im seeking opinions from people who have had their child/children baptised/christened .......... im planning to have mine baptised end of february and im yet to send invites as the location is not known due to dilemma....
its like this the lutheran pastor wont allow the chosen godfather to partake in ceromony as he is a buddhist.......i respect the churches rules am not here to debate religon just wondering in which direction to go? do i baptise without godfather partaking? hire a celebrant at another location so the godfather can be present?
i a non church going christian however would like levon to experience sunday school and maybe other religons when he is older .....
I know I am going to start up an argument, but if you are a true Christian, then Baptism isn't about it being a social event. It is a solemn promise between the parents and God on behalf of the child, and if the parents are not happy about this, then maybe they should consider some other ceremony that is not religious. You can have a dedication or naming ceremony where no solemn promises are involved.
whats a true christian? is that some other religon ?? solemn promise? sounds to somberly for me ! may levon when he grows up decide what is the right path for him.......ta i think i will go with the naming ceromony.
Being a true Christian means that you have accepted the Lord your God (and no other) as your saviour and that you endeavour to live your life the way He suggests. (He only suggests - you still have free will and have to make a decision on how you behave.) This does not mean that Christians are supposed to be perfect, but that when they make a mistake, which they very often will do as they are perfectly human with free wills, they ought to correct that mistake as soon as possible. I stress that we are not perfect, don't claim to be perfect, but are all works in progress. And as a true Christian, I would agree that a naming ceremony is better for situations like yours, because it does give the child the option of making that choice later on and people do not make a whole lot of promises - in front of witnesses, that really they can't - or have no understanding of, as they haven't accepted God themselves yet.
i had my son dedicated at my in laws church as that is their family tradtion. personally i would go for the celebrant option so that the godparents can be their cos it is a big part of their life to. you dont need to do it in a church, and you can still teach your child about religion.
Aren't christian people suppose to be accepting of other religions? (what the hell is a lutheran btw)
If he is not willing to baptise with godfather present then why should he baptise your child. A christening is meant to be about whats best for the child and stuff....not what the pastor wants - as it's discrimination if he won't accept the child's godfather for being buddhist.
Sorry if i seem rude at all but it really annoys me. Go with a celebrant or something or another church who will accept godfather for who he is and not what he is!
Cheers
Lutherism is a branch of the Christian church. A particularly strict branch. Christians are not supposed to accept anything and everything willy nilly. They have to look at the values that are represented and portrayed and have to decide if those values are acceptable and reconcilable with what they believe in. Only then should they accept. They should always accept the person, but they do not have to accept the way the person behaves or acts.
We had issues getting our girls christened and for caitlyn we had to attend bible studies, and i refused .. so we end up finding a priest at the local hospital and he was willing to do it, but when it was time he was called to a family crisis, so we end up with the arch deacon as it was short notice.. With chloe i had to get baptised and didnt mind that at all...
So my advice would do what is best for you, your child and the godparents, so if it means not at that church, contact others,. or have a naming ceremony in a nice location.......
ive heard of naming ceremonies but what actually happens there?? is it a sit down thing or informal? any info would be great as i need to get those invites out
a anming ceremony is very informal. you have the guy say what ever it is you want to say and then thats it. you can get some really fun ones or make it formal. its all up to you.
my SIL had one for their kids in a pagan fashion. T was in a fairy outfit and S was in a little suit. we blessed the kids in the elements.
Thank you liz for helping answer that... i also want to add that a naming ceremony is
It's entirely up to you as to how you would like the ceremony to be organised but they usually last about 20 minutes. You can lead the ceremony yourself o have a celebrant or priest who can help you to prepare the ceremony and lead it on the day. During the ceremony, parents state their love and commitment to their child and declare hopes for their future. You can choose to read poetry or a favourite piece of prose, with music playing in the background.
Rather than godparents, whose traditional role is to help guide the child in a Christian life, 'supporting adults' or 'mentors' (who may be friends or family) just need to say that they will be there for the child as he or she grows up and throughout their life in whatever way is needed. and also later on for your child they can choose to take the path they need in the religious way...
You can also contact your Local Authority to find out which venues they have approved for naming ceremonies and how much they cost. The ceremony, which can be conducted by you or a celebrant, may include an introduction and welcome followed by a reading by you or one of the supporting adults. This is followed by the naming of the child and the parents' promise and promises of the supporting adults to pledge love and support for the child's future.
Naming ceremonies are not legally binding and do not have any legal status, although you may be presented with a record of the ceremony as a token of the day.
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