• If you have children, have you had them baptised? My daughter was baptized and christened a Lutheran after her mother's family's tradition. My wife's family's Presbyterian, while she's a comfortable Wiccan.

• As practising Heathens, Atheists, Pagans, etc..., would you see fit to chase the church in rescinding your baptism? That would imply a regret I don't feel.Whether I like it or not, I can never escape my upbringing, nor would I wish to.It is part of my heritage after all. Back on point, however, no, I wouldn't pursue either Boulevard Baptist Church or All Saints Catholic Church to expunge my name from their records.Maybe a descendant of mine would be looking for information about me?Well, the parish records will be right there waiting on them.


* except for the bleeding obvious choices.