Christening in the UK

I'm the same.  Of course I'd participate wholeheartedly in a friend's celebration no matter what religious or non-religious flavour they are, just if it was my own child or whatever I'd call the ceremony something else.

Definitely!

Because it's easier than getting into the semantics?

Some people are just not that bothered to make the distinction because they have other things to think about. 

I can see it not worth making the distinction if a person didn't have strong religious beliefs or maybe even wasn't sure he or she even believed in God but for someone who professes to be an atheist, why would he or she participate in a baptism, which is a Christian sacrament and at the least requires the possibility of the existence of God?

Having your child baptised or being a godparent may or may not make a person a 'good' Christian, but I would think it definitely signifies not being a very committed atheist.

It's like a vegetarian who eats meat, but only just a little (and never on Fridays :-),

I can see it not worth making the distinction if a person didn't have strong religious beliefs or maybe even wasn't sure he or she even believed in God but for someone who professes to be an atheist, why would he or she participate in a baptism, which is a Christian sacrament and at the least requires the possibility of the existence of God?

Having your child baptised or being a godparent may or may not make a person a 'good' Christian, but I would think it definitely signifies not being a very committed atheist.

It's like a vegetarian who eats meat, but only just a little (and never on Fridays :-),

I don't see a problem with someone taking part (even a significant part) in a something which they don't believe in....

I think it's a kind of live-and-let-live thing for me.  Anyone can believe what they want and I won't protest (as long as they're not harming anyone or being disrespectful) and I would hope for the same from them.

If someone asked me to take part in something that wasn't my religion, I would probably accept (as long as it wasn't hurtful or morally wrong, of course).  I would want to support them in their beliefs and I know that taking part wouldn't question or change my own beliefs.  I would walk away the same person, but I would be supporting my friends in their beliefs even though they might differ from my own.

I don't see a problem with someone taking part (even a significant part) in a something which they don't believe in....

I think it's a kind of live-and-let-live thing for me.  Anyone can believe what they want and I won't protest (as long as they're not harming anyone or being disrespectful) and I would hope for the same from them.

If someone asked me to take part in something that wasn't my religion, I would probably accept (as long as it wasn't hurtful or morally wrong, of course).  I would want to support them in their beliefs and I know that taking part wouldn't question or change my own beliefs.  I would walk away the same person, but I would be supporting my friends in their beliefs even though they might differ from my own.

Absolutely!

I don't see a problem with someone taking part (even a significant part) in a something which they don't believe in....

I think it's a kind of live-and-let-live thing for me.  Anyone can believe what they want and I won't protest (as long as they're not harming anyone or being disrespectful) and I would hope for the same from them.

If someone asked me to take part in something that wasn't my religion, I would probably accept (as long as it wasn't hurtful or morally wrong, of course).  I would want to support them in their beliefs and I know that taking part wouldn't question or change my own beliefs.  I would walk away the same person, but I would be supporting my friends in their beliefs even though they might differ from my own.

Attending or taking part in a wedding doesn't require an oath other than from the couple, nor does a funeral require any sort of active religious belief, but by accepting being a godparent you are promising to bring the child up in the Christian faith. I don't see how an Atheist can do this in good conscience.

Attending or taking part in a wedding doesn't require an oath other than from the couple, nor does a funeral require any sort of active religious belief, but by accepting being a godparent you are promising to bring the child up in the Christian faith. I don't see how an Atheist can do this in good conscience.

Everyone is different, but if I had kids who decided to believe something different than what I do, I would respect that and choose to support them as long as they were respectful of others' beliefs as well. 

If I were a godparent and the parents passed away, I would try to raise them in the way the parents would have wished.  I would still hope to expose them (not convert them of course) to other religions, but I would think that their parents would expect that when they asked me to be their child's godparent.

The guy who posted the status that caused me to ask is one of the parents who had a christening for the son who shouted "Science!". He and his wife are atheist, the godparents are atheist, and all for are dead set against anything, and I do mean anything, Christian. No Christmas, no Easter, no church and will talk you til your ears fall off to sway you against Christianity if they have the time. Yet, they had their son christened, will be having their daughter christened soon, and go to quite a few christenings. I suppose in my thinking, if you are against everything else Christian, there is no point in christening your child and having Godparents.

It would be different if they weren't so against everything else involved with Christianity.

The guy who posted the status that caused me to ask is one of the parents who had a christening for the son who shouted "Science!". He and his wife are atheist, the godparents are atheist, and all for are dead set against anything, and I do mean anything, Christian. No Christmas, no Easter, no church and will talk you til your ears fall off to sway you against Christianity if they have the time. Yet, they had their son christened, will be having their daughter christened soon, and go to quite a few christenings. I suppose in my thinking, if you are against everything else Christian, there is no point in christening your child and having Godparents.

It would be different if they weren't so against everything else involved with Christianity.

If you ever talk to them about it and feel like it's something you can share here, I'd love to hear what their reasons are.   

Maybe it's a family tradition they can't get out of.   

Or maybe Christenings have a different meaning for them.    You can make anything (like a Christening) into whatever you want.    I know a Jewish gal who went to Lutheran services because she preferred the atmosphere and she knew she was able to take from it what she wanted and turn it into a time of worship that she wanted. 

The guy who posted the status that caused me to ask is one of the parents who had a christening for the son who shouted "Science!". He and his wife are atheist, the godparents are atheist, and all for are dead set against anything, and I do mean anything, Christian. No Christmas, no Easter, no church and will talk you til your ears fall off to sway you against Christianity if they have the time. Yet, they had their son christened, will be having their daughter christened soon, and go to quite a few christenings. I suppose in my thinking, if you are against everything else Christian, there is no point in christening your child and having Godparents.

It would be different if they weren't so against everything else involved with Christianity.

Weird, I agree TamaMoo.  Is the Christening taking place in a church?  Why won't they just do their own thing and call it something else?  And instead of Godparents they could just call it something else as well.... 

The Christenings are definitely taking place in a church each time. It does seem odd that it isn't called something else, given a different name and the godparent title be give another name. He posted today about going to another one, but he does feel like a hypocrite going to them. I wanted to reply and ask why he feels like a hypocrite going to them when he has christened one child and is getting ready to christen another.

Maybe a message to him would help me understand it. I will have to think how to word it, so that it doesn't offend him. He isn't easily offended, but although we are friends, we aren't close enough for deep heart to heart talks about the touchy subjects.

The Christenings are definitely taking place in a church each time. It does seem odd that it isn't called something else, given a different name and the godparent title be give another name. He posted today about going to another one, but he does feel like a hypocrite going to them. I wanted to reply and ask why he feels like a hypocrite going to them when he has christened one child and is getting ready to christen another.

I think I would have typed out this reply, then deleted it because I didn't want to offend. However, if he's putting it out on Facebook that he feels like a hypocrite, then he's kind of opening himself up for a reply like yours! What a strange person.

Very strange. Maybe I should just hide him on FB. As I mentioned, we are friends but not really close. Of course, there is more to him than the christenings he goes to but doesn't want to. Maybe it is because a lot of them end up at the pub or there is a huge drinking party at the home of the parents. Perhaps it is about the beer. But then, why christen your own children, when you could just have a party instead, since you don't believe in what christening stands for? Strange guy, indeed.

But then, why christen your own children, when you could just have a party instead, since you don't believe in what christening stands for? Strange guy, indeed.

Maybe it's to keep the grandparents happy, like what TravelingFrog said? A family tradition they can't get out of? There are people who aren't religious who get married in churches or by priests/ministers because their parents are fussy about it, perhaps it's the same with christening the grandchildren. Not everyone has the ability to say "no" to their insistent parents, no matter how old they are! 

I agreed with every positive answer because i also think that we do not differentiate our gathering by their religion, cast or any other rubbish. If we want positive environment around us then just neglect all that rubbish.