I'm considering baptising my child - I have questions

[Gurm]

If it was good enough for John & Jesus....

FYI: two of our list members were Rabbi's from the community

Oh, *sigh* I'll just let this go.

[Gurm]

You could always do what they do in Kenya. Climb to the highest point around, raise your child over your head and show her the sun. Tell her "this is the only thing greater than you!"

(It helps if you have a baboon shaman to do this, but it isn't strictly speaking necessary!)

[GT98]

This reminds me...I still need to get to the Church (which i haven't been to in YEARS!) to get my paperwork so I can be my nephews godfather...

[Brian Ellis]

This reminds me...I still need to get to the Church (which i haven't been to in YEARS!) to get my paperwork so I can be my nephews godfather...

Er! Excuse me! The duty of a Godfather, which you solemnly undertake, is to ensure the child is brought up in the Christian faith according to the particular Church the child is baptised in, especially if the parents are unable to do so. Isn't there a teeny-weeny incompatibility there for someone who hasn't been to church in YEARS???

Sorry

[Gurm]

Er! Excuse me! The duty of a Godfather, which you solemnly undertake, is to ensure the child is brought up in the Christian faith according to the particular Church the child is baptised in, especially if the parents are unable to do so. Isn't there a teeny-weeny incompatibility there for someone who hasn't been to church in YEARS???

Sorry

Sort of the point I was making, yeah. We all, to one extent or another, participate in social structures and rituals which are based, again to one degree or another, in religion. If one does not subscribe to that religion, then to one degree or another one is being disingenuous participating in said rituals and social constructs.

Boy I use that "degrees" thing a lot, huh?

[Jammrock]

After looking into baby naming ceremonies, I believe this is what I am looking for. Thanks for all the help everyone, much appreciated!

Ah, yes. Those are fun. Same rules apply, though. Keep them small. It helps keep the occasion special.

The first baby blessing I did (the Mormon equivelent to a baby naming) I had about 20 people in the house. It was too much. The second one just had immediate family, and it was much more intimate, relaxed, and well ... special. For my third it will just be the grandparents, my kids and my wife in attendence (and one "clergy" from the church, but that's because baby blessings require it).

I know of two ways that baby namings/blessings are done outside a church. The first is a circle blessing/naming. Basically, a group of chosen people form a circle around the baby and hold him/her under hand (so the collective hands form a cradle for the baby). Then someone blesses/names the baby. In my church only the father speaks, but since you're not Mormon you could ask anyone and everyone to give the baby a blessing, words of comfort, information about the name ... whatever you want.

The second simply involves you, or your wife (or partner, can't remember if you are married), holding the baby in front of your group and naming the baby, plus speaking words of blessing, comfort, etc. You can also invite others to do the same.

Hope that helps give you some ideas.

Jammrock

[Jessterw]

Sort of the point I was making, yeah. We all, to one extent or another, participate in social structures and rituals which are based, again to one degree or another, in religion. If one does not subscribe to that religion, then to one degree or another one is being disingenuous participating in said rituals and social constructs.

Boy I use that "degrees" thing a lot, huh?

Which is amusing because my sister is our youngest' godmother and neither of us are Catholic (the wife and the godfather, are however, and my sister is a practicing Christian). Nothing wrong with it either according to the church. The role of a godparent is no longer limited to continuing the child's religious education, nor is it required; rather, it is to care for the child if the parents were to die or the child has otherwise been orphaned.

Of course many Anglican and the Roman Catholic Church require christening and confirmation, respectively, of the godparents. As I said though, this isn't always the case here in the US (and possibly elsewhere). As with all things, the terminology and the role has evolved.

So in this case, there's really nothing disingenuous about it.

As an aside, I find it all the more amusing that people assume that those who do not attend church on a regular basis (or almost at all) are somehow automatically lacking in their responsibilities to their given church/religion. As far as Christianity goes, there's not a damn thing in the Bible that requires such attendance, though they'd sure like you to believe it.

[GT98]

Er! Excuse me! The duty of a Godfather, which you solemnly undertake, is to ensure the child is brought up in the Christian faith according to the particular Church the child is baptised in, especially if the parents are unable to do so. Isn't there a teeny-weeny incompatibility there for someone who hasn't been to church in YEARS???

Sorry

LOL

its OK Brian, The parents weren't even married by the Church and when they became godparents themselves or had to do something else church related, all they had to do is say some Our Fathers and Hail Marys and all was good...

I'm not a big fan of the Catholic Church or most other organized religions, but I'll show my Nephew what its all about and let him decide what he wants to do when he gets old enough if it comes down to that. I believe in a god, I just dont think that I should go around spending 10% of my yearly income to a church, "just because", not to mention all the other crap that goes on with it.

[az]

Do you have independent religion classes at school in the US?

[Gurm]

Do you have independent religion classes at school in the US?

There are no religion classes at any real school in the USA.

[Nowhere]

So...no big reason for a child to be baptised (social implifications) if you don't truly belong to "baptizing body"

[Jessterw]

Nope. In fact, baptism in some Protestant churches isn't so much required as a path to God/salvation or membership in the church (notable exception being the Baptist church) as it is an extra step in that direction; a ritual for purification. Thus, there's not as much of a stigma placed on those who haven't been baptized.

Of course, this also depends on where you live. In many southern black communities, baptism is still a very important ritual and I imagine one would get chided a bit for not being baptized if one were a part of one of those communities.

[Gurm]

Nope. In fact, baptism in some Protestant churches isn't so much required as a path to God/salvation or membership in the church (notable exception being the Baptist church) as it is an extra step in that direction; a ritual for purification. Thus, there's not as much of a stigma placed on those who haven't been baptized.

Of course, this also depends on where you live. In many southern black communities, baptism is still a very important ritual and I imagine one would get chided a bit for not being baptized if one were a part of one of those communities.

The same communities that make a big deal out of baptism also make a big deal about not going to church on Sundays, so...

[Jessterw]

And so do a lot of the ones that don't make a big deal out of baptism...

[KvHagedorn]

Er! Excuse me! The duty of a Godfather, which you solemnly undertake, is to ensure the child is brought up in the Christian faith according to the particular Church the child is baptised in, especially if the parents are unable to do so. Isn't there a teeny-weeny incompatibility there for someone who hasn't been to church in YEARS???

Sorry

heh.. at least he isn't Michael Corleone, becoming Godfather to his nephew and renouncing Satan and his works at the same his men are mudering all his rivals.