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naming ceremony V christening
Hi everyone
I just wondered what everyone's views were about naming ceremonies and christenings. I wanted to have Shea christened in September on his first birthday and we were going to get him christened at our local church where we got married but we're having a few problems. Hubby doens't wanted a private christening (not with a load of other kids) but the cost is horrendous!! and churches are always pleading poverty! so we didn't really want to have a communal one as we have such a large family too. We are also having a "god parent" issue as that we've asked one set of friends but that has upset some other relatives!!
So anyway i'm looking into having a naming ceremony on his birthday at his grandparents house. They have a massive back garden and my FIL is a practicing catholic and has holy water and would like to "bless him" with it. I've found a good website doing naming ceremony certificates and poetry, but i jsut don't know if that's sort of cheating and whether we should have a proper religious ceremony, but we're not religious people.
your thoughts would be lovely
thanks
Claire
xx
I just wondered what everyone's views were about naming ceremonies and christenings. I wanted to have Shea christened in September on his first birthday and we were going to get him christened at our local church where we got married but we're having a few problems. Hubby doens't wanted a private christening (not with a load of other kids) but the cost is horrendous!! and churches are always pleading poverty! so we didn't really want to have a communal one as we have such a large family too. We are also having a "god parent" issue as that we've asked one set of friends but that has upset some other relatives!!
So anyway i'm looking into having a naming ceremony on his birthday at his grandparents house. They have a massive back garden and my FIL is a practicing catholic and has holy water and would like to "bless him" with it. I've found a good website doing naming ceremony certificates and poetry, but i jsut don't know if that's sort of cheating and whether we should have a proper religious ceremony, but we're not religious people.
your thoughts would be lovely
thanks
Claire
xx
0
Replies
We are having a naming ceromony for our lo on 24th May, and we are also getting married on the same day. We choose a naming ceromony because neither one of us our religious and it seems wrong to preech something that we dont actually believe in. When our little girl is older she can make her own decision as to what she wants to do religion wise. The ceromony itself has cost us ??200 and you get a certificate for the parents and the grandparents and God Parent equivalents also get one and they all get to make a promise to our daughter. Some of the poems that are in the cermoney are just beautiful, if you want me to write some out for you I can do, we have adapted them so that they are more special for Holly.
Dont be rushed into doing anything that you dont want to do, at the end of the day its your child, your choice and people should respect that.
Hope that helps
Claire
PS great name by the way Lol
Good luck in whatever you decide. xx
Can't wait for September now!!
xx
The Vows
To the parents:
"Will you, by God's wisdom and strength, bring ... up to love and worship God. Will you love him/her and care for him/her. Will you, by your prayers, example and encouragement show ... what it means to be a disciple of Jesus?"
To the Prayer Partners:
"Will you, by God's grace and strength, seek to be faithful in praying for ..., and stand by (Parent's names) through the joys and pains of caring for ..., supporting them constantly with love, understanding and prayer?"
To the Church:
"Will you pray for ...? Will you support and encourage (parent's names)? Will you seek to give ... a clear example of what it means to be a Christian and will you, by God's grace, do nothing to cause ... to stumble or turn away from the God who loves him/her?
As it is Asher's birthday on Thursday we are then going to have a big birthday party for him. I'm so excited about the whole thing.
Personally I don't think that you should have your baby christened or dedicated if you do not hold Christian views, even if you are getting pressure from family. A naming ceremony can be just as special and significant if that is what you choose.
Anna
The Vows
To the parents:
"Will you, by God's wisdom and strength, bring ... up to love and worship God. Will you love him/her and care for him/her. Will you, by your prayers, example and encouragement show ... what it means to be a disciple of Jesus?"
To the Prayer Partners:
"Will you, by God's grace and strength, seek to be faithful in praying for ..., and stand by (Parent's names) through the joys and pains of caring for ..., supporting them constantly with love, understanding and prayer?"
To the Church:
"Will you pray for ...? Will you support and encourage (parent's names)? Will you seek to give ... a clear example of what it means to be a Christian and will you, by God's grace, do nothing to cause ... to stumble or turn away from the God who loves him/her?
As it is Asher's birthday on Thursday we are then going to have a big birthday party for him. I'm so excited about the whole thing.
Personally I don't think that you should have your baby christened or dedicated if you do not hold Christian views, even if you are getting pressure from family. A naming ceremony can be just as special and significant if that is what you choose.
Anna
The Vows
To the parents:
"Will you, by God's wisdom and strength, bring ... up to love and worship God. Will you love him/her and care for him/her. Will you, by your prayers, example and encouragement show ... what it means to be a disciple of Jesus?"
To the Prayer Partners:
"Will you, by God's grace and strength, seek to be faithful in praying for ..., and stand by (Parent's names) through the joys and pains of caring for ..., supporting them constantly with love, understanding and prayer?"
To the Church:
"Will you pray for ...? Will you support and encourage (parent's names)? Will you seek to give ... a clear example of what it means to be a Christian and will you, by God's grace, do nothing to cause ... to stumble or turn away from the God who loves him/her?
As it is Asher's birthday on Thursday we are then going to have a big birthday party for him. I'm so excited about the whole thing.
Personally I don't think that you should have your baby christened or dedicated if you do not hold Christian views, even if you are getting pressure from family. A naming ceremony can be just as special and significant if that is what you choose.
Anna
The Vows
To the parents:
"Will you, by God's wisdom and strength, bring ... up to love and worship God. Will you love him/her and care for him/her. Will you, by your prayers, example and encouragement show ... what it means to be a disciple of Jesus?"
To the Prayer Partners:
"Will you, by God's grace and strength, seek to be faithful in praying for ..., and stand by (Parent's names) through the joys and pains of caring for ..., supporting them constantly with love, understanding and prayer?"
To the Church:
"Will you pray for ...? Will you support and encourage (parent's names)? Will you seek to give ... a clear example of what it means to be a Christian and will you, by God's grace, do nothing to cause ... to stumble or turn away from the God who loves him/her?
As it is Asher's birthday on Thursday we are then going to have a big birthday party for him. I'm so excited about the whole thing.
Personally I don't think that you should have your baby christened or dedicated if you do not hold Christian views, even if you are getting pressure from family. A naming ceremony can be just as special and significant if that is what you choose.
Anna
For us - we aren't religious and it would be hypocritical to make a promise that we would bring him up according to a particular religion when we know we wont - it would be lying to him which I won't do and its also disrespectful to the people who do believe.
My friend has had her kids dedicated and she says she sees it as like a doorway into the religion whilst allowing them the freedom to make their own choices if they want which is nice.
I am godmother to my 2 cousins 2 boys and I felt like a total fake doing the promises to a god i don't believe in, but I'll always look out for the kids and if they wanted to learn about religion I'd help them.
It'll be interesting I'm sure when we go to see hubbys family when we end up seeing the religious side of his family..although maybe they'll have got the message considering we had a civil weddiing ceremony and I was 5 months pregnant at the time!
Interesting discussion... I was recently invited to a humanist christening and didn't know what to expect... it was pretty similar to what you described above and really lovely.. I really just want my little girl to get an opportunity to wear a traditional christening dress... will probably choose ivory colour as not to make it too religious I guess!